When people search for car towing near me, they often picture a breakdown on a busy road. A lot of our car towing is quieter than that. A car that has sat in the driveway since the summer. A car in an apartment car park with a flat battery and a handbrake that will not let go. A car outside a house on a narrow estate road, bought from someone who is moving away. These jobs are not emergencies, but the details matter more, because the tow truck has to get to the car and the car has to get onto the truck.
Start with exactly where the car is
“At my house” is a start, but the useful part is what is around it.
Driveways. Tell us if the drive slopes, if it is gravel, how wide the gate is, and whether other cars are parked in front of it. A car at the top of a steep drive with no brakes needs more care than one parked flat on the road.
On the street. Say whether the car is parked tight between others, on a bend or close to a junction. If cars on both sides box it in, ask the neighbours to move theirs if they can before the truck arrives.
Apartment and underground car parks. These are the ones to describe carefully. A flatbed tow truck is much taller than the height barrier at most underground car parks, so it usually cannot drive down to the car. Tell us the level, the height barrier if it is marked, whether there is a fob or a gate, and whether the car could be rolled up to the entrance. We talk through the options with you on the call before anything is agreed.
Multi-storey and retail car parks. Note the floor, the bay number if there is one, and the opening hours. Some car parks lock their barriers at night.
Will the car roll?
A car that rolls, steers and brakes is simple to load. Cars that have stood for a while often do not. Things to check, or simply tell us you are not sure about:
- The handbrake. On cars left standing through damp weather, the rear brakes can stick on even after the lever is released.
- Electronic handbrakes. Many newer cars have a switch instead of a lever. With a flat battery, that switch may not release the brake at all.
- Tyres. One flat tyre is easy to mention and changes how we load the car.
- Keys. Tell us if there are no keys, or the key battery is dead. A locked steering wheel makes a car much harder to move.
- Gear. Automatics and electric cars may need a particular step before they will go into neutral. The handbook usually explains it.
Cars that should not be driven at the moment
Sometimes the car runs fine but should not be on the road under its own power. The NCT may have lapsed, the motor tax may be out, or a garage may have told you not to drive it. On the deck it is carried, not driven, so the trip to the garage, the test centre or your new address is a simple tow. If you are not sure whether you can drive it yourself, check with your insurer first.
Who needs to be there
Someone should be at the pickup with the keys and anything the car needs, such as the locking wheel nut key. Someone should take the car at the other end, unless we agree a different plan with you on the call. For a car you are buying, make sure the seller knows when the truck is coming.
The price
It works the same way as any job with us. A standard call-out starts from €150, plus €2 per km depending on the destination. Give us the two Eircodes and we work out the figure with you on the phone, and the truck moves only once you have agreed to it. The tow truck prices page has the detail.
Electric cars in a driveway
An EV with a flat 12 V battery can lock itself up completely. Do not try to push it or force it out of park. Say what make it is when you ring, and the loading gets planned around that particular car. Our page on electric car towing in Dublin explains why it travels with all four wheels on the deck.
Ready to book?
Have the details from this page to hand and ring Recovery CC on 087 116 1102. For planned moves, the page on car towing in Dublin covers how a booked job goes from start to finish.