Experienced Flatbed Tow Truck & Recovery Operator

MrKitt's Service Center & Towing; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

MrKitt’s Service Center & Towing in Philadelphia is seeking an experienced Flatbed Tow Truck & Recovery Operator. This is not an entry-level role and requires a minimum of 3 years of verifiable towing and recovery experience, with strong flatbed operation and double-hook capabilities.

You will handle routine towing, accident scenes, vehicle recovery, and complex recoveries, ensuring safe loading, securement, and transport.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years verifiable towing and recovery experience.
• Significant experience operating flatbed tow trucks.
• Able to load, secure, transport, and unload various vehicles.
• Must perform double-hook towing safely and efficiently.
• Understand securement, weight distribution, and safety for double-hook operations.
• Experience with accident scenes and vehicle recovery.
• Knowledge of vehicle stabilization and recovery techniques.
• Familiar with recovery positioning, angles, and scene hazards.
• Know when extra equipment, another operator, or heavier unit is needed.
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record.
• Current DOT Medical Card and ability to pass background screening.
• Strong knowledge of DOT regulations and safety.

Responsibilities

• Safely and efficiently operate flatbed/rollback towing equipment.
• Position and load vehicles on the flatbed, maintain weight distribution.
• Use proper securement points and devices and double-check before moving.
• Unloading at destination and protecting vehicles from damage.
• Respond to accidents and recoveries with appropriate method.
• Coordinate with law enforcement, dispatch, and other tow operators.
• Work with minimal supervision while remaining a team player.
• Communicate professionally with customers, dispatch, and management.
• Follow safety policies, procedures, and DOT regulations.
• Document assignments and communicate outcomes to dispatch.

Skills

Tow truck experience

Flatbed operation

Double-hook towing

Accident recovery

Vehicle securement

DOT regulations

Customer service

Team player

Communication

Background screening

DOT Medical Card

Job description

MrKitt’s Service Center & Towing is seeking an experienced, dependable, safety-focused Flatbed Tow Truck & Recovery Operator to join our professional towing team.

This is not an entry-level position. Candidates must have a minimum of three years of verifiable professional towing and recovery experience and must be fully capable of operating a flatbed/rollback tow truck safely, efficiently, and independently.

The successful candidate must have experience handling routine towing, accident scenes, vehicle recovery, rollover recovery, disabled vehicles, and double-hook assignments. Operators must understand proper loading, unloading, vehicle positioning, securement, weight distribution, recovery techniques, and DOT safety requirements.

We are looking for an operator who can receive an assignment, assess the situation, determine the safest and most efficient approach, properly complete the job, document the assignment, and communicate with dispatch with minimal supervision.

At the same time, you must be a team player. Professional towing and recovery require communication, cooperation, accountability, and a willingness to assist other operators when needed.

Required Qualifications

Candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Minimum 3 years of verifiable professional towing and recovery experience.
• Must have significant experience operating flatbed tow trucks.
• Must be capable of safely loading, securing, transporting, and unloading a variety of vehicles.
• Must be able to properly and efficiently perform double-hook towing assignments.
• Must understand the additional securement, weight, equipment, clearance, and safety considerations involved in double-hook operations.
• Must have accident-scene and vehicle-recovery experience.
• Must understand proper vehicle stabilization and recovery techniques.
• Must understand recovery positioning, recovery angles, equipment limitations, and scene hazards.
• Must understand proper vehicle securement and load distribution.
• Must know when a recovery requires additional equipment, another operator, or a heavier recovery unit.
• Valid driver's license.
• Clean driving record.
• Current DOT Medical Card.
• Must be able to successfully pass a background screening.
• Strong knowledge of applicable DOT regulations and safety requirements.
• Strong customer-service and communication skills.
• Must be a team player.
• Dependable, punctual, responsible, and professional.
• Must be capable of working effectively with minimal supervision.
• Must follow company policies, safety procedures, and management direction.
• Must be able to work outdoors in varying weather, traffic, roadside, and accident-scene conditions.

Flatbed / Rollback Responsibilities

The operator will be responsible for safely and efficiently operating company flatbed/rollback towing equipment, including:

• Properly positioning the flatbed for loading and unloading.
• Safely operating the bed, winch, controls, and related towing equipment.
• Determining appropriate loading procedures based on vehicle condition and location.
• Properly loading and positioning vehicles on the flatbed.
• Maintaining appropriate vehicle placement and weight distribution.
• Using appropriate securement points and methods.
• Properly using straps, chains, wheel restraints, safety equipment, and other required securement devices.
• Double-checking all vehicle securement before moving the truck.
• Safely unloading vehicles at their destination.
• Taking additional precautions with damaged, disabled, lowered, specialty, or otherwise difficult-to-load vehicles.
• Protecting customer vehicles from preventable damage throughout the towing process.

Double-Hook Experience Required

Candidates must be able to properly, safely, and efficiently double hook when the assignment and equipment allow it.

The operator must understand that double-hook towing requires additional attention to equipment capacity, vehicle weight, weight distribution, securement, clearances, turning characteristics, braking, road conditions, and applicable regulations.

The operator is expected to

• Determine whether the vehicles and assigned equipment are appropriate for the intended double-hook operation.
• Properly position and secure each vehicle.
• Verify appropriate clearances before transport.
• Understand how the additional vehicle affects the operation and handling of the tow truck.
• Inspect all connections and securement before moving.
• Recheck the load and securement as required.
• Operate the truck conservatively and safely while transporting multiple vehicles.
• Never exceed the safe operating limits of the truck, towing equipment, securement equipment, or applicable legal requirements.

Efficiency is expected, but safety and proper securement always come first.

Accident & Vehicle Recovery Responsibilities

This position requires hands-on experience responding to motor vehicle accidents and recovery situations.

Operators must be capable of:

• Responding professionally to accident and recovery calls.
• Assessing the scene before beginning operations.
• Identifying traffic, vehicle, environmental, and other potential hazards.
• Performing vehicle recoveries when appropriate for the operator's training and assigned equipment.
• Properly stabilizing vehicles when necessary.
• Determining an appropriate recovery method.
• Properly positioning the truck and recovery equipment.
• Safely winching and recovering disabled or accident-damaged vehicles.
• Recovering vehicles from abnormal positions.
• Minimizing additional damage during recovery.
• Preparing recovered vehicles for safe transportation.
• Coordinating with law enforcement, emergency personnel, dispatch, and other tow operators.
• Recognizing when additional equipment, another operator, or a heavier recovery unit is necessary.

Operators must never attempt a recovery that exceeds their training or the safe working limits of the truck or equipment.

DOT, Safety & Vehicle Securement

At MrKitt’s Service Center & Towing, safety and vehicle securement are non-negotiable.

Operators must understand and follow applicable DOT regulations, company safety policies, traffic laws, equipment requirements, and vehicle securement procedures.

Drivers are responsible for performing appropriate pre-trip and post-trip inspections, including inspecting:

• Flatbed/rollback components.
• Winch and cable/rope.
• Hydraulic equipment.
• Straps and chains.
• Hooks and attachment points.
• Wheel restraints.
• Safety equipment.
• Lighting.
• Tires.
• Towing and recovery equipment.

Damaged, defective, missing, or unsafe equipment must be reported immediately.

The operator is responsible for verifying that every vehicle is properly loaded and secured before the truck moves.

Speed never takes priority over safety.

Customer Service & Professionalism

Our operators are representatives of MrKitt’s Service Center & Towing every time they arrive on a scene.

Customers may be experiencing a breakdown, accident, or other stressful situation. Operators must remain professional, respectful, calm, patient, customer-service-driven, and solution-oriented.

Operators must communicate professionally with

• Customers.
• Dispatchers.
• Management.
• Law enforcement.
• Emergency responders.
• Property owners.
• Repair facilities.
• Fellow towing operators.
• Members of the public.

Protecting the customer's vehicle and providing professional service are essential parts of the position.

Teamwork & Independence

Being a team player is required.

The successful candidate must be capable of working independently with minimal supervision, while also understanding when communication, assistance, or additional equipment is necessary.

Operators are expected to communicate with dispatch, cooperate with management, assist fellow drivers when needed, work effectively during multi-truck recovery operations, and contribute to a professional and safety-focused work environment.

We want operators who are independent—but never operate as if they are above the team or above safety procedures.

What We're Looking For

The successful operator should be capable of:

Receiving the call → assessing the situation → identifying hazards → determining the proper towing/recovery method → positioning the flatbed → safely loading or recovering the vehicle → properly securing the vehicle → setting up a double hook when required and appropriate → double-checking all securement → safely transporting the load → unloading the vehicle → documenting the assignment → communicating with dispatch.

We are looking for an experienced professional operator, not simply someone who knows how to drive a tow truck.

Minimum Requirements at a Glance

• 3+ Years Professional Towing & Recovery Experience.
• Flatbed/Rollback Experience Required.
• Double-Hook Experience Required.
• Accident Recovery Experience Required.
• Rollover Recovery Experience Required.
• Winching & Recovery Knowledge Required.
• Vehicle Stabilization Knowledge Required.
• Vehicle Securement & Load Distribution Knowledge Required.
• DOT Knowledge Required.
• Clean Driving Record Required.
• Current DOT Medical Card Required.
• Background Screening Required.
• Strong Customer Service Required.
• Team Player Required.
• Ability to Work With Minimal Supervision Required.

This is an experienced operator position. Only candidates who meet the required towing, flatbed, double-hook, safety, and recovery qualifications should apply.