Transforming municipalities

It is time to bring great service to municipal towing. At
AutoReturn we have a proven record of partnering with municipalities to measurably improve existing towing operations. We make a big headache go away.

Case Study: San Francisco

When we took over San Francisco's dispatch, towing, storage and disposal services in 2004, the operations were plagued by problems typical of the industry:

  • Lack of responsiveness to city needs
  • High volume of customer complaints
  • High number of claims for damage or loss of personal property
  • No service standards to hold the contractor accountable
  • Extensive city effort required
  • Allegations of fraud

Today, we have turned what had been a public failure into a successfully and professionally operated service for the City. We manage nearly 70,000 tows annually, as well as vehicle storage, customer service and vehicle disposal for the City and County of San Francisco. Through efficiency and proven best practices, we realize greater cost recovery for the City.

Before After
10-20 customer complaints per month Fewer than four complaints per year
Low levels of transparency Increased transparency, via benchmarked standards and reporting
Poorly performing tow operators 32% improvement in tow response times, using existing local tow operators
Outdated technology World-class technology and professional management
Substantial city effort required Minimal city effort required, with increased accountability and control

Case Study: Baltimore County

In 2009, after winning a highly competitive bidding process AutoReturn became the single point of contact for the Baltimore County Police Department for all of its towing operations, engaging the 31 tow operators previously under contract directly with County. The process was seamless. Subsequently, the Baltimore County Police Department reported increased service and reduced administrative burden. Based on our outstanding service record, the County granted AutoReturn a contract extension in June, 2010.

Before After
Over 100 towing-related complaints per year reported to County officials 3 complaints to the County in 15 months
Poor service and little accountability Increased accountability with reduced effort required by the County
Little use of technology World-class technology and active tow management

"We have experienced a transformation in San Francisco that has fundamentally changed the way we think about towing."

Willie Brown
former Mayor of San Francisco

Our municipalities - current and planned:

Baltimore County
San Diego
San Francisco

Learn more

Want to revolutionize towing in your city? Read about what AutoReturn can do for you.


Contact Sales

Interested in speaking with our sales staff about how AutoReturn can revolutionize towing in your area? Please email us or call
415-865-8282 and one of our staff will contact you at your convenience.