Flatbed vs. wheel-lift towing: which is better for your car?

A flatbed carries your whole car up off the road, so nothing but the truck touches pavement. A wheel-lift picks up one end and rolls the car on its other two wheels. For most people, a flatbed is the safer bet, and it's what we bring for anything low, all-wheel-drive, electric, or already damaged. A wheel-lift is fine for a short, standard tow of a regular front- or rear-wheel-drive car.

The reason comes down to what's turning. When a car rides on two of its own wheels, those wheels and the drivetrain connected to them are still spinning down the road. On a lot of vehicles that's no problem for a short distance. On others, it can do real damage. An all-wheel-drive or electric car should almost always ride on a flatbed, because dragging its wheels can hurt the transmission, the transfer case, or the motors. Lowered cars and sports cars go on a flatbed too, so the bumper and splitter don't scrape.

Damage is the other big one. If your car's already been in a wreck, a flatbed keeps it from taking any more abuse on the way to the shop. That's why, after an accident, we roll a flatbed by default. You can read our full walk-through on what to do after a wreck if you're dealing with one now.

So when is a wheel-lift the right call? Short moves of an ordinary car, tight spots where a long flatbed can't get positioned, and repositioning a vehicle a short distance. A good operator carries both and picks the one that fits your car and the situation, not just whatever truck was closest. That's part of what we mean when we say we send the right truck for the job.

If you're not sure which your car needs, that's an easy phone call. Tell us the year, make, and model, and whether it's front-, rear-, or all-wheel-drive, and we'll tell you what we're bringing before we head out. For a standard breakdown that's our everyday towing; if you're moving a car a long way instead, that's auto and vehicle transport, which almost always means a flatbed or a carrier.

Call (843) 813-6335 and we'll match the truck to the car.