The tow business is one that can be incredibly lucrative if you do it the right way. However, it’s also a business with a lot of stiff competition, especially if you’re in a populated area with a lot of cars.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t still make money, it just means that you need to be smart about how you do it. Use this guide to help you boost your tow business or get a new one off the ground so it can start turning a profit as soon as possible.

1. Know your area well. Before you can really start to make as much money as you can in the tow business, you need to know your area and the competition in that area.

To really know an area, you’ll need to take a look around and find busy parking areas where there are restrictions. Residential areas can work too, but prominent shopping and business areas will likely be a better search area for your tow vehicles.

Maximize the time you spend those areas once you find them.

2. Make sure you shop tow truck parts in advance so you don’t have trucks that are off the street for too long. When you can’t use a truck for a day or night, that’s money that you can’t collect at all. You might even have to pay your driver for the day, even if they don’t do any work.

Keep common parts in your shop and you’ll have less downtime.