Every tow truck has an incredible working history because tow trucks get called out for everything from a battery boost to a major pileup on a freeway.
This 1988 Chevy C-3500 has a police history, so its life story is even more colorful.
Jerry Sutherland

Don Getschel owns a towing company, so he’s lived and breathed tow trucks since he was a kid. He found this 26,000-mile truck for sale and learned it was with the Huntington Beach Police Department since new, so that explains the low miles. He grew up with squarebody Chevys–this truck was a perfect fit.

Don knows from his towing experience that police tow trucks are used for ‘evidence towing’. In other words, if a vehicle is at a crime scene it has to be securely towed to police custody for further investigation. Don said they contract that duty to private tow companies in most cases, but the Huntington Beach Police used this C-3500.

Don’s professional experience told him the wrecker on the truck was built in 1977, so it was 11 years older than the truck.

This is a promotional vehicle now, so Don decided to add some personal touches to the workhorse Chevy. He found a period-correct light bar for the two truck and added a blue light to showcase the effort he made to have the laws changed so tow trucks could run amber and blue lights. Don knows that every advantage a tow truck operator can get on the road is a potential life saver.

The truck also came with police spotlights so that’s something he kept. Don did get rid of the push bar because he wanted a cleaner look to showcase the factory grille on the truck. You can see the faint outline of a police decal under the current paint.

This truck looks like a 26,000-mile vehicle because details like the clean, unworn upholstery and mint pedals tell you this is a low-mileage vehicle. The only departure from stock in the interior is the Silverado steering wheel.

It came with several nice touches like an automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, power windows, power locks, air conditioning, and a 454 V-8–the Huntington Police budget was clearly in good shape back in 1988.

Don said this truck could still easily tow a car because the wrecker just needs a few tweaks to the rubber wheels in the wrecker to function—but that’s not the point. This truck has a far different role in 2024.

The ’88 Chevy is a promotional vehicle now, so its primary role is to attend charity events, car shows and parades. Don said he used the truck at a food bank promotion and said, “The cab was so full, I barely had room to drive”. The Chevy is always a big hit when it makes an appearance because it’s still in such good condition after 36 years.

Don said it drives like an old truck but again—it’s 36 years old and it comes from a simpler era for technology and tow trucks.
That’s the real point behind this 1988 Chevy C-3500 tow truck.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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