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Missouri committee hears hours of debate over bill to curb alleged predatory commercial tow charges
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Summary
Proponents of House Bill 17-41 told the Transportation Committee that predatory nonconsensual tow bills — multiple examples as high as six figures — are harming small owner-operators; towing and tow-truck representatives warned the bill, as written, could halt nonconsensual heavy-duty tows by removing lien leverage and create serious operational and fiscal problems. The committee received mixed testimony and the sponsor signaled willingness to amend.
JEFFERSON CITY — The House Committee on Transportation heard sustained, often heated testimony on House Bill 17-41, sponsored by Representative Dave Griffith, a proposal to create a Towing Recovery Review Board within the Department of Transportation to adjudicate disputes over nonconsensual commercial-vehicle towing and to add procedural protections for owners and carriers.
"This bill and this board would look at the specifics ... when fees are disputed," Griffith told the committee, describing provisions that would stop storage charges from accruing once a complaint is filed and prohibit nonconsensual tows from creating liens on commercial vehicles and cargo. The bill would also require towing companies to provide reasonable access to impounded commercial vehicles and authorize civil penalties of up to $25,000 for violations.
Supporters, including claims managers and trucking associations, said the state lacks a practical, low-cost way for small, one-truck operators to challenge what they called excessive or predatory invoices.
"That $20,000 tow bill would turn into a $50,000 tow bill or maybe even that $100,000 tow bill," Steve Ryan, an assistant manager for commercial truck claims management, said when describing an example in which a routine upright and winch produced nearly $20,000 in billed services and multiple ancillary fees. Ryan said some examples nationwide have reached into the mid-six-figures — figures he said his office had seen — and urged protections before requiring higher insurance minimums for truckers.
Industry witnesses opposed elements of the bill. Ralph Godsey of the Missouri Tow Truck Association said heavy recoveries can legitimately require multiple rotators, environmental cleanup and hours of specialized work and that removing lien leverage could leave tow operators unpaid on many nonconsensual recoveries. "As it stands right now, we do somewhere between 3 and 5 nonconsensual commercial tows, heavy vehicles off the interstate between Saint Louis and Springfield in a regular month," Godsey said, arguing that some percentage of those tows will not be paid by out-of-state or uninsured operators.
Key points of contention during questioning and testimony included:
- Scope and definition: Members pressed whether the bill would apply to law-enforcement-dispatched emergency tows (which the sponsor said should be excluded or clarified) and whether the statutory definition of "nonconsensual" in current law needs tightening.
- Financial and administrative burden: Some members queried MoDOT’s fiscal note and staffing estimates; the bill’s supporters pointed to models in Tennessee and Arkansas that maintain manuals and complaint processes and use enforcement like suspension of a towing company's third-party operating authority. Mike Matusik of the American Trucking Associations explained how other states use towing standards manuals and complaint investigative staff to adjudicate disputes without immediate court filings.
- Remedies and timing: Several lawmakers raised concerns that the board’s review timeline could leave independent truckers without their primary income for months, while tow operators would bear storage and operating costs. The sponsor said the board could recommend deposits or partial releases and that litigation would remain an option for parties who disagree with recommendations.
- Price mechanics: The bill prohibits per-pound charging for nonconsensual tows; some tow operators said per-pound rates can be valid in certain circumstances while others said the method is easily abused.
Representative Carolyn Keaton and other members pressed for clarity on appeals, deposits, how a release would be structured, and whether insurance minimums would unintentionally harm small carriers. Representative Keaton requested language edits (for example, clarifying whether non-domicile CDL holders must hold a valid work visa or proof of citizenship).
Multiple trade groups testified. Louie Pugh of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said the bill would protect small owner-operators, highlighting that roughly 52.5% of U.S. registered motor carriers are single-truck operators and roughly 7,600 of his group's members are in Missouri. Tom Crawford of the Missouri Trucking Association and the American Trucking Associations signaled support but also urged continued negotiation on details. Tow-industry witnesses emphasized safety, equipment and salvage realities that can make recoveries expensive.
The committee took no final vote on HB 17-41 at the hearing. Members asked staff to continue working with stakeholders and the sponsor signaled openness to amendments. The committee concluded the hearing and moved to the next agenda item.
What’s next: Sponsor Griffith and supporters plan further negotiation with towing and trucking stakeholders to refine scope, clarify emergency exceptions and address fiscal and enforcement mechanics before the bill returns to the committee. Any changes to lien language, deposit provisions or penalties could substantially alter the bill’s impact on both truckers and tow operators.