CallataGuidesBusiness phone system for motor vehicle towing companies in Lancaster, PA
Motor vehicle towing companies in the Lancaster, PA metro area: 15 establishments in 2023, the local area codes, and what phone service costs an 8-person team.
- Establishments
- 15CBP 2023
- Employees
- 118mid-March 2023
- Per 100k residents
- 2.7U.S. 3.1
- Rank
- 118th of 511areas by count
The towing company market in Lancaster, PA
The Census Bureau's 2023 County Business Patterns lists 15 establishments classified as Motor Vehicle Towing (NAICS 488410) in the Lancaster, PA metro area. Together they reported 118 mid-March employees and $6,872,000 of payroll for the year. That ranks 118th of the 511 metro and micropolitan areas where Census published a count for this industry.
With 563,000 residents in the Census 2024 estimate, that is 2.7 motor vehicle towing companies per 100,000 people, 14.3% below the national rate of 3.1. Establishments average 7.9 employees, 13.4% above the U.S. average of 6.9. Payroll per employee comes to $58,237, 12.8% above the national $51,644.
| Measure | Lancaster, PA | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments | 15 | 382 | 10,566 |
| Mid-March employees | 118 | 2,686 | 73,320 |
| Annual payroll | $6,872,000 | $130,011,000 | $3,786,569,000 |
| Employees per establishment | 7.9 | 7.0 | 6.9 |
| Payroll per employee | $58,237 | $48,403 | $51,644 |
| Establishments per 100,000 residents | 2.7 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
Establishment size: motor vehicle towing companies in Lancaster, PA
Of the motor vehicle towing companies in Lancaster, PA that had employees in March 2023, 53.8% had fewer than five (the U.S. share is 60.5%). 76.9% had fewer than ten. For a business of a few people, phone coverage is a staffing question as much as a technology one: someone has to be free to pick up, or the call needs somewhere sensible to go.
| Employment size | Establishments | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 employees | 7 | 53.8% | 60.5% |
| 5–9 employees | 3 | 23.1% | 19.2% |
| 10–19 employees | 3 | 23.1% | 12.4% |
| 20–49 employees | not published | — | 6.6% |
| 50 or more employees | 0 | 0.0% | 1.2% |
Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.
Calls a towing company in Lancaster, PA has to catch
Towing is dispatched by phone at all hours, and the company that answers gets the tow. Dispatchers coordinate drivers, customers and repair shops. That holds for motor vehicle towing companies in Lancaster, PA as much as anywhere.
Calls a towing company in Lancaster, PA might handle in a typical week include:
- A property manager calls about an illegally parked car.
- A repair shop calls about a vehicle drop-off.
- An insurer calls about a claim.
After-hours calls
Nights and weekends are core hours, so after-hours routing to drivers is essential.
With business-hours routing, calls after closing can go to transcribed voicemail or an optional AI receptionist instead of ringing an empty room.
What a phone system costs a towing company in Lancaster, PA
The average towing company in Lancaster, PA has 7.9 employees, so an 8-person team is a reasonable benchmark. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 8 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $240.00 a month and 8 on Ooma Office Pro cost $199.60. On Callata the same 8 people cost $159.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.
The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $972. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callata (Callata Office) | $99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user | $159.00 | $1,908.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $152.00 | $1,824.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $184.00 | $2,208.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $199.60 | $2,395.20 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $216.00 | $2,592.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $240.00 | $2,880.00 |
Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.
Which area code to use in Lancaster, PA
NANPA records place the exchanges of the area's named cities and towns in 2 area codes. 717 has the most, with 162 of 214 exchanges (76%). Callata's plan includes up to 3 local numbers; you can pick them in the area codes your drivers recognize, subject to carrier inventory, or port the number you already have for free.
| Area code | Exchanges | Time zone | In service since | Overlay with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 717 | 162 | Eastern | 1947 | 223 |
| 223 | 52 | Eastern | 2017 | 717 |
Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.
How Callata works for motor vehicle towing companies
Callata is a business phone system priced at $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user. Callata Office includes up to 3 local business numbers, unlimited inbound calling, 1,500 pooled outbound US and Canada minutes per user each month, a browser softphone that can also ring your cell, voicemail with transcription, call recording with AI summaries, business-hours routing and E911 on every number.
If you already have a number in Lancaster, PA, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.
Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.
Frequently asked questions
How many motor vehicle towing companies are there in Lancaster, PA?
Census County Business Patterns counted 15 motor vehicle towing companies in the Lancaster, PA metro area in 2023. They employed 118 people in mid-March.
What does a business phone system cost for an 8-person towing company?
At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 8 users cost $240.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $199.60 on Ooma Office Pro. On Callata, $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user, the same team pays $159.00.
What area code should a towing company in Lancaster, PA use?
Area code 717 has the most assigned exchanges among the area's named places, followed by 223. If you already have a local number, you can port it to Callata for free.
Can an AI receptionist answer calls for a towing company?
Yes. Callata's optional AI agents can answer when the team is busy or closed, take a message, text, email or transfer the call. They disclose that they are AI and are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute.