Towing
A flatbed tow truck keeps all four wheels off the pavement
The short answer
Flatbed towing carries a vehicle on a level deck with every wheel off the pavement, so nothing rolls, steers or drags on the way. It is the safe choice for all-wheel drive, low ground clearance, a damaged wheel or suspension, a locked steering column, and most electric vehicles. Tell dispatch which of those applies.
When your vehicle belongs on a deck
A wheel-lift is a good truck for a healthy car on a short move. These are the cases where it is not.
The vehicle is all-wheel or four-wheel drive
A driveshaft that keeps turning with the engine off can circulate oil through a transfer case that nothing is pumping. Most all-wheel-drive manuals call for a flat deck, or for dollies under whichever axle is left on the ground.
It sits low, or it has been lowered
A sports car, a lowered coupe or a long front splitter can catch on the ramp of a rollback before it ever reaches the deck. Operators carry extended ramps and wood blocks for exactly this. Say so when you book, so the truck that comes is carrying them.
A wheel, a tire or the suspension is damaged
A shattered hub, a snapped control arm, a seized brake, a torn sidewall with no usable spare: any of those means the corner cannot be trusted to roll. On a deck it does not have to.
It is an electric or hybrid vehicle
Many electric vehicles must not be towed with a driven wheel turning on the pavement, because the motor generates current when it spins. The owner's manual is the authority for your car. Tell dispatch it is an EV and whether it will enter a transport or neutral mode.
How a flatbed tow actually goes
Describe the vehicle, not only the fault
Give the year, make, model and drivetrain, the ride height if it is unusual, and whether the wheels roll, the steering unlocks and it shifts into neutral. Those answers decide whether a rollback is sent and what equipment rides on it.You get an estimate and approve it
The estimate is a hook-up fee plus a rate for each loaded mile, with any extra equipment the job needs added as its own line. The local operator confirms the final number with you. Nothing is dispatched until you have agreed to it.The bed tilts and the vehicle is winched on
The operator runs the winch line to a rated recovery point and pulls the vehicle up under control rather than driving it on. Stand clear of the line and off the deck while it moves. A line under load is the dangerous part of the job.It is strapped down, moved and released
Straps over the tires hold the vehicle without loading the suspension. Photograph it before it goes on and keep the itemized invoice. Release is to you, to someone you named to dispatch, or into the shop drop you agreed.
Upfront pricing
What a flatbed tow costs
A flatbed is billed like any other light-duty tow: a fee for putting the vehicle on the truck, then a rate for every loaded mile, with a floor below which nothing is dispatched. Extra equipment is its own line. The figures below are indicative national estimates from our calculator, not a quote, and the documents under them are the published rate schedules those estimates are checked against. The local operator confirms the final price before dispatch.
| Service | Typical range | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Hook-up fee | $50 – $125per call | Winching the vehicle onto the deck and securing it, before any mileage is added. |
| Local tow, up to 40 miles | $3 – $7per mile | |
| Medium haul, 40 to 120 miles | $2.5 – $4.5per mile | |
| Minimum charge | $95per call | Nothing is dispatched below this, however short the move. |
Estimates only. Final price confirmed by the local operator before dispatch.
What moves this price
- How far it goes. The hook-up fee is fixed, so a short move is mostly that fee. After it, every loaded mile is billed, and the per-mile rate falls as the haul gets longer.
- Whether the wheels turn. A car that rolls and steers is winched straight up the deck. Locked wheels, a seized transmission or a missing key means dollies or skates under an axle, which is equipment and time on scene.
- How hard the vehicle is to reach. A tight garage, an upper parking level, a narrow alley or soft ground can rule out a long rollback, and the alternative is a second truck or a much longer pull.
- When you call. Overnight, weekend and holiday work carries the after-hours rate, and you are told what it is before you agree to anything.
Where these ranges come from
- Connecticut DMV — Towing procedures and ratesChecked August 30, 2026
- CT Mirror — CT DMV raises towing rates, but tow companies say it is not enoughChecked August 30, 2026
Flatbed against wheel-lift
Most operators run both. The question is never which is better in the abstract; it is which one your vehicle can survive and your driveway can fit.
| What matters | Flatbed (rollback) | Wheel-lift |
|---|---|---|
| How the vehicle rides | Fully on the deck, every wheel off the pavement. | One axle lifted, the other rolling on its own tires. |
| All-wheel and four-wheel drive | The right answer. Nothing in the drivetrain turns. | Only with dollies under the axle left down. |
| Low ground clearance | Workable with extended ramps and blocks. | Risks the bumper, the splitter and the exhaust. |
| Damaged wheel or suspension | Nothing has to roll or steer. | The damaged corner still has to track. |
| Tight garages and alleys | A long bed often will not fit, or will not clear the ceiling. | Short and maneuverable, and it reaches what a rollback cannot. |
Ask for a flatbed when the vehicle is all-wheel or four-wheel drive, sits low, has a damaged corner, or has no key. Otherwise describe the car and the access and let the operator choose the truck, because sending the wrong one costs you a second call.
Where these statements come from
Anything numeric or regulatory on this page carries the document it was read from and the date it was checked against it. A claim with no source is left off the page.
Connecticut treats a regulated tow as one set rate covering everything needed to prepare a vehicle under 10,000 lbs for towing, including the first two miles. Winching and other exceptional services are billed on top and have to be itemized — which is why equipment appears as its own line rather than inside the hook-up fee.
Connecticut DMV — Towing procedures and ratesChecked August 30, 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is a flatbed always better than a wheel-lift?
No. A wheel-lift is the right truck for a short local move of a healthy front-wheel-drive car, and it reaches into garages and alleys a long rollback cannot. A flatbed is the safe choice when nothing on the vehicle should turn: all-wheel drive, a damaged wheel or suspension, very low clearance, a locked column, or no key at all.
Does a flatbed cost more than a wheel-lift?
Usually a little, on a like-for-like local move: the truck is bigger, the load takes longer and the equipment aboard is worth more. On a longer haul the gap narrows, because most of the bill is loaded mileage rather than the hook-up. Where a car genuinely needs a deck, the real comparison is a flatbed against a drivetrain repair.
Can a flatbed tow an all-wheel-drive car safely?
Yes, and it is normally what the manufacturer asks for. With the vehicle on the deck no wheel turns, so nothing circulates through a transfer case or a differential that is not being lubricated. If a rollback cannot physically reach the car, the usual alternative is a wheel-lift with dollies under the axle left on the ground.
Will a rollback fit in my parking garage?
Often not. A rollback is long, it needs headroom to tilt the bed, and it needs clear space behind it to run the ramps out. Low ceilings and tight helical ramps are the usual obstacles. Tell dispatch the structure and the level: the operator may pull it into the open with a wheel-lift and transfer it outside.
Can a flatbed carry a car that will not roll at all?
Yes. Skates or dollies go under the wheels that will not turn and the winch pulls the vehicle up the deck. It is routine work, but it is equipment and time on scene, so it belongs in the estimate rather than in a line you did not expect. Say when you book that the wheels are locked or the key is gone.
Should an electric vehicle go on a flatbed?
In almost every case, yes. Many electric vehicles must not be towed with a driven wheel turning on the pavement, because the motor generates current when it spins, and a flat traction battery has no roadside equivalent of a can of fuel. The owner's manual is the authority. Tell dispatch it is an EV and whether the wheels turn at all.
Last updated
Tell us what the car is and where it is standing
Give dispatch the drivetrain, the ride height and whether the wheels turn. The estimate comes back with the right truck already priced into it.
Estimates only. The local operator confirms the final price before dispatch.