About Us
Welcome to North Shore Towing Professionals your friendly local towing team based right here on Auckland’s beautiful North Shore. We’re proud to have been serving our community for over 20 years, helping local Kiwis and visitors get back on the road quickly, safely, and stress-free.
Our story starts with a love for cars, a passion for helping people, and a deep connection to the North Shore. What began as a one-man operation with a single tow truck has grown into a trusted, full-service towing company with a strong reputation for reliability, professionalism, and good old-fashioned Kiwi service.
From Devonport to Albany, and everywhere in between, we know the streets, the shortcuts, and the local stories. We’ve seen the Shore grow and change over the years—from quiet seaside neighbourhoods to the bustling, vibrant hub it is today—and we’ve been proud to grow right alongside it.
At North Shore Professionals, we believe in being more than just a towing company. We’re your neighbours, your mates, and your first call when things don’t go quite to plan. Whether you’ve had a breakdown, got a flat battery in or had a minor collision on the motorway, we’re just around the corner and ready to help.
Our team is made up of experienced, certified professionals who genuinely care about what they do. We know that car troubles can be stressful, and that’s why we’re committed to making the process as easy and straightforward as possible. We show up on time, handle your vehicle with care, and always treat you with respect and kindness.
We offer a full range of towing and roadside assistance services, including accident recovery, breakdown towing, vehicle transport, jump-starts, lockouts, and more. Our trucks are modern, well-maintained, and equipped to handle everything from motorcycles to light commercial vehicles. No matter the situation, we’ve got the tools and know-how to get the job done right.
What sets us apart is our connection to the North Shore community. We support local businesses, we know our regular customers by name, and we believe in giving back whenever we can. When you choose North Shore Professionals, you’re choosing a team that genuinely cares about this place and the people in it.
So next time you need a tow, don’t stress—just give us a call. We’ll be there with a smile, ready to lend a hand.
Did you know that New Zealand has a fascinating history of towing? This photo is WWII era New Zealand breakdown truck towing a vehicle alongside a demolished bridge in Italy, captured in 1944. Kiwis have been towing vehicles out of tricky situations for decades!
A Brief History of the Towing Industry in New Zealand
Early Beginnings: From Horse Power to Motor Lorries
During the early 20th century, road freight in New Zealand evolved rapidly. Initially horses were still common, especially outside urban areas, but following WWI, motor lorries quickly replaced them. Towards the end of the 1920s, horse-drawn transport was almost a thing of the past apart from for roles such as delivering milk
Commercial motor transport boomed—from just over 13,000 trucks in 1925 to more than 150,000 by 1964.
Motoring Clubs and Breakdown Assistance
Founded in 1903, the New Zealand Automobile Association (AA) is the country’s oldest and largest motoring body. Over time it became a key provider of breakdown assistance, effectively laying groundwork for roadside recovery services.
Pioneers in Towing
One of the first companies in this industry, Parks Towing in Christchurch, commenced trading in 1925. Originally set up by Matthew Park following his earlier work in funeral services, the company grew from a single truck into a large fleet—marking over 100 years of continuous operations.
Vehicle Manufacturing and Towing Equipment
Bedford trucks, assembled locally from 1931, became widespread for uses such as tow trucks during the 1950s through the 1970s. Their rugged design and reliability made them popular with early towing companiess. New Zealand Motor Bodies (NZMB), established in 1926, built bus and coach bodies and other commercial vehicle equipment—also contributing to towing vehicle infrastructure. Steelbro, founded in 1878 in Christchurch, began with horse-drawn wagons and by the 1960s had become the first company outside Sweden to manufacture HIAB loader cranes—tools essential to heavy lifting and towing. By the 1970s, they were producing sidelifters for container transport.
Technical Standards and Safety Improvements
In response to a serious fatal crash in 1979 in the Bay of Plenty, the NZ Truck-Trailer Manufacturers’ Federation (NZTTMF), along with the Ministry of Transport and research bodies, developed a new national Code of Practice for towing connections. By 1981, it led to significant improvements in safety and manufacturing standards of tow equipment.
Growth of Heavy Recovery Specialists
Since 1983, ACE Heavy Haulage has been operating as a family-run specialist in heavy tow and recovery services, starting from Rotorua and now serving across New Zealand. More recently, Ace Heavy Haulage has acquired ex-Australian Army 6×6 Mack recovery rigs, deployed in high-complexity recoveries such as those following Cyclone Gabrielle—demonstrating the evolution toward highly capable, specialized recovery technology.
Modern Trends: Technology & Regulation
Tow operators are increasingly using GPS for rapid dispatch and fleet coordination—an example being North Harbour Heavy Salvage & Towing, which began in the early 1970s and incorporated digital dispatch systems. Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency) has integrated standards for towing couplings into vehicle rules, referencing codes to ensure safe and reliable towing across the board. On the site of consumer experiences, there have been concerning reports around heavy towing compliance and contract oversight—in one case, the IPCA criticized the NZ Police for failing to oversee safety standards in heavy vehicle towing on Auckland motorways.