Towing Cost: Los Angeles, CA to Long Beach, CA

It's 24.1 road miles from Los Angeles to Long Beach, about 34 minutes, mostly on I-710. As the crow flies the cities are 20 miles apart. A sedan tow runs $192-$259 and a flatbed $250-$337.

Los Angeles rates are a $105 hookup plus $5 a mile. The 24.1 miles add $121, for $226 in total, and there is no long-distance reduction on a trip this short. The hookup is close to half the bill, so the middle of the range works out to $9.36 a mile, far above what a long haul pays. An ordinary tow inside Los Angeles averages $105-$195. The low end of this run's sedan range ($192) sits at the top of an ordinary local tow, and the high end ($259) is about a third above it.

• SUV or crossover: $221-$298
• Truck or van: $240-$324
• Motorcycle: $154-$207
• Flatbed hookup: $137

A Long Beach operator charges a $100 hookup plus $4.75 a mile. Over the same 24.1 miles the sedan range is $182-$247, a little under the Los Angeles figure. It is worth asking for a quote from both ends.

Carriers are rarely booked for moves under 50 miles, and the tow truck is the cheaper option there, so shipping a car 24.1 miles is not worth pricing. AAA Plus and Premier cover the whole run. Classic covers about 5 miles and leaves 19.1, roughly $76-$134 at the $4-$7 a mile a contracted tow company typically charges. Limits vary by regional club.

Both cities are in California, so the tow stays inside one state. California has no statewide dollar cap. For a tow the owner did not order, such as a car removed from private property, the charge may not exceed the greater of the local law-enforcement agreement rate or the operator's CHP-approved rate. That rule does not cover a tow you book yourself, so agree the total in writing before the hookup. For a wrongful tow from private property, contact your local police or sheriff's office.