Emergency Fuel Delivery NJ | Out of Gas Help 24/7

Fuel delivery

What emergency fuel delivery from The NJ Towing Service includes and how much fuel you get

Emergency fuel delivery is a technician dispatched with two to three gallons of regular gasoline or diesel, poured into your tank with a spout, plus restart help and diesel priming if the engine ran completely dry, for one flat delivery price plus the fuel at cost.

Running out of gas is the roadside call people are most embarrassed about and the one that is easiest to fix. The tank is empty; we fill it enough to reach a station. What makes it worth a professional rather than a friend with a jerry can is the places it happens: a dark back road in Warren or Colts Neck, the shoulder of I-78 on the climb through the Watchung hills, Route 9 south of Old Bridge after the stations close, or a lot where the car sat on E. A tech with a truck that shields the scene and fuel in a proper container gets you off the shoulder in minutes. The two roads where it happens most, the Parkway between service areas and the Turnpike express lanes, work differently: Turnpike and Parkway shoulders are served by the Authority's authorized garages. Book with us and we take the car from the exit or the garage's lot.

The second thing that makes it worth the call is the diesel case. A diesel that runs dry pulls air into the injection system and may not restart on fuel alone. Our techs know the priming procedure on most trucks and vans. And if the engine will not catch on gas or diesel, the tow is dispatched from the same call to (908) 444-0129, not a second one.

Two to three gallons, enough to reach a station

The delivery is sized to get you to the next pump, not to fill the tank. Two to three gallons is thirty to sixty miles for most cars, which reaches a station from anywhere in our territory. Regular unleaded for gas cars; a few gallons of regular will not harm an engine that normally takes premium. Diesel for diesels. The fuel is added to your bill at cost.

Restart help, and priming for diesels

A gas car restarts as soon as fuel reaches the pump; the tech will have you cycle the key to let the pump prime before cranking. A diesel that ran completely dry may need the air bled from the fuel system before it fires, and the tech knows the procedure on the common trucks, vans and pickups.

One flat delivery price, quoted before the tech leaves Linden

Fuel delivery is one flat rate plus the fuel. Same number at 3 a.m. on a holiday as at noon on a weekday, with no fuel surcharge on the delivery itself. The dispatcher gives you the price on the call. See how every roadside assistance price is built.

No membership, no waiting for a contractor

Roadside plans send your call to whoever accepts it. We are the company that shows up, from a yard at Exit 13 of the Turnpike, one exit from the Parkway. Most plans reimburse an out-of-network fuel delivery with the itemized receipt we hand you.

Engine quit and the gauge is on E? Enough fuel to reach the next station is one call away.

Call (908) 444-0129 All roadside services

How it works

From the sputter to the restart: what happens on a fuel delivery call, step by step

You tell the dispatcher where you are, whether the car takes gas or diesel and what you drive; the dispatcher quotes the flat delivery price plus fuel and an arrival window; the tech shields the scene, adds the fuel, helps the engine restart and, for a diesel, primes the system if it ran dry.

Step one: coast to the safest spot and tell us where

When the engine sputters, use the momentum to get fully onto the shoulder or, better, off at the next exit or into a lot. Then the road, the direction and the nearest exit or mile marker; on I-78, express or local lanes; on Route 22, eastbound or westbound and the nearest store. On the Parkway or the Turnpike, say so first: their shoulders are served by the Authority's authorized garages, so the dispatcher points you to them and books our tech to meet the car at the exit or the garage's lot. On a street, the cross streets.

Step two: gas or diesel, and are you sure

It sounds obvious, but a borrowed car or a rental is where mistakes happen. If you are not certain, the dispatcher will ask for the make and model or have you check the inside of the fuel door. Bringing the wrong fuel wastes the trip; putting the wrong fuel in the tank is a far bigger problem, covered below.

Step three: the vehicle, because diesels and some hybrids are different

A diesel that ran completely dry may need priming. Some diesel trucks have a hand primer pump; some vans need the key cycled a specific number of times; a few need a shop. Some hybrids and newer gas cars need a particular restart sequence after running empty. The make and model tells the tech what he is walking into.

Step four: the price and the arrival window

One flat rate for the delivery plus the fuel at cost, quoted on the call. An arrival window based on where the nearest tech is. In Union County and the near side of Middlesex and Essex that is usually well under half an hour. Toward the far Parkway exits or Route 9 it is longer, and the dispatcher says so.

Step five: the fuel goes in, the engine starts, you drive to a station

The truck shields the scene with the amber bar. The tech adds the fuel with a spout, has you cycle the key to prime the pump, and the engine starts. For a diesel that will not catch, he bleeds the system. You get the receipt and directions to the nearest station. If the engine still will not start on fuel, the tow is quoted right there and you pay the tow, not both.

Road, direction, exit, and gas or diesel. That is the whole call.

Call dispatch now What to have ready

Ran out of gas

Where people run out of gas in our territory: I-78, the back roads, and the exit handoff from the Parkway and the Turnpike express lanes

Most out-of-gas calls come from the Garden State Parkway between the Union toll plaza and Raritan where the only stations are at the service areas, the Turnpike express lanes between Exits 11 and 14 with no exit, the I-78 climb through the Watchung hills, Route 9 and the rural roads of Somerset and Monmouth, and driveways where the car sat on E overnight; on the two Authority roads the fuel on the shoulder comes from the authorized garage and we take over at the exit.

Nobody runs out of gas across the street from a station. These are the stretches where the gauge lies and the exits do not come, and what the tech knows about each one.

Garden State Parkway from the Union toll plaza to Raritan: how the handoff works

The only fuel between Exit 142 and Exit 127 is at the service areas, and if you passed one on fumes, the next is a long way. The shoulders are narrow through Union and Kenilworth, and they are served by the Turnpike Authority's authorized garages, not by us. Book with us anyway: the dispatcher tells you how to reach the Authority's roadside help, and once the authorized truck has the car at the exit or in the garage's lot, our tech meets it there with the fuel, or tows it on to the shop or driveway you choose, at the same flat quoted price. We reach the Clark and Cranford exits in minutes from the yard. Say northbound or southbound and the nearest exit number.

New Jersey Turnpike express lanes, Exits 11 to 14: the authorized garage first, then us

The express lanes have no exits and no service areas between 11 and 14, and a car that runs dry there sits until help arrives. On the Turnpike that help is the Authority's authorized garage, the only one allowed to work that shoulder; State Police often stop as well. Call us anyway: the dispatcher points you to the Authority's roadside help and books our leg, so when the authorized truck brings the car off at the nearest exit or to its lot, our tech is there with the fuel, or the tow to wherever you want it, at the same flat price. Say express or local and the direction so we wait on the right side.

Broke down on the Turnpike or the Parkway? Book with us, and we take it from the exit

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority allows only its authorized garages to tow or work on the shoulder of the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, and we are not one of them yet. Call us anyway. The dispatcher tells you how to reach the Authority's roadside help, and you book the rest of the job with us: the moment the authorized truck has the car off the highway, at the nearest exit or in the garage's lot, our truck takes over and moves it to the shop, the dealer or the driveway you choose, at our normal flat quoted price.

Coming soon: a booking assist that connects you to the right authorized garage for your stretch of the Turnpike or Parkway through us, so the highway leg and our leg are arranged in one call. Every other road we serve, including Routes 1 & 9, Route 22, I-78, I-287, I-280, Route 3, Route 46 and every local street, is a direct dispatch from Linden.

I-78 from Union through the Watchung hills

The long climb west of Union burns the last gallon faster than the gauge suggests, and there is no station on the highway between Newark and the Route 24 split. Say which direction and whether you are on the express or local lanes.

Route 9, Route 34 and the roads into northern Monmouth

Long stretches of Route 9 south of Old Bridge and the county roads toward Marlboro, Colts Neck and Holmdel have stations far apart, especially late at night when some close. These are at the edge of the 45-minute promise, and the dispatcher gives you the honest window.

Somerset and Morris back roads: Warren, Bedminster, Basking Ridge, Mendham direction

Dark two-lane roads with no shoulder and no lights. Get the car as far off the road as you safely can, keep the hazards on, and give the dispatcher the road name and the nearest cross road or house number.

Driveways and lots where the car sat on E

An honest share of fuel calls are a car that was parked with the low-fuel light on and would not start in the morning, or started and died in the driveway. A cold morning makes it worse. These are the easiest deliveries we do, and in Union County the tech is there inside twenty minutes.

I-78, Route 22, Route 9 or a back road: say which and the tech approaches from the right end. Parkway or Turnpike: say so and we book the exit handoff.

Call (908) 444-0129 Every town we cover

Diesel ran dry

Diesel fuel delivery and priming: why a diesel that runs out is not just an empty tank

When a diesel runs completely dry, air enters the injection system and the engine may not restart on fuel alone; the tech adds diesel, then bleeds the air using the primer pump or key-cycling procedure for that vehicle, and if the system will not bleed roadside the vehicle is towed to a shop.

A gas car that runs dry restarts when fuel reaches the pump. A diesel may not. That difference is why the dispatcher asks gas or diesel, and why our techs carry more than a fuel can on a diesel call.

What happens inside a diesel that runs dry

The high-pressure pump and injectors depend on a column of fuel with no air in it. When the tank empties, the pump pulls air into the lines. Adding fuel does not push that air out by itself, so the engine cranks and cranks without firing. On some systems, cranking on air can damage the pump. The fix is to bleed the air before the engine is asked to start.

Pickups: Ford, Ram, GM, and the primer procedure

Most modern diesel pickups prime themselves if you cycle the key to run for thirty seconds, off, and repeat several times without cranking. Some older trucks have a manual primer pump on the filter housing. The tech knows which is which and does it before the first crank.

Sprinter, Transit and ProMaster vans

Fleet vans on the Route 1 & 9 corridor and in the Carteret and Edison warehouse belt run dry more than any other vehicle we see, usually at the end of a route. Priming procedures vary by model and year and the tech follows the one for yours. Fleet accounts get a direct line; see heavy duty towing.

Box trucks, buses and tractors

Bigger engines, bigger fuel systems, sometimes two tanks with a crossover valve that was set wrong. Some will bleed roadside; some need a shop. The tech tells you honestly which, and if it is a tow, it is dispatched as heavy duty from the same call.

Diesel cars and SUVs

A diesel Jetta, X5 or Grand Cherokee usually self-primes with the key cycle. A few need a scan tool to run the pump. If yours is one of them, the dispatcher will say so before the tech rolls.

When the diesel will not start after priming

If the system will not bleed roadside, or the pump has been damaged by cranking on air, the vehicle goes to a shop on the flatbed or the heavy-duty truck. You pay the tow, not the delivery plus the tow.

Diesel that ran dry? Do not keep cranking. Call, tell us the make and model, and the tech brings the fuel and the procedure.

Call (908) 444-0129 Heavy duty towing

Wrong fuel

Put gasoline in a diesel or diesel in a gas car? Do not start it. What happens next

If the wrong fuel went into the tank, do not turn the key; the vehicle is towed to a shop to have the tank drained and the lines flushed, and starting it turns a drain into an injector and fuel pump repair.

Misfueling happens at every station on Routes 1 & 9 and Route 22 every week. A rental, a borrowed car, a green pump handle at a station that uses a different color, a moment of distraction. The damage depends entirely on what you do in the next thirty seconds.

Gasoline in a diesel

The worst case. Diesel fuel lubricates the high-pressure pump and injectors; gasoline strips that lubrication and the pump grinds itself to pieces within minutes of running. If the engine has not been started, it is a tank drain and a flush. If it has been run, it can be a new pump and injectors at several thousand dollars. Do not start it.

Diesel in a gas car

Less destructive but the engine will not run properly on it. A small amount in a nearly full tank may be diluted enough to burn off; a large amount clogs injectors and fouls the catalytic converter. Do not start it. The shop drains the tank and flushes the lines.

You realized at the pump

Do not turn the key, not even to accessory. Tell the attendant. Push the car away from the pump if the station asks and it is safe. Call (908) 444-0129 and say wrong fuel, not started. The car goes on the flatbed to your shop or dealer as a local tow.

You realized after driving a mile

Pull over, shut it off, and do not restart it. The damage is already partly done but every second of running makes it worse. Same tow, and tell the shop exactly what happened and how far it was driven.

What we do not do

We do not drain tanks roadside. That is a shop job with proper containment. Our job is to get the car there without it being started, and we do that as a local tow quoted on the call.

Wrong fuel? Key out of the ignition. Call. The flatbed takes it to the shop without the engine ever turning over.

Call (908) 444-0129 Flatbed towing

Fuel delivery cost

How much emergency fuel delivery costs in New Jersey and what is in the flat price

Fuel delivery from The NJ Towing Service is one flat delivery price plus the fuel at cost, including restart help and diesel priming, with no night, weekend, holiday or fuel surcharge on the delivery and no membership.

One flat delivery rate plus the fuel

The dispatcher gives you the delivery price before the tech leaves Linden. The fuel itself, two to three gallons, is added at what it cost. Same number at 3 a.m. as at noon. No separate charge for priming a diesel.

If the engine will not restart

You pay the tow, not the delivery plus the tow. The local tow to a shop is quoted on the same call if the dispatcher thinks it is likely, so there is no surprise on the shoulder.

Paying and reimbursement

Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and cash on site. The itemized receipt shows the location, the service, the fuel and the amount. AAA and most other roadside plans reimburse an out-of-network fuel delivery up to their limit.

Why the number is not on the page

Because a driveway in Roselle and the I-78 shoulder in the Watchung hills at 2 a.m. are not the same call. The quote takes thirty seconds on the phone and it is exact. Call and ask; you owe nothing for asking.

Get the exact fuel delivery price in thirty seconds. Asking is free.

Call for a quote Towing prices explained

Won't start

When it is not the fuel: gauges that lie, fuel pumps, and the car that cranks but never catches

A car that cranks strongly but never fires with fuel in the tank usually has a failed fuel pump, a clogged filter, a crank sensor or an ignition problem, none of which fuel delivery fixes; the dispatcher asks about the gauge and the sound to decide between a delivery and a tow.

The gauge said a quarter tank

Fuel senders fail and gauges lie, especially on older cars and after a hard pothole. If the gauge showed fuel and the car died like it ran dry, it may have. The tech adds fuel; if it starts, you have a sender problem to fix at a shop. If it does not, it was never the fuel.

Cranks strong, never catches, tank has fuel

Turn the key to on and listen for the two-second hum of the fuel pump priming. Silence means the pump or its relay. That is a tow to a shop, not a delivery, and the dispatcher will say so if you describe it.

Sputtered and died on the highway, then restarted, then died again

A clogged fuel filter or a failing pump behaves like an empty tank under load. Fuel will not fix it. The safe answer on a highway is an emergency tow rather than a second breakdown a mile later; on the Turnpike or the Parkway that means the Authority's authorized garage brings the car off and we take it from the exit.

The car will not even crank

That is a dead battery or a starter, not fuel. Describe the sound and the dispatcher sends the right tech.

Ran dry, got fuel, still no start on a gas car

Cycle the key to on for a few seconds, off, and repeat two or three times before cranking so the pump primes. If it still will not catch, the tech checks for a pump that failed when it ran dry, which happens, and the tow is quoted on the spot.

Describe the gauge and the sound. The dispatcher will tell you whether it is fuel or a tow, even if that is the smaller bill.

Call (908) 444-0129 Jump start

While you wait

What to do when you run out of gas on a New Jersey highway while you wait for the fuel to arrive

Coast fully onto the shoulder with the wheels turned away from traffic, hazards on, stay belted in the car unless it is unsafe, do not walk to a station along a highway, and keep your phone charged for the driver's call.

Use the last of the momentum

When the engine sputters you still have steering and a little speed. Signal, get to the shoulder, get as far right as it goes. Power steering and brakes get heavy when the engine stops, so decide early.

Do not walk to a station

Walking along the Parkway or the Turnpike shoulder is how people get killed. The station is farther than it looks and the fuel can is heavier than it looks. Stay with the car and let the truck come to you: ours on every other road, the Authority's authorized garage on those two, with our tech taking over at the exit.

Wheels away from traffic, hazards on, stay belted

Turn the front wheels toward the guardrail. Hazards on. Stay in the car unless the car itself is in danger; then get behind the guardrail, well away from it, never in front of or behind the vehicle.

Tell the dispatcher about the spot

A narrow shoulder, a curve, a bridge, a live lane. It changes the approach and where the truck stops. If a trooper has already stopped, say so.

Know the fuel door and the release

Some fuel doors release from a lever by the seat, some by a button, some by pushing the door itself. On a car with no power, an electric release may need the manual pull inside the trunk. Knowing where it is saves a minute on the shoulder.

Shoulder, wheels turned, belted, phone charged. Now call. The tech calls you back before he arrives.

Call from the shoulder Emergency towing

After the delivery

After the fuel goes in: getting to a station, resetting the low-fuel warning and not doing this again

Drive straight to the nearest station and fill up, let the low-fuel light reset itself, and treat a quarter tank as empty on the Parkway and the Turnpike where stations are far apart.

Straight to the nearest station

Two to three gallons is a bridge, not a tank. The tech tells you the nearest station from where you are. On the Parkway that may be a service area; near a Turnpike exit it is usually a station on Routes 1 & 9. Do not detour.

Running dry once can hurt a fuel pump

The in-tank pump is cooled by the fuel around it. Running it dry heats it. Once is usually fine; a habit of driving on the light shortens its life. If the car develops a whine from the rear after this, have the pump checked.

The Parkway and Turnpike rule

Between the Union toll plaza and Raritan the only fuel is at the service areas. In the Turnpike express lanes there is none at all. If the light comes on before those stretches, get off and fill up first.

Gauges on older cars

If the gauge showed fuel and the car ran dry, the sender is lying. Have it fixed or learn to trust the trip odometer instead.

Fuel in, engine running, station in sight. That is what a fuel delivery from us includes.

Call (908) 444-0129 All services

Service area

Emergency fuel delivery by county: every town within 45 minutes of Linden

Fuel delivery is dispatched from Linden to 163 towns in Union, Middlesex, Essex, Hudson, Somerset, Morris, Monmouth, Bergen and Passaic counties, with Union County and the neighboring parts of Middlesex and Essex in the fastest zone.

Zone 1: Linden, Elizabeth, Rahway, Roselle, Union, Cranford, Clark, Newark, Carteret, Woodbridge

Under twenty minutes on a normal day. The Parkway exits at Clark and Cranford, the Turnpike exits between 12 and 14, Routes 1 & 9, Route 22 and Route 27 are all inside this zone.

Zone 2: Edison, Metuchen, New Brunswick, the Oranges, Montclair, Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, Watchung

Twenty to thirty-five minutes. Route 1 through Edison, Route 18, the Parkway north through Essex, the Turnpike extension into Hudson, and Route 22 and I-78 into Somerset.

Zone 3: Morristown, Somerville, Freehold, Hackensack, Fort Lee, Paterson

Thirty-five to forty-five minutes, longer at rush hour, and the dispatcher says so. The far Parkway and Route 9 into Monmouth, I-287 into Morris, I-80 and Route 46 into Bergen and Passaic.

Inside the map? A tech is one call away. Tell us the road and the town and the dispatcher gives the real window.

Call (908) 444-0129 See the full map

EV out of charge

Electric car out of charge or a hybrid that ran the tank dry: why the answer is a flatbed or a specific restart sequence, not a gas can

An electric car that runs out of charge cannot be refueled roadside and is carried on a flatbed to the nearest working charger or to your home charger, while a hybrid that runs out of gasoline usually restarts on delivered fuel but may need a specific power-button sequence to clear the low-fuel shutdown before the engine will run.

Ten years ago every fuel call was gas or diesel. Now a share of the calls that come in as out of fuel are an EV with an empty battery on the I-78 climb or at the foot of a Turnpike exit, or a Prius, RAV4 Hybrid or Escape Hybrid that ran the gas tank dry and will not wake up the way a plain gas car does. Both are handled from the same call to (908) 444-0129, and both start with the dispatcher asking what you drive.

An electric car with an empty battery goes on the flatbed, never on a wheel-lift

There is no portable charger on our truck that can add useful range to a Tesla, an Ioniq or a Mach-E on a shoulder in the time you would want to sit there. The answer is the flatbed. Every EV rides with all four wheels off the ground, because most of them cannot be rolled with the drive wheels on the road without heating the motor and damaging the drive unit, and the manufacturer's tow instructions say so. The tech puts the car into its transport or tow mode, which on most models needs a little battery left to release the parking brake and shift to neutral; if the car is completely dead, he uses the manual release. The destination is the nearest working fast charger, a dealer, or your driveway and your own charger, at the local towing rate quoted on the call.

Where EVs run out of charge in our territory, and what to say on the call

The Turnpike between Exits 11 and 14 in the express lanes, the Parkway between the Union toll plaza and the Cheesequake service area, and the I-78 climb west of Newark in January when a cold battery drops its range faster than the display admits. On the first two the Authority's authorized garage brings the car off the highway and our flatbed takes it from the exit or the garage's lot; on I-78 and every other road it is a direct dispatch. Also the driveway in Jersey City or Hoboken where the street charger was blocked for two nights running. Say the make and model, how much range the display shows, whether the car will still turn on, and where you want to charge. Chargers along Routes 1 & 9 and in Essex County are close together; on the far Parkway they are not, and the dispatcher picks the one that is actually working when the tow is booked.

Hybrids that ran out of gas: the shutdown and the restart sequence

A Prius, a Camry Hybrid or a Honda Insight that runs its tank dry shuts the engine down to protect the catalyst and the hybrid battery, and on many of them the car will not simply restart when fuel goes in. The tech adds the fuel, then follows the sequence for that model: usually the power button cycled through ready mode several times with the foot off the brake, sometimes a wait of a few minutes, on a few cars a hold of the brake and the button together. Once the engine catches, the hybrid battery recharges itself on the drive to the station. If the hybrid battery ran down too far during the shutdown, the car can refuse to start at all and the dealer has to wake it, which is a tow the dispatcher quotes on the spot.

Plug-in hybrids: the electric side is empty and the gas side is empty too

A RAV4 Prime, a Wrangler 4xe or a Volvo Recharge has both a gas tank and a battery big enough to drive on alone. When the display shows zero electric miles the car is still fine on gas; when the gas is gone too, the car stops and often blames the battery in the message it shows. Fuel delivery fixes it in nearly every case. The tech pours the fuel, runs the restart sequence, and the car drives to the station on the engine. Tell the dispatcher it is a plug-in so he sends the fuel and not the flatbed. Commuter plug-ins in Edison and the Route 1 office parks are a growing share of these calls.

What fuel delivery cannot do for an EV, said plainly

We do not carry a mobile charger, we do not jump-start the high-voltage battery, and we do not push an EV with the truck to the next exit. All of those either do not work or damage the car. What we do is put it on the flatbed quickly, protect the drive unit and the battery pack during loading, and take it where it can charge, and we quote that tow before the truck leaves Linden. A dead 12-volt battery, which shows as an EV that will not wake or unlock at all with plenty of range left, is a different call and is a jump start at the 12-volt terminals under the hood or in the trunk.

EV on empty or a hybrid that will not wake up after running dry? Say the make and model. The flatbed, or the fuel and the sequence, is dispatched from the same call.

Call (908) 444-0129 Flatbed towing

Winter diesel

Diesel that gelled in a New Jersey cold snap, fuel gauges that stopped telling the truth, and running dry in commuter lots and station parking

Below about fifteen degrees untreated diesel can thicken into a gel that blocks the filter, and the fix is warmth and an additive or a tow to a heated shop, not more fuel; a failed gauge reads as fuel that is not there; and a car that will not start in a train station lot or beside a gas pump is delivered to on the same flat price as one on the highway.

Not every fuel call is a highway shoulder. A share of them are a car that will not start where it was parked, and in winter a share of the diesel calls are not empty tanks at all. This section covers the three cases dispatch sees most from December to March and on the morning commute.

Diesel gelling on the cold mornings: what it looks like and what actually fixes it

Diesel contains paraffin wax that starts to crystallize somewhere around fifteen degrees and can clog the fuel filter well before the tank is empty. The truck cranks, runs rough for a few seconds and dies, or will not build fuel pressure at all, and the gauge shows a quarter or half tank. Fleet vans that sat outside overnight in a Woodbridge or Carteret yard, pickups on a Somerset back road, and older Sprinters are the usual cases. Adding more cold diesel does nothing. The fix is warmth and an anti-gel additive or a filter change, which means a tow to a heated shop or your own yard on the flatbed, or as heavy duty towing for a straight truck. Tell the dispatcher the temperature outside and whether the truck runs and dies; if it sounds like gelling, he quotes the tow rather than send fuel that will not help.

Fuel gauges and senders that failed, and the car that ran dry on a half tank

The float in the tank sticks, the sender's resistor wears where the needle sits most of the time, or a pothole on Route 22 jolted it. The gauge reads a quarter and the tank is dry. It happens on older Hondas and Toyotas, on Jeeps, and on any car after the tank has been dropped for a pump. The tech brings fuel; if the engine starts, the gauge was lying and you have a sender to fix at the shop, and the trip odometer is your gauge until then. If the engine does not start with fuel in the tank, the dispatcher was already prepared for that and the local tow is quoted on the spot. A car that ran dry twice in a month is a sender problem, not a driver problem, and worth fixing before the Parkway does it for you.

Commuter lots at Rahway, Metropark, Linden and Elizabeth stations, and the car that sat on E all week

The car was parked Monday on the low-fuel light and the driver meant to fill up on the way home. Friday night at the Rahway or Metropark lot, cold and dark, it starts and dies or does not start at all. These are among the easiest deliveries we run and among the most common. Say which lot, which level of the garage if there is one and where the car sits, because a tech can carry a fuel can into a garage that a truck cannot enter. If the car has sat a week in the cold, the battery is as likely as the fuel, and the tech carries a jump pack on the same run so the jump start happens on the same visit at the flat price for that service.

Ran dry at the station: the car that died in the pump lane or a hundred feet short

It happens more than anyone admits. The car sputters onto the station apron and dies at the edge of the lot, or in the lane before the pump, or it is pushed to the pump and the engine will not restart after fuel goes in because the pump needs priming or, on a diesel, bleeding. A fuel delivery is not what you need when you are next to a pump, and the dispatcher will say so. What you may need is the tech to prime a diesel that ran dry, to run the restart sequence on a hybrid, or to push the car clear of the pumps and check whether the in-tank pump survived running dry. If it did not, the tow to your shop is quoted on the call, and station staff on Routes 1 & 9 and Route 22 know our trucks.

Truck that runs and dies in the cold, a gauge you no longer trust, or a car that will not start in the station lot: describe it and the dispatcher sends fuel, a jump or the flatbed, whichever the description calls for.

Call (908) 444-0129 Heavy duty towing

Related services

Fuel, jump, tire, lockout or tow: the other roadside services that start with the same call

The same dispatcher sends a fuel delivery, a jump start tech, a tire tech, a lockout tech or a tow truck; you describe what happened and the right service is chosen and quoted.

When the fuel delivery becomes a tow

A diesel that will not bleed, a fuel pump that died when it ran dry, the wrong fuel in the tank. The flatbed or wheel-lift is dispatched from the same call at the local towing rate.

When it was never the fuel

No crank at all is a jump start. Cranks but never catches with fuel in the tank is a tow to a shop. Ran out of gas and locked the keys inside at the station is a lockout. Describe what happened and the dispatcher sorts it.

One number for all of it. Describe what happened and the right tech or truck is sent.

Call (908) 444-0129 All services

Fuel delivery facts

Emergency fuel delivery in New Jersey at a glance: fuel carried, coverage, hours, price structure and what to have ready

Emergency fuel delivery from The NJ Towing Service is a technician with two to three gallons of regular gasoline or diesel dispatched from Linden 24/7 to 163 towns in nine counties, with restart help and diesel priming, for one flat delivery price plus the fuel at cost, quoted on the call.

Service	Emergency fuel delivery: two to three gallons of regular gasoline or diesel poured in with a spout, enough to reach the nearest station, plus restart help and priming for a diesel that ran completely dry
Fuel carried	Regular unleaded and diesel; no premium (a few gallons of regular will not harm a car that normally takes it); no roadside charging for electric cars, which ride the flatbed to a charger, a dealer or your driveway
Vehicles handled	Cars, SUVs, pickups and vans, diesels including priming and key-cycling procedures, hybrids with the power-button wake sequence after running dry, commercial diesels; a car with the wrong fuel in the tank is towed to a shop, never started
What to have ready	Gas or diesel; the road, direction and nearest exit or mile marker, or the lot and row; make and model; whether the engine cranks; whether the gauge was actually on E; if you put the wrong fuel in, say so and do not turn the key
Where the calls come from	The I-78 climb through the Watchung hills, Route 9 and the rural roads of Somerset and Monmouth, station lots and driveways where the car sat on E overnight, and the exits where cars come off the Parkway between the Union toll plaza and Raritan and the Turnpike express lanes between Exits 11 and 14
Coverage	163 towns in Union, Middlesex, Essex, Hudson, Somerset, Morris, Monmouth, Bergen and Passaic counties, every one within about 45 minutes of Linden dispatch; Turnpike and Parkway shoulders are served by the Authority's authorized garages; book with us and we take the car from the exit or the garage's lot
Response	Usually well under 30 minutes in Union County and the neighboring parts of Middlesex and Essex; 35 to 45 minutes toward the edge of the map, longer at rush hour or in a storm; a real window is quoted on the call
Pricing	One flat delivery price plus the fuel at cost, quoted before dispatch, including restart help and diesel priming; no night, weekend, holiday or fuel surcharge on the delivery; no membership; if the engine will not catch, you pay the tow, not a second callout
Payment	Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or cash on site; itemized receipt by text or email, which most roadside plans and insurers accept for out-of-network reimbursement
Hours	24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every holiday
Phone	Tap to call

Everything about fuel delivery fits in one table. Getting the gas to the car takes one call.

Call now Service area

Fuel Delivery by town

Fuel Delivery in every town we serve: 163 fuel delivery pages across 9 New Jersey counties

Fuel Delivery is dispatched from Linden to 163 towns; each town below has its own fuel delivery page with the roads, the lots, the neighborhoods and the price structure for that town.

Pick your town for the local fuel delivery page. Every one is the same phone number, the same flat quoted price and the same 24/7 dispatch; what changes is the drive time from Linden and the roads the truck comes in on.

Fuel Delivery in Hudson County: 12 towns

Bayonne and Jersey City via the Turnpike extension; Hoboken and the Gold Coast within the hour any time of day. Bayonne · Jersey City · Kearny · Harrison · East Newark · Secaucus · Hoboken · Union City · Weehawken · West New York · North Bergen · Guttenberg. County page: towing in Hudson County.

Fuel Delivery in Somerset County: 16 towns

Route 22 and I-287 towns — Watchung, Bridgewater, Somerville and the Bound Brooks. Watchung · North Plainfield · Green Brook · Warren · Bound Brook · South Bound Brook · Bridgewater · Somerville · Raritan · Manville · Franklin Township · Hillsborough · Basking Ridge · Bernardsville · Bedminster · Branchburg. County page: towing in Somerset County.

Fuel Delivery in Morris County: 11 towns

Up Route 24 and I-287 — Chatham, Madison, Morristown and Parsippany. Chatham · Madison · Florham Park · East Hanover · Hanover · Whippany · Morristown · Morris Township · Morris Plains · Parsippany · Montville. County page: towing in Morris County.

Fuel Delivery in Monmouth County: 14 towns

The Parkway and Route 9 south — Matawan, Hazlet, Holmdel, Middletown and Freehold. Matawan · Aberdeen · Keyport · Hazlet · Union Beach · Keansburg · Holmdel · Middletown · Marlboro · Manalapan · Freehold · Colts Neck · Red Bank · Atlantic Highlands. County page: towing in Monmouth County.

Fuel Delivery in Bergen County: 26 towns

Southern Bergen along Route 17, Route 46 and the Turnpike — the Meadowlands towns through Hackensack and Fort Lee. North Arlington · Lyndhurst · Rutherford · East Rutherford · Carlstadt · Wood-Ridge · Moonachie · Little Ferry · Ridgefield · Ridgefield Park · Palisades Park · Fairview · Cliffside Park · Edgewater · Fort Lee · Hasbrouck Heights · Teterboro · Lodi · Garfield · Saddle Brook · Elmwood Park · Bogota · Hackensack · Teaneck · Englewood · Paramus. County page: towing in Bergen County.

Fuel Delivery in Passaic County: 9 towns

Clifton, Passaic and Paterson by way of the Parkway and Route 21. Clifton · Passaic · Paterson · Little Falls · Woodland Park · Totowa · Wayne · Haledon · Prospect Park. County page: towing in Passaic County.

Do not see your town? If it is within 45 minutes of Linden we cover it. Call and ask.

Call (908) 444-0129 Full service area

Fuel delivery FAQ

Questions drivers ask before calling for emergency fuel delivery in New Jersey

The answers below cover arrival time, price, how much fuel you get, premium, diesels, wrong fuel and what to do on the shoulder; dispatch answers anything else live.

How much does emergency fuel delivery cost in NJ?

Fuel delivery is one flat delivery price plus the fuel itself at cost, and the dispatcher quotes both on the call before the technician leaves Linden. The delivery price covers the dispatch, the pour, the restart help and the priming if a diesel ran dry. It does not change with the hour, the day, the weather or the town; no night, weekend, holiday or fuel surcharge on the delivery, no membership. The bill changes only if the job becomes a tow, because the diesel will not bleed, the wrong fuel went in or the pump failed; then the tow is quoted as hook plus mileage and you pay that, not both. Call (908) 444-0129 and ask.

How fast can you bring me fuel?

Inside Union County and the neighboring parts of Middlesex and Essex, usually well under 30 minutes. Toward the edge of the 45-minute area, 35 to 45 minutes. The dispatcher gives you a real window on the call.

How much fuel do you bring?

Two to three gallons, enough to reach the nearest station. It is a bridge, not a fill-up.

Can you bring premium?

We carry regular unleaded. A few gallons of regular will not harm a car that normally takes premium; fill up with premium at the station.

Do you deliver diesel?

Yes, and the tech knows the priming procedure for diesels that ran completely dry. If the system will not bleed roadside, the vehicle is towed to a shop from the same call.

I put the wrong fuel in. What do I do?

Do not start the car, not even to accessory. Call us and say wrong fuel, not started. The car is towed to a shop to have the tank drained. Starting it turns a drain into an injector and pump repair.

The car has fuel now but will not start. Why?

Cycle the key to on for a few seconds two or three times so the pump primes, then crank. If it still will not catch, the pump may have failed when it ran dry, or it was never the fuel. The tech checks and the tow is quoted on the spot.

Can I walk to a gas station instead?

Not along a highway. Walking the Parkway or Turnpike shoulder is dangerous and the station is farther than it looks. Stay with the car; on those two roads the Authority's authorized garage comes to the shoulder and we take over at the exit.

Do you deliver fuel to boats, generators or equipment?

Vehicles on roads and in lots are what we do. For equipment on a job site, call and ask; it depends on where it is and what it takes.

Do you need my roadside plan or insurance?

No. You pay us directly and we give you an itemized receipt. Most roadside plans reimburse an out-of-network fuel delivery with that receipt.

What if the car died on the Turnpike express lanes?

Say express lanes and the direction. There is no exit between 11 and 14, and the shoulder there is served by the Turnpike Authority's authorized garages, not by us; the dispatcher tells you how to reach them and books our tech to meet the car with the fuel, or the tow, at the exit or the garage's lot at the same flat price. Stay belted in the car with the hazards on until the authorized truck arrives.

Can you charge my electric car on the roadside?

No. We do not carry a mobile charger that can add useful range in a reasonable time, and we never push an EV or tow it on a wheel-lift. An EV that ran out of charge goes on the flatbed with all four wheels off the ground, in its tow or transport mode, to the nearest working fast charger, a dealer or your own driveway charger, at the local towing rate quoted on the call. If the car will not wake or unlock at all but shows plenty of range, that is the 12-volt battery and a jump start fixes it.

My diesel has fuel but will not start in the cold. Is that a fuel delivery?

Probably not. Below about fifteen degrees untreated diesel can gel and block the fuel filter with fuel still in the tank; the engine cranks, runs rough for a few seconds and dies, or never builds pressure. More cold diesel does not help. The fix is warmth and an anti-gel additive or a filter change, which means a tow to a heated shop or your yard. Tell the dispatcher the temperature and what the engine does, and he quotes the tow instead of sending fuel that will not work.

My hybrid ran out of gas and will not restart after fuel went in. What now?

Many hybrids shut the engine down to protect the catalyst and the hybrid battery when they run dry, and they need a specific sequence to wake: usually the power button cycled through ready mode several times with the foot off the brake, sometimes a wait of a few minutes. The tech knows the sequence for the common models and runs it after adding fuel. If the hybrid battery ran down too far during the shutdown, the dealer has to wake it and the tow is quoted on the spot.

Can you tow me off the New Jersey Turnpike or the Garden State Parkway?

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority allows only its authorized garages to tow or work on the shoulder of the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, and we are not one of them yet. Call us anyway. The dispatcher tells you how to reach the Authority's roadside help, and you book the rest of the job with us: the moment the authorized truck has the car off the highway, at the nearest exit or in the garage's lot, our truck takes over and moves it to the shop, the dealer or the driveway you choose, at our normal flat quoted price.

Question not here? The dispatcher answers it in one sentence and quotes the delivery in the next.

Call (908) 444-0129 Contact

Emergency fuel delivery in New Jersey, gas or diesel brought to your car anywhere within 45 minutes of Linden, 24 hours a day