Tip #28: Tell the dispatcher your car sits low before the truck is sent
If your car is lowered, has a front splitter or long overhangs, say so on the call. A low car loads safely on a flatbed when the driver knows ahead of time and brings ramps and soft straps.
Tip #28 in one line
If your car is lowered, has a front splitter or long overhangs, say so on the call. A low car loads safely on a flatbed when the driver knows ahead of time and brings ramps and soft straps.
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Call nowWhere low cars get damaged
The risky moment is the angle where the flatbed deck meets the road. A car with a deep front lip, a splitter, side skirts or a long nose can touch the deck before its front wheels reach it. Pull harder and the bumper cracks or the undertray tears. The same thing happens at the top of a steep driveway or on the lip of a parking-garage ramp, which is worth mentioning if that is where the car sits.
A wheel-lift is usually the wrong tool here too. Lifting one end of a low car can drag the other end's bumper or exhaust on the pavement, especially over the rough patches on Route 22 or any road with a crown.
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Call nowWhat to tell us
Give the make and model, then the details that matter: lowered springs or coilovers, an aftermarket front lip or splitter, a rear diffuser, and whether the car has air suspension or a nose-lift system. If it does, and the car still powers on, raise it to its highest setting before the truck arrives. Tell the dispatcher where the tow points are if you know; some sports cars use a screw-in tow eye stored with the spare-tire kit or in the trunk.
With that information we send a flatbed and the driver plans the load: ramps or boards to flatten the approach angle, the winch pulling slowly, soft straps over the tires instead of hooks on the suspension, and photos of the car before it moves. It takes a few minutes longer than a regular load, and it is the same flat quoted price.
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Call nowCheck the destination too
A low car that loads fine can still get stuck unloading at a shop with a steep apron or a home garage with a sharp lip. If you know the drop point is tight, say so, and the driver will look at it before backing in. Our flatbed towing guide explains the rest of the loading process.
If the car is valuable or rare, tell the dispatcher that too, and ask for the car to be delivered rather than left in a lot overnight. A low car is also a good candidate for a delivery appointment at the shop, so someone is there to guide the unload. That small step avoids most of the scrapes we see on cars that were towed by someone else first.
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Call nowMore on vehicle types
Keep reading, or go back to every post on the blog.
- EV towing in New Jersey: what electric car owners need to know
- Motorcycle towing done right: what riders should expect
- Tip #26: An all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive car belongs on a flatbed
- Tip #27: Never let anyone tow an electric car with its drive wheels on the ground
- Tip #29: Know where your motorcycle can be strapped before it needs a tow
- Tip #30: Your car may be all-wheel drive even if it does not look like it
- Tip #31: Close and latch a convertible top before the car is towed
- Tip #76: A Tesla needs a flatbed, and the owner's manual explains its transport mode
- All posts
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