Tip #32: Close the trunk, windows and sunroof before the truck pulls away
Before the tow truck leaves with your car, walk around it once: trunk shut, every window up, sunroof closed, doors locked or as the driver asks. Wind and weather do damage that nobody notices until the car is at the shop.
Tip #32 in one line
Before the tow truck leaves with your car, walk around it once: trunk shut, every window up, sunroof closed, doors locked or as the driver asks. Wind and weather do damage that nobody notices until the car is at the shop.
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Call nowThe last two minutes
A breakdown is stressful, and the last few minutes before the truck pulls away are when details get missed. You were looking for the registration, so the glove box is open. You took a bag out, so the trunk lid is resting but not latched. You cracked a window while waiting. None of that matters in a parking lot. On the deck of a truck at highway speed, a trunk lid that is not latched can fly up and bend its hinges, an open window lets rain soak the seats, and a sunroof left tilted can collect water on the way.
Make it a habit: walk once around the car before the driver secures it, and close everything. Press the trunk lid down until it clicks. If the car has power, run every window and the sunroof up. If the battery is dead and a window is stuck open, tell the driver so he can cover it.
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Call nowKeys and doors
Ask the driver what he needs. Usually he needs the key or fob to put the car in neutral and to hand it over at the destination. For a drop at a closed shop, you and the shop agree on where the key goes; a key drop box is common. Leave the car locked if the shop has a key, unlocked only if you arranged that with them.
If you are locked out and the keys are inside, that is a separate job; a car lockout gets you in first, and then the car can be towed or driven.
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Call nowPhotograph it closed
Take a quick photo of each side once everything is closed. It shows the condition of the car when it left your hands, which helps if something is disputed later. The towing guides page has more checklists for a calm handoff, and the tow itself is priced as a flat hook fee plus a per-mile rate, quoted before the truck rolls.
For a car that is going to sit at a shop for a few days, also turn off the headlights, interior lights and anything plugged into a power outlet. A dash camera or phone charger left running can drain a weak battery further, and a car that arrives with a fully dead battery takes longer for the shop to diagnose. If the car has a manual parking brake, ask the driver whether he wants it set or released at the drop point.
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Call nowMore on breakdowns
Keep reading, or go back to every post on the blog.
- What to do when your car breaks down in New Jersey
- Where to tow your car: home, repair shop or dealer?
- Tip #23: With kids in the car, decide in the first minute whether they stay buckled or get out
- Tip #24: Ask the dispatcher about your pet before the tow truck arrives
- Tip #33: Take your valuables with you, or lock them out of sight
- Tip #45: In a parking deck, give the level and the clearance before a truck is sent
- Tip #48: Call 911 for danger, a tow company for a car that will not go
- Tip #50: Tell the dispatcher where, what and which way in the first 30 seconds
- All posts
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