Our story
Started with repossessions. Built on word of mouth.
C.A.R.S. of Idaho opened its doors in Coeur d’Alene in November 2012 as a vehicle repossession company. More than 13 years later, it’s a full-service towing and recovery outfit, and it’s still local, still veteran-owned and still answering its own phone.
The business was founded by owner Joshua Wilson on a simple idea: recovery work should be done by trained professionals, by the book, with respect for everyone involved. That idea is right there in the name. C.A.R.S. stands for Certified Asset Recovery Services, a nod to the Certified Asset Recovery Specialist standard that the repossession industry uses for compliance training.
Lenders noticed. Repossession clients across North Idaho and Eastern Washington started telling other lenders about the crew that never gave up on a file, and word of mouth became the company’s biggest advertisement. It still is.
The flag on our trucks
Our logo says who we are.
The flag carries the thin yellow line, the symbol tow operators fly to honor their own and the risks they take at the roadside. Its stripes spell out what we do: towing, recovery, lockouts, auto repossessions, skip tracing and process serving.
The eagle carries a tow hook and chain wrapped in that same yellow-striped flag: service, pride in the work, and a veteran-owned company that holds on until the job is done.
The all-inclusive model
One crew that can do it all.
Repossession work teaches you a lot of skills. You learn to tow every kind of vehicle, to pull a truck out of a snowbank at the end of a forest road, to open a locked car without a scratch, to find a vehicle that doesn’t want to be found, and to get a tired unit cleaned up and ready to sell.
So when customers started asking, “Can you do this too?”, the answer was usually yes. One service at a time, C.A.R.S. of Idaho added local towing, off-road recovery, lockouts and roadside help, skip tracing, process service, private-property impounds and parking enforcement, and vehicle reconditioning, remarketing and sales.
We call it an all-inclusive business model. For our customers, it means one phone number, fewer handoffs, and towing rates that are some of the most affordable in Coeur d’Alene, Hayden, Post Falls and Rathdrum, with the same services and insurance coverage as anyone else.
Milestones
How we got here
- Nov 2012
C.A.R.S. of Idaho is born
Founded in Coeur d’Alene as a vehicle repossession company serving lenders in North Idaho and Eastern Washington.
- Growing
The services grow
Towing, off-road recovery, lockouts, skip tracing, process service and vehicle reconditioning join the lineup as customers ask for them.
- Feb 2017
On the BBB’s books
The Better Business Bureau opens a file on C.A.R.S. of Idaho. Today we hold an A+ rating.
- Mar 2023
USDOT registration
Registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (USDOT 4048588) as a carrier of motor vehicles, with a clean safety record you can look up any time.
- Today
North Idaho’s all-in-one recovery crew
Towing and roadside help across Kootenai County, private-property impounds and parking enforcement, repossessions and skip tracing across the region, and reconditioned vehicles for sale.
What we stand for
The way we work.
Service, the veteran way
Show up when you say you will, do the job right, and own it when something goes wrong. That’s how a veteran-owned company should run.
By the book
Repossessions are done peacefully and legally, impounds follow Idaho’s posting and notice rules, and personal property always goes back to its owner. No shortcuts.
Respect on a bad day
Nobody calls a tow truck on a good day. Whether you’re stranded, towed or recovered, you’ll be treated with patience and respect.
Treat it like ours
Every vehicle is loaded, secured and stored the way we’d want our own handled, with photos when there’s existing damage.
Fair and upfront
Ask the price before we roll and you’ll get a straight answer. Our rates beat most of the area for the same service.
We don’t give up
Our clients say it best: if you need it found, we’ll find it. We stay on a file until it’s resolved.
The people
Small crew, big work ethic.
C.A.R.S. of Idaho is a small, hands-on team. When you call, you’re talking to someone who knows your file and works the trucks.
Joshua Wilson, Owner
A veteran who founded C.A.R.S. of Idaho in 2012 and still runs it day to day. Josh built the company on repossession work and grew it into an all-in-one towing and recovery outfit for North Idaho.
Corrina Lay, Accounts Administrator
Corrina keeps the office running: client accounts, billing and the paperwork that makes sure every recovery, release and invoice is handled correctly.
Part of the towing community
Proud supporters of Idaho’s tow operators.
We’re big believers in the Idaho Towing Association and the work it does for operators across the state, and we encourage other Idaho towers to join. We also never miss a chance to remind drivers to slow down and move over for tow trucks, police and emergency crews stopped on the roadside. It’s the law in Idaho (Idaho Code 49-624), and it saves lives.
Check our record
Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s where to look us up:
- Better Business Bureau profile (A+ rating)
- FMCSA safety snapshot (USDOT 4048588)
- Our Facebook page, where we post our latest jobs
- Yelp