Flatbed towing uses a truck with a flat, level deck that tilts and lowers so a vehicle can be winched or driven onto it. The vehicle is then secured and carried with all four wheels off the ground, rather than being pulled along the road.
KLN Towing Service provides flatbed towing for drivers in and around Lawrenceville, GA. If you are not certain whether your vehicle needs a flatbed, call us and describe your vehicle and what happened.
What flatbed towing is
On a flatbed tow truck, the entire bed tilts back and lowers toward the ground. The vehicle is loaded onto the deck, the deck returns to level, and the vehicle is strapped or chained down for transport.
Because the vehicle rides on the deck instead of rolling on its own wheels, its drivetrain, transmission and tires are not turning during the trip.
When flatbed towing may be appropriate
- All-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles, which manufacturers often require to be transported with all wheels off the ground
- Vehicles with low ground clearance that could be damaged by a tow with wheels down
- Vehicles with transmission, axle, wheel or tire damage that prevents wheels from rolling safely
- Vehicles that will not shift into neutral or will not steer
- Vehicles that are disabled after a collision
- Vehicles the owner would prefer to keep off the road surface during transport
Why the flatbed method is used
Carrying a vehicle on a deck keeps its wheels from rotating and keeps the vehicle's underside away from the road. For vehicles that manufacturers say should not be towed with wheels turning, or vehicles that sit low or have suspension, wheel or drivetrain damage, that matters.
Your owner's manual is the authority on how your specific vehicle should be transported. If you have it handy, it is worth checking — and worth mentioning to us when you call.
What to tell us when you call
- The year, make and model of your vehicle
- Whether it is front-wheel, rear-wheel, all-wheel or four-wheel drive
- Whether the vehicle rolls, steers and shifts into neutral
- Whether the vehicle has been modified or lowered
- Your location and where the vehicle needs to go
- How much space there is around the vehicle for loading