Most towing jobs are the same shape: a car that will not go, and a garage that will fix it. The part people get wrong is not the towing — it is what happens at the other end.
DK’s Recovery covers Sheffield and South Yorkshire 24 hours a day for vehicle transportation and vehicle recovery. Call 07867 860723.
Ring the garage before you ring us
This is the single most useful thing on this page. Garages have finite yard space, and a non-runner is harder for them to shuffle around than a car that drives. A workshop that is full, or mid-way through a busy week, may not be able to take your car the day it arrives.
One call to the garage first — “can you take it, and when” — avoids the situation where a vehicle is delivered, refused, and has to be moved a second time at your cost.
If they are closed
Plenty of garages will accept an out-of-hours delivery if it is arranged in advance: left in a particular spot, keys through the letterbox or in a keysafe. Arranged, that is routine. Unarranged, the car ends up in storage overnight instead, which costs money and delays the repair by a day.
You choose the destination
Your own garage, a main dealer, a specialist, your home, or a body shop. After a non-fault accident you are not required to use the repairer your insurer recommends, and you are never required to use whichever workshop a recovery driver suggests.
If you have not decided, say so. It is a normal position to be in at the roadside and we can hold the vehicle while you make calls in the morning.
When a car needs moving rather than restarting
Some faults are worth a roadside attempt — a flat battery, a wheel change, fuel. Others end the journey whatever the car feels like doing:
- Overheating, steam, or a coolant leak.
- An oil pressure warning light.
- Brakes that feel soft, long or uneven.
- Steering that has changed in weight or feel.
- A knock, grind or rattle that started suddenly.
- Anything after a collision that could affect wheels or suspension.
Driving a few more miles on any of those is how a repairable fault becomes a bigger bill. See how recovery methods work for what happens to the car once it is on the truck.
Cars that cannot simply be towed
Towing on the car’s own wheels is fine for many manual cars over a short distance. It is not fine for electric and hybrid vehicles, most four-wheel drives, many automatics, or anything with a seized wheel, broken suspension or a locked steering column. Those go on a flatbed, and a car that will not come out of gear needs skates underneath it to be loaded at all.
Tell us the make, model and fuel type on the call and the right vehicle turns up first time.
Vehicles that need more than a standard flatbed
Not everything loads the same way. A classic car needs wheel straps rather than chassis hooks and often will not clear a standard ramp angle. A motorhome or campervan brings weight and height limits into the decision before anything else. A caravan or trailer is really two problems, and which of the two failed changes the whole job. An adapted or wheelchair accessible vehicle has a lowered floor and ramp or hoist gear that dictates how it can be loaded and where the straps can go. And a taxi or private hire car is a working vehicle, so the priority is usually getting the driver moving again rather than the car repaired today.
If your vehicle is any of those, say so on the first call. It changes which truck we send, and sending the wrong one costs everybody an hour.
What it costs
Towing and recovery are not two services with two price lists. What sets the figure is the distance including the return leg, the time of day, the vehicle, and how awkward it is to load. A longer run to a specialist outside Sheffield costs more than a two-mile move, and it should still be quoted before we set off. Our guide to what sets recovery costs goes through it properly.
What to have ready
- Where the car is, and whether it is off the road.
- The garage name, address and whether they are expecting it.
- Make, model, fuel type.
- Whether it rolls, steers and comes out of gear.
- Where the keys will be, if you are not travelling with it.
Common questions
Should I ring the garage before having my car towed there?
Yes, and it is the step most people skip. Garages have finite space and cannot always take a vehicle that arrives unannounced, particularly a non-runner that has to be pushed around the yard. One phone call avoids paying for a second move.
What happens if the garage is closed when my car arrives?
Many garages will accept an out-of-hours drop if you arrange it first – usually left in a specific spot with the keys through the letterbox or in a keysafe. Without that arrangement the vehicle may have to go into storage overnight instead.
Do I need to be there when the car is delivered?
Usually not, as long as the garage knows it is coming and there is an arrangement for the keys. Most people travel in the cab, but you can meet us there or not attend at all.
Can you tow a car that will not come out of gear?
Yes. A car that will not roll, steer or come out of gear needs skates or a full flatbed lift rather than a straightforward tow. Mention it when you call so the right vehicle is sent.
Is towing cheaper than recovery?
They are not really separate services with separate prices. What sets the cost is distance including the return leg, time of day, the vehicle, and how difficult it is to load – not which word is used for the job.
Can you take my car to a garage outside Sheffield?
Yes. Longer journeys cost more because of the round trip, but there is no boundary. Tell us the destination when you call and the price covers the whole job.
Need a car moved to a garage?
Ring the garage, then ring us. 07867 860723 — 24 hours a day across Sheffield and South Yorkshire.
