Crash scene cleared, car towed to your body shop or our storage, and the paperwork ready for your insurer.
Towing in Pekin, IL
Towing in Pekin, IL, any hour of the day: that's Peoria Premier Towing & Recovery, a family crew running six trucks, four of them flatbeds. We tow cars, SUVs and pickups, pull stuck cars out with winch-outs, handle accident towing and bring roadside help for dead batteries, flats and lockouts. You hear the price before we roll.
Last updated
- Towing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Price on the phone before we roll
- Flatbeds for AWD and electric cars
- Family run in Peoria since 2009
- Veteran & first responder discount
Towing Calls We Get in Pekin
Most Pekin calls start on one of two roads. IL 9 comes over the river on the John T. McNaughton Bridge, the one everybody just calls the Pekin Bridge, and turns into Court Street. IL 29 is the other: 8th Street, then 5th, then the one-way pair with 2nd Street going south and 3rd going north. We see a fair number of fender benders right where that pair splits. Somebody always misses the turn.
- Bridge stalls: all-wheel-drive SUVs and electric cars that quit on the McNaughton Bridge, moved with flatbed towing
- Cold starts: dead batteries on Court Street and in the Pekin Hospital lots after a January night near 18 degrees, fixed with roadside assistance
- One-way mix-ups: fender benders where 2nd and 3rd Streets split, cleared with accident towing
- High water: cars that tried the flooded stretch near Constitution Avenue, pulled back out with a winch-out
- Work vans: box trucks and service vans broken down on IL 98 toward Morton, moved with medium-duty towing
Breaking Down on the McNaughton Bridge
Here's the deal: the McNaughton Bridge is 2,634 feet of four-lane road that carried about 13,900 vehicles a day at last count, and Illinois law says nobody stops on a bridge unless traffic forces it. So a car that quits halfway across sits in a live lane until a truck gets there. That's the part we worry about.
Put the hazards on and keep your seat belt buckled. Call, then tell dispatch two things: which way you were headed and which lane you're stuck in. We bring the flatbed from the closest end and photograph all four sides of your car before we hook it, same as any other job. Nothing skipped.
Types of Towing We Offer in Pekin
We ran about 3,900 calls in 2025, and plenty of them crossed the river to Pekin. Any of our six trucks can end up there on a given night. Here are the jobs we do in town most, starting with the one people ask about first.
Flatbed Towing for AWD Cars and EVs
A flatbed, also called a rollback, carries your whole car on a deck that tilts down to the ground, so no wheels touch the road on the way. We use it for all-wheel-drive cars, electric cars and anything lowered or badly damaged. Tesla's owner's manual says to move its cars with all four tires off the ground, and we follow that for every EV in Pekin. The mechanic's reason for AWD: spin one axle while the other sits still and the center differential takes all the strain.
Accident Towing After a Pekin Crash
After a crash we clear the car from the street, sweep up glass and loose trim, and take the car to your body shop or to storage until your insurance decides. Illinois says to call police right away when someone is hurt or the damage is over $1,500. We work beside the officers, and if it were our car we'd want it photographed before anyone touches it, so we do that first.
Roadside Assistance Around Pekin
Plenty of calls never need a tow, and we won't sell you one if a jump will do. According to AAA, dead batteries, flat tires and keys locked inside are the three most common roadside problems. Every flatbed we own carries a jump box, a floor jack, soft straps, wheel skates and a lockout kit, so most of these jobs get finished right where your car sits.
Medium-Duty Towing on IL 98
IL 98 starts at the Pekin and North Pekin line and runs 8.36 miles east to I-155 in Morton, past shops and yards that run work vans and box trucks. Those need a bigger truck than a car does. Our medium-duty wrecker handles the delivery trucks and small buses the government sorts into Classes 4 to 6, up to 26,000 pounds. Semis are a job for a heavy wrecker, and we'll tell you so on the phone.
Winch-Out Service When the River Is Up
When the Illinois River reaches 26 feet on the Peoria gauge, the road by the tracks north of the Pekin treatment plant floods. At 29 feet, water tops the levee at the railroad crossing and Constitution Avenue goes under. Every spring somebody tries to push through anyway. A winch, the cable reel on the back of our truck, pulls the car back onto dry pavement, and we check under it before it rolls.
What Does a Tow in Pekin Cost?
A local tow inside Pekin usually costs $95 to $150 in 2026, which covers the hook-up and the first 5 to 7 miles. A tow from Pekin to a repair shop in Peoria is about 11 to 12 road miles, so it lands closer to $115 to $195 once the extra miles are added. The full price is quoted before dispatch.
| Service | Typical 2026 price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tow inside Pekin | $95 to $150 | Hook-up plus the first 5 to 7 miles |
| Pekin to a Peoria shop | $115 to $195 | About 11 to 12 road miles, then $4 to $6 a mile |
| Flatbed for AWD or EV | Same, or up to $25 more | Four of our six trucks are flatbeds |
| Jump, lockout, fuel or tire | $65 to $95 | No tow needed |
| Accident tow | $150 to $300 | Storage $35 to $50 a day |
First responders and veterans get a discount off those prices. Wes, who has run our crew since 2009, won't budge on that one. Mention it when you call.
Tazewell County's Biggest City, Seen From the Tow Truck
Pekin is the Tazewell County seat and its largest city: 31,731 people in the 2020 census, second only to Peoria in the metro. CityLink Routes 17, 18 and 23 run buses downtown, but most folks drive. So the bridge and IL 29 fill up twice a day, and that's when our phone rings for Pekin. Rush hour, mostly.
Winter brings about 26 inches of snow a year and January lows near 18 degrees, according to NOAA's numbers for the Peoria airport, with about six nights a year at zero or colder. Those are the nights we jump the most batteries in Pekin. A battery three to five years old is near the end of its life anyway. The cold just finishes it.
The Marigold Festival on the first weekend after Labor Day fills all 220 acres of Mineral Springs Park and the streets around it. Our trucks crawl that weekend like everybody else's, so name the park entrance or the nearest cross street when you call. We also cover towing in East Peoria, a few miles up the river.
Veteran & First Responder Discount
Just mention it when you call
More Towing Services in Peoria
Your car rides on a tilting deck with all four tires off the road, the safe way to move AWD cars and EVs.
Flatbed trips from Peoria to dealers, shops and new homes across Illinois, priced by the loaded mile before we load.
Box trucks, loaded work vans, small buses and fleet vehicles towed, plus forklifts and skid steers moved on a deck.
Jump starts, lockouts, fuel delivery and tire changes where you're parked, so you can drive off without a tow.
We pull cars, pickups and vans out of ditches, snowbanks and mud and set them back on the pavement.
Towing Discounts in Peoria
Veteran & First Responder Discount
Mention the offer when you call*Includes:- Military veterans and active duty
- Police, fire, EMS and nurses
- Towing and roadside calls
Our thank-you for your service10% off
Free Tow Price Before Dispatch
Mention the offer when you call*Includes:- One price for the whole job
- No hook-up surprises
- Honest ETA with every quote
Know the cost before we rollFree
Fleet Accounts for Local Businesses
Mention the offer when you call*Includes:- Box trucks, vans and company cars
- One monthly invoice
- Priority dispatch for account holders
Set up an account in one call
More Pekin Tow Truck and Roadside Questions
Calling a Tow Truck: Pekin, IL Pickups
Start with the street you're on and the closest cross street. Then your car's make, and whether it has all-wheel drive, since that decides flatbed or wheel-lift. Last, where it's going. With those three, the quote on the phone covers the whole trip.
Roadside Assistance Pekin Drivers Use Most
From November through March, jump starts lead by a mile. Lockouts are next, then flats. AAA found 28 percent of 2017 model-year cars shipped with no spare tire at all, so a flat on one of those can still end in a short tow to a tire shop.
Light-Duty Towing: Pekin, IL Cars and Pickups
Most Pekin tows are everyday cars, SUVs and half-ton pickups on a light-duty tow truck. A wheel-lift picks the car up by its drive wheels, touching only the tires, so nothing hooks to the frame. Front-wheel-drive cars ride with the front end lifted.
Why Peoria Drivers Call Peoria Premier Towing
We're a small family crew with six trucks, and we'd rather keep a customer for twenty years than make an extra $40 on one tow. Here is what that looks like on a call.
Towing in Peoria Since 2009
Wes bought his first rollback in 2009 after eleven years wrenching on trucks. The crew still works off the same rule: fix it on the spot if we can, tow it right if we can't.
Tow Prices Quoted Before We Roll
Think of the menu taped in a diner window: you know what breakfast costs before you sit down. You hear one number on the phone, and that's the bill.
Flatbed Tow Trucks for AWD and Electric Cars
Four of our six trucks are flatbeds. Your all-wheel drive, electric or lowered car rides on the deck with all four wheels off the road.
We answer every hour of every day. During a storm the wait gets longer for everyone, so we tell you the real number and text if it moves.
Damage-Free Towing With Photos
Soft straps on the wheels, never chains on the frame, and photos of all four sides before we load. You get the pictures if you want them.
About one call in four ends with a jump, a spare or a few gallons of gas. If that's all you need, that's all you pay for.
What Peoria Drivers Say About Our Towing
A few notes customers sent after the truck left.
Tasha W., East Bluff
Battery died in the hospital parking garage after a night shift. They told me the price on the phone, showed up when they said, and had me running in ten minutes. No tow, no upsell.
Mike and Jen D., Washington
Our AWD minivan quit on I-74. The driver explained why it had to go on the flatbed instead of being dragged, took pictures of the whole van and had it at our mechanic before he opened.
Carlos R., Pekin
Slid into the ditch on a snowy back road. They pulled me out with a winch, checked my tires and steering and I drove home. Cost less than I was ready to pay.
Ashley K., Peoria Heights
Locked my keys in the car with the engine running and my dog inside. They got there fast and opened the door without a mark on it. Very kind about the whole thing.
Dan F., Morton
We run four box trucks and they handle every breakdown. One call, one invoice at the end of the month, and the trucks show up at our shop in one piece.
Brenda S., Bartonville
Rear-ended on Adams Street. They cleaned up the road, held my car in storage for two days while insurance sorted it out and helped me get my things out of the trunk.
Pekin Towing FAQs
How fast can a tow truck get to Pekin?
That changes with the weather and with where our closest truck is when you call. Pekin is roughly 11 to 12 road miles from downtown Peoria, by IL 29 or by I-474. Dispatch tells you an honest arrival time up front, then texts you if it moves, which mostly happens in snow.
How much is a tow from Pekin to a Peoria repair shop?
Most Pekin to Peoria tows run $115 to $195 in 2026. The hook-up covers the first 5 to 7 miles, and the rest of the roughly 11 to 12 miles costs $4 to $6 a mile. A flatbed can add up to $25. You hear the full price before we send a truck.
Can you tow a car stuck on the McNaughton Bridge?
Yes, and we treat it as urgent because Illinois law bans stopping on a bridge except to avoid traffic. Stay in the car with your hazards on and your belt buckled, and call 911 as well if you're blocking a lane. We send a flatbed from the nearest end of the bridge.
Do you tow in Pekin when the river floods?
Yes, if there's an open road to the car. Once the Peoria gauge hits 29 feet, the levee is topped and Constitution Avenue goes under. Please don't drive into standing water. Call from somewhere dry, and our driver will winch the car out as soon as the spot is safe to work.
Stuck Somewhere Around Peoria? We Answer Every Hour.
Tell us where you are and what the car is doing. You get a price and an honest ETA before a truck leaves the yard, day or night.