Everyone appreciates a tip for good service. If it’s a private small local company that operates by itself, tipping for good service is just an old-fashioned sign of respect and gratitude. Tow truck drivers do not make a lot of money, generally. There is the cost of time, gas, and equipment that are part of the tow. Some tow truck companies don’t charge for the time they took to come out, for example, if it’s in the city a tow truck company might not charge to come out, but once the vehicle is being towed, the average gas mileage for a tow truck goes down to about 5-9 miles per gallon, which can suck up a lot out of the service fee and profit a tow truck company makes.