Need flatbed towing in Columbus? Our hydraulic flatbed carriers are the safest way to move a vehicle: all four wheels ride off the ground, so there is no drivetrain stress and no road damage in transit.
Call (740) 812-9489Flatbed towing is the gold standard in vehicle transport. By loading your entire vehicle onto a hydraulic tilt-bed carrier, all four wheels are completely off the ground — eliminating any risk of drivetrain damage, tire wear, or road debris impact during transit. Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc dispatches flatbed tow trucks across Columbus and Central Ohio 24 hours a day.
This method is ideal for all-wheel-drive vehicles, luxury cars, lowered vehicles, and any situation where maximum protection is required, and it is one of the two ways we tow electric vehicles with all four wheels off the ground. Our flatbed carriers are modern hydraulic units with soft tie-down systems that secure your vehicle without scratching wheels or damaging body panels.
Whether you are transporting a daily driver to a repair shop or moving a classic car to a show, our flatbed service delivers your vehicle in exactly the condition we received it.
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A conventional tow lifts one axle and lets the other roll. Those rolling wheels are still connected to the drivetrain, so every mile of the tow turns gears and shafts while the engine is off. On some cars that is harmless; on others it is exactly what the owner's manual says not to do.
All-wheel drive is the clearest case. The front and rear axles are tied together through a center differential or coupling that is built to let them turn at slightly different speeds in a corner, not to have one end parked on a lift while the other spins for ten miles down I-71. A flatbed avoids the question entirely: the whole car rides on the bed and nothing in the drivetrain turns.
Your owner's manual has a towing section, usually under "In case of emergency" or "When trouble arises," showing which wheels may stay on the ground, if any. Toyota's manual even says to show that page to the tow truck driver. We are glad when people do.
Vehicles we put on a flatbed (or a wheel-lift with dollies, which also keeps every tire off the pavement):
A wheel-lift is not the wrong tool. It is quicker to hook up, it fits where a flatbed cannot, and for a healthy front-wheel-drive car lifted by the front wheels it is exactly what the manufacturer allows. The decision comes down to the drivetrain, the condition of the wheels, the clearance under the car and the space around it.
A lot of our flatbed calls start on a highway shoulder: the I-270 outerbelt, I-71 through the north side, I-70 from the west side through downtown and out past Reynoldsburg, and SR-315 along the Olentangy by Ohio State. The car is winched up the bed at walking speed and strapped by the wheels before the truck pulls back into traffic.
Most flatbed tows end at a dealer service department or a body shop. Give dispatch the shop's name and address, and if it is after hours, how the shop handles night drop-offs, such as a marked spot and a key drop. Most metro calls are reached in 20 to 40 minutes, and outer communities in 40 to 60.
Any time all four wheels need to be off the ground: all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive vehicles, lowered cars and sports cars, vehicles with collision damage, and anything you want maximum protection for. Electric vehicles can go on a flatbed or on a wheel-lift with dollies, as long as all four wheels are off the ground. Tell the dispatcher the year, make and model and we send the right truck.
Flatbed towing keeps all four wheels off the ground, eliminating drivetrain stress and road damage risk. It is essential for AWD vehicles, luxury cars, and any vehicle you want maximum protection for.
Yes. Our hydraulic tilt beds have low approach angles specifically designed for lowered vehicles, sports cars, and vehicles with body kits or ground effects. Tell dispatch about any low splitter, side skirts or exhaust; the car is pulled up the bed slowly so the driver can watch the nose as the angle changes.
Standard flatbed towing is billed from the same published rate card as any tow: en-route at $4 per mile from our yard, a $125 hook-up fee and $7.00 per loaded mile, plus surcharges and Ohio sales tax when they apply. Electric vehicles are billed on their own EV rate card. The online quote builder shows the exact total.
We handle flatbed transport up to 200 miles from Columbus. This covers dealer transfers, auction deliveries, and moves throughout Ohio and into neighboring states.
Yes. We have motorcycle wheel chocks and soft straps designed for safe motorcycle transport on our flatbed carriers.
Absolutely. We carry winches, go-jacks, and skates to load vehicles that cannot be driven onto the bed, including those with locked wheels or flat tires.
Yes, or at least all four wheels off the ground. Subaru's own guide says improper towing will severely damage the Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system and that a flatbed truck is the only recommended way to transport its AWD vehicles. Tell dispatch it is a Subaru and we send a flatbed. If the car is somewhere a flatbed cannot reach, such as a low garage, it comes out on a wheel-lift with dollies so no tire touches the road.
Often, yes. Many front-wheel-drive cars can be lifted by the front wheels with the rear wheels rolling, as long as the rear wheels and axle are in good shape. What you cannot do with most automatics is the reverse: Toyota's manual, for example, says never tow a front-drive automatic from the rear with the front wheels on the ground. If the car is lowered, damaged at the back or going a long way, we still recommend a flatbed.
Yes. A wheel that will not roll or points the wrong way is one of the main reasons to use a flatbed. The driver puts the damaged corner on a skate or go-jack, winches the car onto the bed slowly and straps it by the tires that are still sound. If it is on an I-270 or I-71 shoulder, stay off the road and away from traffic while you wait, and tell dispatch which wheel is damaged.
Not with the flatbed inside the garage. Most structured garages downtown, in the Short North and on campus are too low for a flatbed, so a low-clearance unit goes in and brings the car down to the street. If it is AWD or an EV, it rides on dollies so all four wheels stay off the ground. Read the clearance sign at the entrance, note the level and stairwell, and keep your parking ticket if the exit is gated.
Staying is best, because the driver needs the key or fob to put the car in neutral and unlock the steering. If you cannot stay, for example after a crash when you are leaving in an ambulance or a ride, tell dispatch where the key is and where the car is going. Take your valuables and any garage remote with you.
Not on our standard rate card. There is no separate flatbed charge: the en-route, hook-up and loaded-mile rates are the same whichever truck dispatch sends. After-hours, weekend, highway and large-vehicle surcharges apply to both in the same way. Electric vehicles are the exception, because they are billed on the EV rate card whether they ride on a flatbed or a wheel-lift with dollies.
Yes, and a flatbed is the right way to move one. Tell dispatch about flat or dry-rotted tires, brakes that may be seized and whether the steering turns, because a stuck wheel goes on a skate or go-jack before loading. The winch draws the car up the bed slowly, and soft straps go over the tires so nothing is hooked to chrome, trim or old paint. If the steering is locked and there is no key, say so on the call.
Usually, but a flatbed needs a straight run behind the car to tilt the bed down and pull it on, plus space to drive away afterward. Steep driveways, narrow alleys, low branches and cars tucked into a tight garage can make that hard. Describe the spot when you call. Dispatch can send a wheel-lift instead, or a wheel-lift with dollies for an AWD car or an EV, which needs less room.
It should not. The car is pulled up the bed at walking speed, and on the bed it is held by straps over the tires, so the grip is on the wheels rather than the body panels. Our operators photograph the car's condition at pickup. At delivery, walk around it with the driver before signing, and point out anything you were not expecting.
Check the badge on the back first: AWD, 4MATIC, xDrive, quattro, 4x4 and 4WD all mean power goes to more than two wheels. The towing section of the owner's manual and the original window sticker tell you too. If you still are not sure, give dispatch the year, make, model and trim; when there is doubt, it is safest to treat the car as AWD and keep all four wheels off the ground.
Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc offers flatbed carrier service throughout the Columbus, Ohio metro area. Our modern flatbed carriers safely transport all vehicle types including AWD, EV, luxury, lowered, and non-running vehicles across Franklin, Delaware, Fairfield, Licking, and Pickaway counties.
Flatbed towing is a preferred method for transporting all-wheel-drive vehicles and BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and other luxury brands, and one of the two ways we carry Tesla and other electric vehicles with every wheel off the pavement. Our hydraulic tilt-bed carriers and soft tie-down systems are built for careful, documented loading, transit, and delivery.
Whether you need a local flatbed in Dublin, Westerville, or Grove City, or long-distance transport to Cincinnati, Cleveland, or Indianapolis, our flatbed carriers deliver reliable, careful service at published rates.
$4/mi en-route + $125 hook-up + $7 per mile
Flatbed towing is billed as $4 per en-route mile (yard to pickup) + $125 hook-up + $7 per loaded mile. Highway calls +$75; after-hours (10PM–6AM) +$150; weekend +$50; large vehicle +$100. Ohio sales tax applies.
Winch-out / off-road recovery: $150 per hour. Storage: $45 per day.
Pay by cash, debit or credit card, or online by card through Stripe (3% card fee). Booking by phone adds a $35 scheduling fee that the online quote builder waives. Veterans: 10% off with a military or VA ID, applied by the driver when you show it.
These are industry-standard full retail rates. You can get our VIP customer rates by downloading our ROADSIDE app through the VIP Program.
Build an exact quote online — it uses this same published rate card.
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Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc (dba Columbus Roadside Towing).
Corporate office (private, no walk-ins): 3879 Regatta Ct, Lewis Center, OH 43035
Tow yard & impound lot: 1620 Harrisburg Pike, Columbus, OH 43223
(740) 812-9489 · chris@columbusroadsidetowing.com