Skip to main content
Five Points Tire

Flatbed Towing in Redwood City, and When You Actually Need It

If your vehicle cannot be driven, we can bring it in on our own flatbed, and for most repairs that pickup is free, with tire repairs excluded. Call Five Points Tire on 650-365-0280 and tell us where the car is and what it is doing.

Request this service650-365-0280
White car being towed by a white pickup truck, wheels off the ground, wet road.

Towing at Five Points Tire, in short

Five Points Tire runs its own flatbed and offers free pickup for most vehicle repairs in Redwood City, with tire repairs excluded. Flatbed means the vehicle is carried rather than dragged with two wheels turning, which matters on all-wheel drive, lowered cars and anything with drivetrain damage. If you would rather the car went to another garage, tell us when you call.

Most people call for a tow and take whatever turns up. Usually that's fine. On some cars it isn't.

The difference is whether your vehicle is carried or dragged, and on all-wheel drive, on anything lowered, and on anything with drivetrain damage, being dragged does fresh damage on the way in.

It's a two-minute conversation that occasionally saves a transmission, so it's worth having before the truck is dispatched.

Carried or dragged: the only distinction that matters

A flatbed carries the car. A dolly still leaves two wheels turning, and on the wrong vehicle that matters.

A hook-and-chain or a wheel-lift tow raises one axle and rolls the car on the other. For a lot of front-wheel drive cars with a healthy drivetrain, that's perfectly acceptable.

The problem is that the wheels still on the road are turning the parts attached to them, without the engine running and often without the transmission being lubricated the way it expects.

A flatbed removes the question entirely, which is why it's what we run.

Free pickup on most vehicle repairs. We run our own flatbed and pickup is free for most vehicle repairs, with tire repairs excluded. Tell us where the car is and what it is doing and we will tell you where yours falls before anything is arranged.

Signs you need a tow

  • The car will not start and cannot be jumped
  • It has broken down and is not drivable
  • A flat with no usable spare
  • A warning light that means it should not be driven further
  • The car is overheating, or has lost oil pressure
  • It is drivable but you would rather it was not driven

Why flatbed rather than a tow dolly

Carrying the vehicle avoids doing damage on the way to the workshop.
VehicleFlatbed matters because
All-wheel driveTowing a driven axle along the road can damage the drivetrain
Lowered or low-clearanceRamp angle and ground clearance are controlled
Drivetrain damageNothing is turning that should not be
Flat tire, no usable spareThe wheel never has to roll
Accident damageWheels may not be aligned or free to turn

Carrying the vehicle avoids doing damage on the way to the workshop.

What our team does for towing

  1. 01Tow the vehicle on our own flatbed truck
  2. 02Offer free pickup for most vehicle repairs, excluding tire repairs
  3. 03Change the tire on the spot where that is practical, rather than towing
  4. 04Tow the vehicle to the garage of your choice if you would rather it went elsewhere

Which cars need the flatbed specifically

All-wheel drive, lowered cars, known drivetrain damage, and anything that won't roll or steer: those four need the flatbed as a requirement, not a preference.

All-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, because every wheel is connected to the drivetrain and there is no axle you can safely leave rolling. Lowered cars and anything with low front bodywork, because the approach angle onto a dolly will take the front off it.

Anything with known drivetrain damage, because you already have a fault in the parts that a rolling wheel would keep turning. And anything that won't roll or won't steer, which rules out most of the alternatives on its own.

If you're not sure which category you're in, the year, make and model answers it in a sentence.

Tell us these and we'll know what to send:

  • Year, make and model. Settles drivetrain layout and ride height immediately.
  • Does it roll and steer? Decides whether it can be winched or has to be lifted.
  • Is it in park, or can it go in neutral? Changes how it comes onto the bed.
  • Where exactly is it? Underground parking and tight streets rule some equipment out.
  • Any known drivetrain fault? The reason the flatbed stops being optional.
Red classic convertible sitting on the tilted bed of a flatbed tow truck, all four wheels on the deck.
On a flatbed all four wheels ride on the deck, so nothing in the drivetrain turns. That's what AWD and damaged cars need.

Not every flat needs a tow

A flat with a usable spare, in a safe place, is a wheel change where the car stands, not a tow.

That's quicker for everyone, and the car drives away rather than arriving on a truck.

Safe and practical is the condition, though. A narrow shoulder with traffic passing at speed is neither, and no wheel change is worth standing there for.

Tell us where the car is when you call and that decides it, rather than the flat itself.

Want it checked? Describe what the car is doing and Five Points Tire will tell you whether it needs a tow or something else. Call 650-365-0280, or send the form and someone calls you back. Request an appointment

Where the car goes is your call

For most vehicle repairs the pickup is free, on our own flatbed. Tire repairs are the exception.

That's the part worth establishing before you arrange anything else, because if the car was coming to us anyway, the recovery is already handled.

And if you'd rather it went to a different garage, say so up front. That's a normal request and we can take it where you want it.

What you should not do is let a car be taken to whichever shop is nearest by default. That decision is yours and it's easier to make before the truck arrives than after.

Common towing mistakes to avoid

  • Letting an all-wheel drive car go on a dolly. Every wheel is connected to the drivetrain. There is no axle you can safely leave rolling.
  • Not mentioning that the car is lowered. The approach angle is what takes the front bodywork off, and it happens at the loading stage.
  • Assuming a flat means a tow. Where it's safe to change the wheel where it stands, that's faster and the car drives away.
  • Letting it go to the nearest shop by default. Where the car ends up is your decision, and it's much easier to make before the truck arrives.
  • Booking a tow before asking about pickup. For most repairs the pickup is free, so that call is worth making first.

The bottom line

Have the year, make and model ready, and know whether the car rolls and steers.

Say if it's all-wheel drive, lowered, or has a known drivetrain fault. Those are the three that make the flatbed non-negotiable.

Decide where you want it to go before the truck is dispatched rather than after.

A tow is the start of the job, not the job. Where the car stopped but is not damaged, roadside assistance may be enough, a puncture is a flat repair, and a no-start is often the car battery.

Call Five Points Tire on 650-365-0280 and tell us where the car is. For most vehicle repairs the pickup is free on our own flatbed, with tire repairs excluded.

Towing questions we get asked

Question not on the list? Ask us directly.

650-365-0280Email us

Do you tow?

Yes, on our own flatbed. For most vehicle repairs the pickup is free, with tire repairs excluded. Call 650-365-0280 to arrange it.

Is the pickup really free?

For most vehicle repairs, yes. Tire repairs are excluded. Call the shop and describe what is wrong and we will tell you where yours falls.

Why does flatbed towing matter?

Because the vehicle is carried rather than towed with wheels turning on the road. On all-wheel drive vehicles, lowered cars and anything with drivetrain damage, that avoids doing further damage during the tow itself.

Can you tow my car somewhere other than your shop?

Yes. If you would rather it went to a different garage, tell us where when you call and we will take it there. Five Points Tire will take the car where you want it, though for most repairs the pickup is free when it comes to us.

Related services

Call us and tell us where the car is

Request an appointment650-365-0280