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Flatbed or wheel-lift
Tow trucks are not interchangeable. A flatbed tilts or slides a deck under the vehicle and carries all four wheels off the pavement. A wheel-lift uses a yoke under one axle, lifts that end, and lets the other two wheels roll. Call (714) 785-6449 and name the one you need if you already know. If you do not, describe the vehicle and what failed.
When the bed is the right deck
- All-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Rolling two wheels can damage the drivetrain.
- A Tesla or another electric vehicle. Spinning the driven wheels can spin the motor. See the EV note.
- A wheel that will not roll, or suspension that is already bent.
- A car low enough that a bar would catch the front air dam or the exhaust.
When a wheel-lift can be enough
Many ordinary front-wheel-drive cars, with all four tires round and the steering unlocked, can ride a wheel-lift for a normal local tow. It is a simpler hookup in a tight lot, including the Main Street structure and the rows along Beach Boulevard. It is the wrong tool when the list above describes your car.
Ask which truck is coming
Ask before it arrives, not after it is in the aisle. Also ask for the price of that job before the hookup. The number depends on the vehicle, the miles, and whether it has to be winched. This site does not publish a rate. The Huntington Beach service page is flatbed towing.