Driver guide
Tow truck driver photos: what to shoot on every job
Last updated
The short answer
Take photos of the vehicle before you hook it and again after you drop it, and shoot any damage that is already there. Those pictures are your record if someone disputes the job later. On the TowSitePros job page you can take and upload them straight from your phone.
Why should a tow driver take photos on every job?
A tow driver should take photos on every job because a picture taken at the scene settles arguments that memory cannot. The car that had a cracked bumper at pickup is not the car you cracked at drop-off, and only a photo with a time on it shows that.
Photos protect the driver first. They also protect the company and, honestly, the customer, because a clear record makes an honest claim easy to sort out.
Which photos should I take at pickup?
At pickup, walk all the way around the vehicle and take a wide shot of each side, then close shots of anything that already looks damaged. Add the dash if the customer says something is wrong with the car, and the hookup point once the vehicle is secured.
Shoot in daylight if you can. At night, use your phone light and hold the camera steady enough that a scratch can be told from a smear.
- Front, rear and both sides of the vehicle.
- Every dent, scrape or crack you can see, up close, with a wider shot so it is clear where it is.
- Wheels and tires, especially on a vehicle going on a flatbed or a wheel-lift.
- The vehicle as it sits after it is secured for transport.
Which photos should I take at drop-off?
At drop-off, take the same wide shots of all four sides in the place where you leave the vehicle, plus a shot that shows the location itself, such as the shop lot or the customer driveway.
This is the picture that answers the question of where the car was left and what shape it was in when you drove away. If the customer is there and has signed off, take a photo of the paperwork too.
How do I upload photos from the job page?
On the job page, open the Photos section, choose what the photo shows, and take or choose the picture. The page offers At pickup, Existing damage, At drop-off, Paperwork and Other, so the office can see at a glance what each picture is for.
Photos go straight onto the job, where dispatch and the owner can see them, and they are filed in the job history with the time. A job can hold up to thirty photos, and each one must be a standard JPEG, PNG or WebP file, which is what a phone camera produces.
Photos need a connection to upload. If the signal is bad, take them anyway and send them when you are back in range.
What about the walk around and a signature?
Photos are stronger when the customer walked the vehicle with you. Once you mark yourself on scene, the job page offers a signature pad, and you can note existing damage area by area before the customer signs.
Photos show the car and the signature shows the customer agreed with what you both saw. Together they are the record a dispute needs.
Frequently asked questions
How many photos should I take on a tow?
Enough to show every side of the vehicle at pickup and drop-off, and any damage up close. For a simple local tow that is usually a handful of pictures at each end. When in doubt, take one more.
Do photos really protect me from damage claims?
They give you a record with a time on it, which is far better than your word against theirs. They do not settle every dispute, but they make it much easier for your company to see what happened.
Can the customer see the photos I take?
The photos go to the office through your job page. Your notes stay internal, and the customer's own page is built to show them the job, not your internal records.
What if the customer is not there at drop-off?
Take the full set of drop-off photos anyway, plus one that shows where you left the vehicle, and tell dispatch. If the customer is gone when you arrive, there is a Customer not here button, and photos of the scene back it up.
Working for a tow company?
If your company is looking at a way to send jobs without an app, show your owner how TowSitePros works. The job link reaches the driver by text or email, depending on how texting is set up, and there is nothing to install.