You most likely just bought a car and you can’t seem to find a way to tow it from the buyer’s location to yours. You also don’t want to drive it yet.
You consider calling the CAA’s service to help you tow your car seems like a nice idea, except you have no license plates yet. Now you want to know if CAA can tow your car without plates.
No, CAA can not tow your car without a valid license number plate. This is because apart from your membership and other requirements, having a valid license plate or supplying them with your number plate is one of the requirements for getting your car towed by them.
According to caasco.com, towing services will be provided if you have attempted to repair your vehicle at the roadside and this has not been successful.
The CAA has the Basic Membership subscription and the Plus membership subscription. The former includes towing within a 10km radius of the point of breakdown or any point of your choice that is directly along the return route.
Plus membership, on the other hand, includes towing within a 200 km radius. Where the mileage exceeds your coverage, you will be charged per kilometer.
What About AAA?
I’m sure you have heard about how AAA is similar to CAA and they both have the same membership subscription. Well, just like every other thing they have in common, AAA can not tow your vehicle if you do not have a license plate.
In addition, they will not tow your vehicle if it is unregistered or has missing tags. This is expressly provided for in their towing policy.
The reason for this is to help stop criminal activity and policy abuse by car resellers.
CAN CAA TOW FROM MY HOUSE?
Yes, CAA can tow your vehicle from anywhere. As long as the distance you are towing to is covered by your membership, you’re good to go!
How Many Times Can I Use CAA?
CAA covers and allows you to use up to 4 service calls per year as long as you can show your proof of membership (i.e a valid membership I.D card).
This applies to you whether it is your friend’s car, or you are the owner of the car that broke down, the passenger of the car.
If you exceed your number of calls for the year (4), you will be charged for the towing according to the CAA contractor rates in your region.
How Do I Cancel My CAA Membership?
CAA memberships can be canceled and payment fully refunded within the first 30 days of joining or renewing your membership.
If you have received any services during these 30 days, they will be deducted from your annual dues before it is refunded to you. Apart from the 30 days cancelation, all memberships can be changed or canceled on your renewal date.
Can I Tow An Unlicensed Car?
Yes, you can but you have to first obtain an in-transit permit. Where you will obtain this depends on your region or location.
For example, in Alberta, you are to obtain an in-transit permit from the AMA. For towed vehicles, the permit lasts 7-days and costs $28.
To get an in-transit permit in Alberta, you’ll need the following:
- A Government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport.
- Valid insurance (pink card)
- Your proof of vehicle ownership with the original bill of sale or Certificate of Title.
It should be noted that the vehicle being used to tow the car must be licensed.
Can My CAA Membership Be Used By My Friend?
A CAA membership only covers the person. The person can however ask for the service for another person’s car.
Usage of the membership by anyone other than the person who subscribed would be considered abuse.
Can I Start Using My CAA Membership Immediately?
Only basic roadside benefits are activated for immediate use after joining CAA. Corporate and Premier roadside benefits only become activated after 24hours.
Also, when upgrading from Basic to any other membership, there is a 24hr wait period.
How Many CAA Memberships Are There?
There are 5 known CAA membership plans that either may or may not be available, depending on your region.
They include;
- Everyday Membership plan
- Basic Membership plan
- Classic Membership plan
- Plus Membership plan
- Premier membership plan
FAQs
When Should I Tow My Car?
In case you have been in a car accident and you are not sure if you should try to tow the car yourself, push the car to keep going, or just give up. Here is a list of situations where you should leave your car to get towed by a professional and find your way home:
- If you have been in a road accident and your car seems completely damaged with no way to drive it home
- If your car suddenly broke down and there’s no way to start it or drive it home
- If you have a flat tire that you can’t fix yourself
- When you have a dead car battery, this is the lowest of them all because the car can not work without a battery. So you better start calling your tow company.
How Much Does Towing Cost?
Most towing companies charge amounts ranging from $3-$7 per kilometer. This amount, however, varies depending on your location and the type of truck that your car would require.
Towing heavy-duty objects is obviously more expensive than towing light vehicles.
What Other Services Can A Towing Company Offer?
Apart from towing, towing companies offer roadside services such as boosting services. They also offer gas delivery and tire repairing services.
How Do I Avoid Getting Charged Extra By Tow Companies?
Some tow companies do not provide a pricing structure for their services, hence, they charge as they please. They do this to take advantage of situations and the car owner ends up at a loss due to the unreasonably high rates.
This is why it is more advisable for you to rely on companies with a good reputation and good reviews. Have a stable tow company on speed dial in case you get stranded.
Once you are familiar with a company, stick with them, that way, you don’t get charged extra or charged unreasonably and you would most likely get immediate assistance.
Do I need A License To Tow In Canada?
This highly varies according to the province in which you are in. In Newfoundland, any trailer weighing up to 4,500 kg can be towed with a regular class 5 license.
The number is commonly shared with PEI, NB, NS. Other provinces share the same numbers with Manitoba which is 4,540, SK and BC places at 4,600 kg while Yukon has the numbers at 4,550 kg.
Any weight above those numbers will cause you problems you do not want to get in. It is advisable to save yourself the hassle and stay under the maximum weight when towing with a class 5 license.
To tow something heavier, the least you will need is an endorsement on your current license. For most of them, you might need a medical test and definitely a different road test.
In Nova Scotia, you can drive any single vehicle that is up to 14,000 kg gross weight but to tow a trailer, you need an additional endorsement that covers your heavier trailers.
You’ll need to pass a driving test with a trailer in Nova Scotia but no medical test is required.
In BC, you can drive any motor home with a class 5 license but things change once you are towing an RV or a trailer. A heavy RV needs a Code 7 endorsement which does not include a medical test. However, heavy regular trailers like car haulers need Code 20. Both need you to pass a towing test.
What Are The Things I Should Do Before Towing?
In case you decide to tow your car yourself without employing the services of any towing company, here are some tips to help you along the line:
Make wide turns at curves
Due to the fact that your trailer’s wheels end up going closer to the inside of a turn more than the wheels or your tow vehicle, its tires are more likely to hit or ride over curbs. This is why you should make sure you give a lot of space than usual when making any turn around any corner.
Give space while driving
When driving, even on the right lane, make sure to give a lot of space between you and the vehicle before you. This is for you to be able to stop when the vehicle in front of you suddenly stops too.
Practice your driving with a trailer
Before towing or driving a trailer, it is important that you practice accelerating, reversing, making the appropriate wide turns, using your side view mirrors, etc with your trailer so you would be ready to go on the road.
This is especially important if you add something new to the art of towing or trailer diving.
Check your route before driving
There are some roads that don’t allow trailers, some also have weight, height, and width limits, these roads will be very unsafe for you if your trailer does not fit the requirements.
Also, this would save you the hassle of backing up to find another route to your destination.
Conclusion – Will CAA Tow My Car Without Plates
So with these, I’m sure you are well informed now as to towing with CAA, and your question; “Can CAA tow my car without plates?”, has been answered adequately. So before you call CAA to your location, make sure to slam a number plate on that vehicle to save yourself the hassle!
