Business phone system for motor vehicle towing companies in Tennessee

How many motor vehicle towing companies operate in Tennessee

The Census Bureau counted 245 motor vehicle towing companies in Tennessee in its 2023 County Business Patterns (NAICS 488410). They employed 1,569 people in mid-March and reported $81.9 million in annual payroll. That is the 15th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Motor vehicle towing companies make up 0.16% of the 150,129 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Tennessee has 3.4 motor vehicle towing companies, 9.1% above the national rate of 3.1. The average establishment has 6.4 employees against 6.9 nationally. Payroll per employee is $52,185, in line with the U.S. figure of $51,644.

Where motor vehicle towing companies in Tennessee are concentrated

Census published towing company counts for 16 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Tennessee. The largest is Nashville, TN, with 75 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 62% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at motor vehicle towing companies in Tennessee

57.1% of Tennessee's motor vehicle towing companies with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 60.5% nationally. 80.0% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.

What motor vehicle towing companies in Tennessee use the phone for

Towing is dispatched by phone at all hours, and the company that answers gets the tow. Dispatchers coordinate drivers, customers and repair shops.

Calls a towing company in Tennessee might handle in a typical week include:

• A property manager calls about an illegally parked car.
• A stranded driver calls for a tow.
• A repair shop calls about a vehicle drop-off.

Texting drivers

Towing companies text driver arrival times and location requests.

Texting from a local number in Tennessee requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

Callata vs. per-seat pricing for motor vehicle towing companies in Tennessee

Motor vehicle towing companies in Tennessee average 6.4 employees, so the comparison uses a 6-person team. Priced per seat, 6 users would run $180.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $149.70 on Ooma Office Pro (month-to-month list prices, checked September 28, 2026). Callata comes to $119.00 a month for 6 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $732 less than RingCentral for a towing company in Tennessee of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Area codes in Tennessee

Tennessee has 8 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a towing company can hold a number in more than one of them.

How Callata works for motor vehicle towing companies in Tennessee

For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.

Porting a number you already use in Tennessee is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.