The Tow Truck’s first appearance involves a Strangers and Freaks encounter by Franklin Clinton in GTA 5. You can freely use the vehicle after towing several cars for Tonya Wiggins and buying the LSPD Auto Impound for $150,000.
In the recent GTA Online Chop Shop update, Rockstar Games brought back the fan-favorite Tow Truck. Is it the same with its Story Mode counterpart? How about its profit potential?
This guide will answer your questions and give updates on significant changes.
UPDATED as of 18/12/23 (11:10 AM UTC): Added new cars and tweaked payout range per salvaged parts.
Table of Contents
What is the Tow Truck in GTA Online?
The Tow Truck is a two-door vehicle equipped with a cable for hooking other vehicles. It can only be used in the towing mission after purchasing the Salvage Yard. Unfortunately, the truck cannot be used in Free Roam, and you can only hook other cars during the salvage mission if they’re the designated target.
The Tow Truck in GTA 5 is the rusty Beater in the Online version. However, you can still access the faster Tow Truck variant for almost double the original price.
How to get the Tow Truck in GTA Online
The Tow Truck Beater is priced at $650,000, while the Tow Truck costs $1,100,000. Both can be acquired after obtaining a Salvage Yard from Maze Bank Foreclosures. Renovating your property enables you to purchase one of these vehicles, as shown below.
You don’t have to unlock anything besides the Salvage Yard to purchase the Tow Truck or the Tow Truck Beater.
How to Start the Tow Truck Service
You can start salvaging car parts illegally throughout the city after purchasing a Tow Truck. Since you’re limited to two car lifts, expect two GTA days before another space becomes available.
However, you can bypass that by purchasing additional staff for $625,000 from the Maze Bank Foreclosures Salvage Yard Renovation option, letting you salvage parts faster.
To start the side hustle, enter the Tow Truck and select “Launch Tow Truck Service”. Afterward, Jamal Amir will ping you the car’s location. Press the “Ctrl” button to lower the cable and hook the vehicle to start moving. The time limit is distance-dependent, so consider buying a scrapyard near the city.
• The Police (and possibly the Military) will pursue you if you open fire in front of them.
• Hooking a vehicle within the Police or the Military’s vicinity may turn them hostile. You may want to ditch the Tow Truck and lose the cops before delivering the car to your Salvage Yard.
• Driving the Tow Truck underwater or destroying it will cancel the order. However, you won’t be charged, and it’ll be intact inside your Salvage Yard.
• Destroying the target vehicle will fail the mission.
• You can’t use Lester’s ability to remove Wanted Level Stars.
Max Payout for the Tow Truck Work
There’s no official confirmation for the highest possible payout, but you’ll earn around $30,000 to $40,000 per towed vehicle.
The compensation depends on the vehicle you acquire, but so far, here’s everything we’ve listed:
| Car Name | Salvage Profit |
|---|---|
| Albany Emperor | $35,000 |
| Albany Primo | $30,000 to $32,000 |
| Benefactor Schafter | $38,000 to $40,000 |
| Bravado Banshee | $39,000 |
| DeClasse Asea | $31,000 |
| DeClasse Vigero | $34,000 to 38,000 |
| DeClasse Voodoo | $31,000 |
| DeClasse Tornado | $31,000 |
| Dinka Blista | $31,000 to $33,000 |
| Fathom FQ 2 | $37,000 |
| Gallivanter Baller | $38,000 |
| Imponte Beater Dukes | $32,000 |
| Karin Futo | $30,000 to 34,000 |
| Karin Rusty Rebel | $31,000 |
| Maibatsu Penumbra | $37,000 to 40,000 |
| Maxwell Asbo | $35,000 |
| Ocelot F620 | $36,000 to 39,000 |
| Schyster Fusilade | $40,000 |
| Übermacht Zion | $35,000 to 37,000 |
| Weeny Issi | $32,000 to $34,000 |
This’ll help me with the new DLC. Dope guide!
Will the more expensive tow truck fetch higher value cars than the beater in the tow missions?
makes no difference, purely cosmetic
Niiiice breakdown !
How do you keep a car from a heist instead of selling it to the other dude?
Hi, M.
That feature is yet to be implemented by Rockstar Games.