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Flatbed Towing in New Jersey: The Complete Driver's Guide
You need a flatbed if your car is all-wheel drive, electric, lowered, badly damaged or will not roll, because those cars can be hurt by having two wheels turning on the road. For an ordinary front-wheel-drive car that rolls and steers, a wheel-lift is usually fine, and the dispatcher should tell you which one is coming before it leaves.
Flatbed Towing in New Jersey: the short version
A flatbed carries the whole car on the deck, so no wheel turns and no drivetrain part spins on the way to the shop.
All-wheel-drive, four-wheel-drive, electric and hybrid cars with an electric axle should ride a flatbed unless the owner's manual clearly says otherwise.
Lowered, exotic and classic cars need a flatbed with ramps or boards so the front end clears the deck.
Cars that will not roll or steer can still go on a flatbed with a winch, skates or a dolly.
The price is a flat number quoted on the phone before the truck rolls; the flatbed hook is a little higher than a wheel-lift.
What to do right now: flatbed towing step by step
7 steps, in order, from the moment the car stops to the moment it is safe or on the truck.
Step 1: Look up your drivetrain
Check the badge on the trunk, the owner's manual or the window sticker for AWD, 4WD, 4MATIC, xDrive, quattro or Symmetrical AWD. If you are not sure, give the dispatcher the year, make, model and trim and let them check.
Step 2: Read the towing section of the manual
Most manuals have a page on towing. Many all-wheel-drive and electric models say plainly that the car must be carried with all four wheels off the ground. That page is your answer if anyone argues.
Step 3: Note whether it rolls and steers
Try to shift into neutral and see if the car moves. A locked wheel, a dead electronic parking brake, a flat tire or a crushed corner changes the equipment the driver brings.
Step 4: Measure the space around the car
A flatbed needs room behind the car to tilt the deck and drop the ramp. If the car is in a parking deck, a tight driveway or a narrow city street, tell the dispatcher the clearance or the layout.
Step 5: Call and ask for a flatbed by name
Call (908) 444-0129 with the location, the make and model, the drivetrain and the destination. Ask which truck is coming and get the flat price before it is dispatched.
Step 6: Put an electric car in tow or transport mode
If the screen still works, find the tow or transport mode setting so the wheels can turn freely while the car is winched onto the deck. If the 12-volt battery is dead, say so; the driver will bring skates.
Step 7: Watch the tie-down
The car should be strapped at the wheels, not chained through the suspension or hooked to the body. Take photos of the car on the deck before the truck leaves.
At step one or step six, the call is the same.
Call nowDo's and don'ts for flatbed towing
What helps and what makes it worse, from the drivers who do this every day.
Do
✓ Do tell the dispatcher every modification: lowered suspension, aftermarket splitter, wide wheels or a missing front bumper.
✓ Do ask how the car will be secured; wheel straps are the standard for anything you care about.
✓ Do remove loose items from the cabin and the roof rack before loading.
✓ Do photograph the bodywork and the wheels before and after the tow.
✓ Do keep the key fob with the car if the car needs it to unlock the steering or the park lock.
✓ Do ask for a receipt that shows pickup, destination and mileage for your insurer or warranty claim.
Don't
✗ Don't let anyone tow an AWD car with two wheels down because it is only a short distance.
✗ Don't rely on a wheel dolly under the rear axle as a fix for an all-wheel-drive car unless you know it suits your model.
✗ Don't put an electric car in park and leave it locked if it needs to be winched onto the deck.
✗ Don't accept chains wrapped around control arms or hooks on the body panels.
✗ Don't leave a toll transponder on the windshield if the car is going somewhere for weeks.
Not sure which applies to you? Ask the dispatcher.
Call nowCommon reasons New Jersey drivers need flatbed towing
The situations behind most flatbed towing calls we take.
All-wheel-drive sedans and SUVs
Much of what drives on Route 22, I-78 and I-287 is all-wheel drive, and New Jersey winters push buyers toward it. Towing those cars with two wheels down can damage the center differential or transfer case.
Electric cars and plug-in hybrids
An electric motor turned by the road can generate current and heat when the car is off. That is why most electric car makers call for a flatbed, and why a car with zero range is always a flatbed job.
Low, wide and expensive cars
Lowered cars, sports cars with long front overhangs and classics with no tow points scrape or bend on a wheel-lift. A flatbed with ramps, boards and soft straps loads them without touching the bodywork.
Crash damage and seized wheels
A car with a broken wheel, a bent tie rod or a corner pushed in cannot be towed on its own wheels. On a flatbed it is winched up with a dolly or skates under the damaged corner. After a crash, see the accident towing guide for the rest of what to do.
Cars that cannot be driven legally
Cars with expired plates, no registration yet or a failed inspection still need to get to the shop or the inspection station. A flatbed carries them without a single tire turning on the road.
Whatever the cause, the truck is the same call away.
Call nowWhich service you actually need
Pick the right truck the first time and you save a second trip.
Flatbed or wheel-lift
Front-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive, rolls and steers, normal ride height: a wheel-lift is fine and costs a bit less. Anything else, choose the flatbed. If the car is just a short local tow to your mechanic, the same rules apply; distance does not make a wheel-lift safe for an AWD car.
Flatbed or a car carrier
For one car moving across New Jersey or to a nearby state today, a dedicated flatbed is direct and door to door. Multi-car carriers suit long hauls when you can wait for a slot. Our long distance towing runs are a dedicated flatbed.
Flatbed or a heavy wrecker
Box trucks, buses and tractors are too heavy for a car flatbed. If your vehicle has a GVWR sticker above a pickup, read the heavy-duty towing guide first.
What changes the price of flatbed towing
The price is quoted on the phone before the truck rolls; these are the things that move it.
A flatbed tow is priced as a hook fee plus loaded mileage. The flatbed hook is a little higher than a wheel-lift hook because the truck is larger and loading takes longer; the per-mile rate does not change. Distance to the destination you choose is the biggest variable, and we give the total as a flat price on the phone before the truck rolls.
Extra equipment and extra work belong in the quote, not on a surprise bill. Tell the dispatcher if the car is in a garage, will not roll, needs skates or has to be winched out of somewhere awkward. The time of day, the weekend and the weather do not change our price.
Get the exact number for your car and your destination.
Call nowFlatbed Towing on New Jersey roads: what is different here
Roads, rules and weather that change how flatbed towing works in North and Central Jersey.
Parking decks in Hudson and Essex counties
Many garages in Jersey City, Hoboken, Newark and the downtown towers are too low for a flatbed to drive in. The usual fix is to skate or dolly the car to the entrance and load it on the street, so give the dispatcher the garage name and level.
Turnpike and Parkway breakdowns
The shoulder of the Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway is served by the Turnpike Authority's authorized garages. Book with us, and once the car is off the highway our flatbed takes it from the exit or the garage's lot, so an AWD or electric car still finishes the trip on a deck.
Winter salt and frozen parts
After a snowstorm, frozen parking brakes and iced-in wheels are common. A flatbed with a winch can still load a car whose wheels will not turn freely, which matters on a January morning.
How we handle a flatbed towing call, start to finish
Call, quote, truck, done: four steps, and you know the price before the first one ends.
Dispatch
You call (908) 444-0129. A dispatcher asks where you are (street and cross street, or the exit), what the vehicle is, what happened and where it should go, then quotes a flat price.
Arrival
Once you approve the quote, the nearest truck leaves Linden or wherever it is working. Drive time depends on distance and traffic; the dispatcher gives you a real window, and the driver calls when close.
Work
The driver checks the vehicle, does the job the way it was quoted and, for a tow, takes the vehicle to the place you chose, not one we pick for you.
Payment
You pay the quoted price: cash, credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No membership is needed.
That is the whole process. It starts with the call.
Call nowFlatbed Towing in New Jersey's biggest towns, and every county we cover
Every town we serve has its own flatbed towing page; the largest are below, and each county hub lists the rest.
- Flatbed Towing in Newark
- Flatbed Towing in Jersey City
- Flatbed Towing in Paterson
- Flatbed Towing in Elizabeth
- Flatbed Towing in Edison
- Flatbed Towing in Woodbridge
- Flatbed Towing in Clifton
- Flatbed Towing in Bayonne
- Flatbed Towing in Passaic
- Flatbed Towing in East Orange
- Flatbed Towing in Union City
- Flatbed Towing in Franklin Township
- Flatbed Towing in Middletown
- Flatbed Towing in Old Bridge
- Flatbed Towing in North Bergen
- Flatbed Towing in Irvington
- Flatbed Towing in Union
- Flatbed Towing in Piscataway
- Flatbed Towing in Hoboken
- Flatbed Towing in Parsippany
- Flatbed Towing in Perth Amboy
- Flatbed Towing in New Brunswick
- Flatbed Towing in Wayne
- Flatbed Towing in Plainfield
- Towing in Union County
- Towing in Middlesex County
- Towing in Essex County
- Towing in Hudson County
- Towing in Somerset County
- Towing in Morris County
- Towing in Monmouth County
- Towing in Bergen County
- Towing in Passaic County
Do not see your town? If it is within 45 minutes of Linden, we cover it.
Call (908) 444-0129Flatbed Towing service pageFlatbed Towing questions, answered
Straight answers to what drivers ask us about flatbed towing.
How do I know if my car is all-wheel drive?
Look for an AWD, 4WD, 4MATIC, xDrive, quattro or similar badge, then confirm in the owner's manual or by searching your VIN. If you are unsure, give the dispatcher the year, make, model and trim.
Is it ever fine to tow an AWD car with two wheels up?
Some manufacturers allow it with all four wheels on dollies, but most simply say to use a flatbed. Unless your manual clearly approves another method, choose the flatbed; it removes the guesswork.
My electric car is completely dead. Can it still be loaded?
Yes. If the car cannot be put in tow mode, the driver places skates under the wheels and winches it onto the deck. Mention a dead 12-volt battery on the call so the right gear comes.
Can a flatbed get into my driveway?
Usually, if there is room behind the car to tilt the deck. Steep driveways, low trees and tight turns can change the plan; the driver may load at the curb after rolling the car out.
What should I check when the car comes off the deck?
Walk around it before the driver leaves, compare against your photos, and check under the front lip on a low car. Note anything on the receipt right then.
Is a flatbed worth it for a two-mile tow to my mechanic?
For an AWD, electric or low car, yes; the damage a wheel-lift can do does not depend on distance. For a front-wheel-drive car that rolls, a wheel-lift is fine.
How do I book one?
Call (908) 444-0129 any hour, or use the contact page for a scheduled move. Give both addresses and the make and model for a flat price.
Need flatbed towing right now? One call, truck on the way.
Real dispatcher, 24 hours a day. Quoted price before we roll.