The car recovery app that prices the job before you confirm
Open the app, drop a pin, see the exact price for your car and your distance, then watch the driver come to you on the map. No membership, no call queue, no invoice surprise at the roadside.
A car recovery app lets you book a recovery truck from your phone instead of calling a control room. TowManVan shows a fixed price for your vehicle weight and towing distance before you confirm, dispatches the nearest available driver, and tracks them live to your location. It is free to download with no membership fee.
Most UK recovery still runs through a call centre. You ring, describe where you are, wait on hold, get quoted a range rather than a price, then wait again without knowing whether anyone has actually been assigned. The gap between booking and arrival is where the anxiety lives, and it is entirely an information problem.
An app closes that gap. Location comes from the handset rather than you trying to read a motorway marker post. Vehicle weight and towing distance are known at the point of booking, so the price can be calculated up front rather than settled at the kerb. Once a driver accepts, you see their vehicle move toward you.
TowManVan prices car recovery on two variables only: the kerb weight of your vehicle and how far it needs to travel. Cars up to 1,400kg start at £70, up to 1,800kg at £75, and above that at £85. The base rate covers the first three miles. Beyond that it is £5 per mile to fifteen miles, then £3 per mile, then £1.24 per mile on long-distance runs, which is what keeps a 200 mile recovery at around £400 rather than the four-figure quotes long tows often attract.
There is no annual fee to justify and no cover level to have argued about at the roadside. You pay for the recovery you actually booked, at the number the app showed you.
How the car recovery app works
Drop your pin
The app takes GPS from your handset. On a motorway or unnamed lane you do not have to identify where you are, which is where most roadside calls lose time.
Pick your vehicle
Enter your registration and the app pulls make, model and kerb weight from DVLA data. That weight sets your price band, so the quote is specific to your car.
See the fixed price
Destination postcode sets the mileage. The app shows one total, including congestion charge and any surcharge, before you confirm anything.
Track the driver
The nearest available operator accepts and you follow their vehicle on the map, with an arrival estimate that updates as they move.
What it costs
Every figure is the price you see in the app before confirming. Congestion charge adds £25 where it applies. Vehicles that will not roll need skates at £65.
| Service | Price | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Car up to 1,400kg | From £70 | Most superminis and small hatchbacks. Covers the first 3 miles of towing. |
| Car 1,400kg to 1,800kg | From £75 | Family saloons, estates and mid-size SUVs. Covers the first 3 miles. |
| Car over 1,800kg | From £85 | Large SUVs, 4x4s and heavier EVs. Covers the first 3 miles. |
| 15 mile recovery | About £130 | Base rate plus £5 per mile after the first 3 miles. |
| 200 mile recovery | About £400 | Long-distance taper: £3 per mile to £200, then £1.24 per mile. |
| Night recovery 23:00 to 07:00 | 1.5x | Applied to the base rate only, and always shown before you confirm. |
What the app does
DVLA lookup from your registration
Type the plate and the app resolves make, model and kerb weight. That is what sets your price band, so nobody has to eyeball your car at the kerb.
Live driver tracking
Once a job is accepted you see the recovery vehicle on the map with a moving arrival estimate, the same way you would track a taxi.
Price locked at confirmation
The total you accept is the total you pay. Extras like congestion charge or skates appear as separate lines before you agree, never after the job.
Photo condition record
The driver photographs your vehicle at pickup and drop-off inside the app, which settles any question about damage without either side relying on memory.
Nearest-driver dispatch
The job rings out to the closest available operator first rather than sitting in a queue waiting for a controller to place it.
No membership to maintain
Nothing renews and there is no cover tier to dispute. You use it when you need it and pay for that job only.
App booking versus phoning around
| Factor | TowManVan app | phoning around |
|---|---|---|
| Getting a price | Fixed total on screen before you confirm | A range, or 'the driver will tell you' |
| Your location | GPS from the handset | You describe it, often wrongly, under stress |
| Knowing someone is coming | Driver name and live map position | A promised window and a silent phone |
| Annual cost | Nothing. Free to download | £60 to £200 a year whether you break down or not |
| Out of hours | Same app, surcharge shown up front | Longer queues, and premiums you find out about later |
car recovery app questions
Is the TowManVan car recovery app free?
Yes. The app is free to download on iOS and Android from the 1st of October 2026, and there is no annual membership or subscription. You pay only for each recovery you book, at the fixed price shown before you confirm.
How much does car recovery cost through the app?
It depends on your vehicle weight and towing distance. Cars up to 1,400kg start at £70, up to 1,800kg at £75, and heavier cars at £85, each covering the first three miles. A 15 mile recovery is around £130 and a 200 mile recovery around £400.
Can I book recovery in the app without knowing where I am?
Yes. The app uses your handset GPS, so you do not need to identify a junction number or marker post. If you are somewhere with poor signal you can still drop a pin manually on the last known position.
Does the app work if my car will not roll?
Yes. Select the option for a seized or locked wheel and the driver brings skates. That adds a flat £65, shown as a separate line before you confirm rather than added afterwards.
What happens if no driver accepts my job?
The request escalates outward to a wider radius. If nobody accepts, you are not charged anything, and the app tells you rather than leaving you waiting on an open booking.
Is this cheaper than AA or RAC membership?
It depends how often you break down. Annual cover costs £60 to £200 whether you use it or not. TowManVan costs nothing until you need a recovery, so it works out cheaper for drivers who break down less than roughly once a year.
Own a vehicle? Take jobs through the same app
Drivers keep 90 percent of every fare in year one. No weekly subscription, no lead fees and no bidding against other operators for the same job. We are signing up drivers now, ahead of the 1st of October 2026 launch.
Apply to driveTom Hargreaves - Head of Recovery Standards
Tom spent 12 years patrolling UK motorways with the AA before joining TowManVan. He signs off every recovery price and response-time claim on this page. Questions? Email tom@towmanvan.co.uk.
Last updated 19 August 2026. Apps launch 1st of October 2026.