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 one complaint per month |
| 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| Outdated technology | ![]() |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 |



