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Flatbed & Light-Duty Towing in Chicago and Suburbs
A flatbed carrier lifts the whole vehicle onto a steel deck so nothing touches the road. That matters more than most drivers realise: for all-wheel drive, for electric vehicles, for anything with a damaged wheel or suspension, and for cars low enough to catch on a driveway apron, it is the only method that does not risk making the problem worse.
- from $89 · Hook-up plus the first 5 miles. $4.50 each additional mile.
- 25–40 min city · 30–50 min suburbs
- Licensed & insured
We run flatbeds across Chicago and the suburbs 24 hours a day. Average arrival is 25–40 minutes in the city and 30–50 in the suburbs, and the price is agreed on the phone before a truck is dispatched — hook-up, mileage and anything unusual, as one number.
Included as standard
What a flatbed tow includes
A walk-around before we load
The driver photographs the vehicle from every side and notes existing damage. Those photos are timestamped and are the record if anything is disputed later.
Loading with wheel straps
Vehicles are secured at the wheels with soft straps, never chained across an axle, suspension arm or subframe. That is the difference between a clean tow and a bent control arm.
Low-angle ramps where needed
Lowered, sport and long-nose vehicles get extended ramps and wood blocking so the front lip and undertray clear the deck edge.
Delivery and a second walk-around
Photos again at the drop-off point, plus a receipt emailed on the spot. If the shop is closed we can drop and secure with the keys per your instruction.
Know before you call
When you need a flatbed rather than a wheel-lift
- All-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. Towing an AWD car with two wheels turning drives the centre differential with no input from the engine, which is how transfer cases and viscous couplings get destroyed. It is a repair bill that dwarfs the tow.
- Electric and hybrid vehicles. Regenerative braking means rolling wheels turn the motor, and most manufacturers explicitly prohibit two-wheel towing. EVs go on a flatbed, full stop.
- Wheel, tyre or suspension damage. If a wheel will not roll or a hub is broken, dragging it makes the damage worse and can leave metal on the road.
- Lowered, classic and exotic cars. Low front lips catch on the deck edge of a standard carrier. Extended ramps solve it; a wheel-lift does not.
- Accident vehicles. Anything with body damage over a wheel, a leaking fluid or a compromised structure belongs fully on a deck.
Step by step
How the call goes
- 1
You call, we ask five things
Where you are, what you drive, what happened, where it needs to go, and whether it rolls and steers. That is enough to pick the truck.
- 2
You get a total and an ETA
One number covering hook-up and mileage, texted to you along with the driver's name and truck number.
- 3
The driver loads and photographs
Walk-around, winch onto the deck, wheel straps, second check. Ten to fifteen minutes for a straightforward car.
- 4
Delivery, photos, receipt
Paid by card or cash on the spot, or billed to your insurer if that was arranged when you called.
Chicago-specific notes
A standard flatbed carrier is over eleven feet tall with the deck down and needs roughly forty feet of clear space to load. That rules it out of most Loop and River North parking decks, many Oak Park and Berwyn alleys, and a lot of older Evanston and Elmhurst structures. In those cases we send a low wheel-lift instead — which is fine for front-wheel-drive cars and, with dollies, workable for AWD over a short distance to a place where a carrier can take over.
Winter changes loading, not pricing. Salt-crusted ramps, iced decks and snowbanked kerbs all add a few minutes, and there is no seasonal surcharge for any of it. If your car is frozen into a kerbside ice ridge, say so on the call — that is a winch-assisted load rather than a straight drive-on, and knowing in advance means the right gear arrives.
Transparent rates
What a tow costs in Chicago and the suburbs
Starting rates for standard passenger vehicles. Your exact total is confirmed on the call, before a truck is dispatched. No after-hours, weekend or holiday surcharge.
| Service | Starting price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Local tow (hook-up) | $89 | First 5 miles, loading, strapping, unloading |
| Each additional mile | $4.50 | Charged pickup to drop-off only |
| Jump start | $65 | Boost + charging-system check |
| Lockout | $65 | Non-destructive entry, no damage |
| Tire change | $75 | Your spare fitted & torqued |
| Fuel delivery | $65 | Plus fuel at pump price, up to 3 gal |
| Winch-out / recovery | $110 | Single-line pull, up to 30 minutes |
| Heavy-duty | $350/hr | Portal to portal, 1-hour minimum |
Straight answers
Flatbed Towing — your questions
Is flatbed towing more expensive than a wheel-lift?
Not with us. The hook-up rate is the same $89 either way; we choose the truck based on what your vehicle needs, not on what we can charge for. Where a flatbed genuinely costs more is on the extras some situations need, such as extended ramps for a very low car, and those are quoted before any work starts.
Can you tow my car if the keys are lost?
Usually yes. A flatbed can winch a vehicle on with the steering locked using skates or dollies, though it is slower and may carry a small additional charge that we quote first. If the car is in gear and cannot be shifted, tell dispatch — that changes the approach.
How far will you tow?
Anywhere. Local runs are hook-up plus per-mile; anything long distance, including state to state, is quoted as a flat figure in advance rather than metered.
Will the tow damage my car?
Loaded correctly on a flatbed with wheel straps, no. The damage cases we see come from the wrong method — AWD dragged on two wheels, straps over suspension arms, a low car forced up a steep ramp. We photograph before and after precisely so there is a record either way.
Related
Often needed at the same time
Coverage
Flatbed Towing where you are
We run this service across the whole coverage area — Chicago and every suburb within about 40 miles of the Loop.
Need it now? Call and we roll.
Live dispatcher, honest ETA, price agreed before the truck leaves. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.