Heavy Truck
Heavy towing in Maryland
This state's heavy law is a cargo-release law — the checker runs the release path first. It sets no heavy rate cap.
Rules checked October 2026
Maryland 2022 police-dispatch towing reform (eff. October 2022). Honest limit: the provision that would have forced release of the truck itself on partial payment was cut before passage — the cargo rule is law; an equipment-release rule is not.
Cargo
Third-party cargo must be released REGARDLESS of whether the tow bill is paid. If the freight is not the carrier's, holding it is treated as theft.
Your choice of tower
After a police-dispatch tow, the vehicle owner may choose his own tower if it can arrive within 30 minutes.
The dispute path
A complaint process can suspend or expel towers from the police rotation.
The reasonableness exhibit
ATRI (November 2023), 490 real carrier invoices: average clean crash tow $8,925.90 · average predatory bill $18,154.52 · 29.8% contained predatory charges. The benchmark page →
Who takes the complaint
Maryland State Police (rotation complaints); Maryland Consumer Protection Division.