Towing Service in Gainesville, FL

Call (352) 225-7849, say where the car is, what happened and where you want it taken, and hear the quote before a truck is sent. The tow goes to the shop, dealer or home address you choose.

Have the name of the shop ready if you have one, because the distance is part of the quote. Many Gainesville drivers already use a mechanic along Archer Road, Main Street or the north side of 13th Street, and dealerships cluster along Newberry Road and the I-75 corridor. If you do not know where to take the car, tell the operator what is wrong and they can tell you what kind of shop handles it. Say whether you will ride along, since space in the truck cab is limited.

All-wheel drive cars, many four-wheel drive vehicles, low cars and badly damaged cars usually need a flatbed. Many front-wheel drive cars can go on a wheel-lift. The owner's manual has a section on towing.

A flatbed carries the whole car on its deck, so no wheels turn on the road. A wheel-lift raises one end and lets the other roll, which is fine for many two-wheel drive cars as long as the driven wheels are lifted. Towing an all-wheel drive car with two wheels on the road can damage the drivetrain. Low sports cars and cars with body kits may scrape on a wheel-lift. Say the year, make, model and drivetrain on the call so the right truck comes.

At a crash, police or the Florida Highway Patrol may call a wrecker from their own rotation list, especially on I-75. You can ask for a specific tow company, but on a busy highway the officer decides what clears the road fastest.

If anyone is hurt or the cars block traffic, call 911 first. Florida law also requires drivers involved in a minor crash to move their vehicles out of the travel lanes when they can be driven safely, which keeps the road open and keeps you out of harm's way. Once police are done and the car is at a lot, you can arrange a second tow to your own shop. If the car can be driven off the road after a minor crash, the roadside line can tow it from a parking lot or side street.

Often, yes, but garage height limits keep most flatbeds out. The operator may need a wheel-lift truck or to move the car to the ground level first. Give the garage, the level and the clearance posted at the entrance.

Parking garages around the hospitals, downtown and on campus are common breakdown spots because cars sit there for long shifts. If the car can roll, the operator may tow it to the exit level and transfer it to a flatbed outside. If it cannot roll, special equipment called wheel dollies can move it. Some garages require you to tell the attendant or the parking office before a tow truck comes in. All of that changes the job, so describe it fully on the call.

Yes. Longer tows, to a dealer in another city or home after a breakdown on a trip, are quoted by the distance. You hear the full number on the call before the truck leaves.

Students and families driving I-75 often break down in Gainesville on the way to somewhere else, and the choice is a local shop or a long tow home. A local repair is usually faster and cheaper than a long tow, but some cars are better off at their own dealer. The operator can quote both. Ask your insurer too, because some policies cover towing up to a set distance and will reimburse you if you keep the receipt.

Take your keys, phone, wallet, any medication and anything valuable. Leave the registration and the key with the car if it is going to a shop, and photograph the car before it goes on the truck.

Photos of all four sides and the odometer give you a record if a question comes up later. If the car is going to a shop that is closed, ask the operator about the key drop at that shop, since many Gainesville shops have a drop box. Child seats are best removed if you will be riding in another car. If you are leaving the car at home, make sure there is room in the driveway and that the truck can reach it without driving across a lawn.

Yes. Cars stuck in park, with locked brakes or a seized wheel can still be towed, using dollies or a flatbed winch. Say on the call what the car will and will not do.

A dead battery on a car with an electronic parking brake or a shift-by-wire gearbox can leave it stuck in park, and the owner's manual may describe a release. A seized brake caliper or a wheel that will not turn is common on cars that sat for months. The operator can still load the car with the right equipment, but they need to know in advance. If a jump would release it, they may try that first, which can turn a tow into a simple drive.