How Long Should A Tow Really Take?
The honest answer is that most local calls in Durham Region are cleared in thirty to sixty minutes. Nobody at Duff's will promise you fifteen, and the reason is simple: the number depends on where the nearest truck is sitting when your call comes in, and on the road between that truck and you.
Every towing company gets asked this the moment the call connects, and it's a fair question. What you deserve is a realistic window rather than an optimistic one. Our dispatch quotes the time it will actually take — and if something changes on the way, the driver or dispatch calls you rather than leaving you guessing on a shoulder.
What Moves The Number
- Where the nearest available truck is sitting when you call
- Traffic and time of day — the 401 at 5pm is not the 401 at 5am
- Weather; first snowfall and freezing rain are our busiest days
- Whether the vehicle rolls, steers and has a key on hand
- Access — underground garages and tight driveways add setup time
- The service itself: a boost is minutes, a winch-out is not
Half the delay on a typical call comes from information the driver has to chase down after they're already rolling. Give dispatch a landmark or exit number, the year and make of the vehicle, and whether it rolls and steers — that alone tightens the window more than anything else you can do.
Sixty years of local work only happens one way: the estimate matches the truck.
