Flatbed Towing in Sacramento, CA

A flatbed is not simply the nicer option. For a fair number of vehicles it is the only method that will not cause damage, and it is worth knowing which side of that line your car sits on before you call anyone.

All-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. Towing an AWD car with two wheels turning on the road forces the drivetrain to work with nowhere for the power to go. That is how transfer cases and center differentials get destroyed. Either it goes on a flatbed, or the free wheels go on dollies. There is no third option that ends well.

Electric and hybrid vehicles. Most EVs have to travel with all four wheels off the ground. The wheels drive the motors in reverse when they turn, and manufacturers are explicit that dragging them can cause damage.

Lowered, low-clearance and collector cars. The problem is the loading angle rather than the drive home. We use approach boards to flatten the ramp angle so the front lip does not grind on the way up. It takes a couple of extra minutes and saves a bumper.

Anything that no longer rolls or steers straight. After a collision, with seized brakes, or with suspension damage, the wheels are not doing their job and the car needs to be winched flat rather than towed on them.

Where we tie down, we prefer straps over the tires rather than hooks into the body. The suspension stays unloaded and there is nothing pulling on the chassis.

One limitation worth knowing. A flatbed needs a straight approach and a fair amount of room to deck. In tight underground parking or a packed apartment lot it may physically not fit, and that is exactly what a wheel lift is for.