Handle immediate danger first
Call 911 for injuries, fire, smoke, hazardous material, unstable positioning, or a vehicle blocking active traffic. Do not stand in traffic or work around a damaged vehicle merely to prepare it for towing.
Tommy'sRoad RescueCall live dispatch816-588-8888A safer, smoother handoff
How to Prepare Your Vehicle for Towing
Call live Kansas City dispatch at 816-588-8888 for current availability.
Start with a safe, accurate request
Good preparation begins before the operator arrives. The safest handoff gives dispatch accurate information, protects essential property, confirms the destination, and leaves model-specific loading decisions to the operator and the vehicle manufacturer's instructions.
Step-by-step
Confirm the correct vehicle
Give dispatch the year, make, model, color, body style, drive type if known, exact location, and a reliable identifier. Explain any collision, wheel, suspension, steering, brake, transmission, battery, or high-voltage concern.
Gather keys and access information
Locate every available key, key card, remote, wheel-lock key, garage credential, gate code, parking ticket, and destination instruction. Tell dispatch immediately if any item is missing rather than improvising entry or movement.
Protect essential personal property
When it is safe and lawful, remove medication, wallets, cash, firearms, electronics, child equipment, documents, toll devices, loose cargo, and valuables. Do not delay emergency scene clearance or enter an unsafe vehicle.
Confirm the destination
Verify the complete address, receiving hours, contact person, drop-box or after-hours procedure, gate access, and whether the shop, dealer, residence, or facility will accept the vehicle.
Wait for the operator's loading plan
Do not release brakes, defeat a steering lock, use an emergency neutral procedure, attach a chain, or change a drive-mode setting unless the operator and the model-specific instructions call for it.
What to prepare
Vehicle condition
Whether it starts, rolls, steers, brakes, shifts, has locked or damaged wheels, has low clearance, or is leaking fluid—and whether airbags deployed or high-voltage damage is possible.
Access
Posted garage clearance, level, ramp, gate, narrow turn, loading-zone restrictions, soft ground, ditch position, snow, mud, traffic exposure, and the entrance a truck can use.
Items traveling with the vehicle
Tell dispatch about passengers who need separate transportation, pets, heavy or loose cargo, mobility equipment, roof accessories, trailers, racks, or anything extending beyond the vehicle.
Owner instructions
Find the vehicle owner's manual or official manufacturer support page for emergency towing, transport, neutral, parking-brake, tow-eye, and drivetrain instructions specific to the model and year.
Important limits
- Do not crawl under a vehicle, touch leaking fluid, approach exposed wiring, or handle a damaged high-voltage component.
- Do not assume that putting a vehicle in Neutral makes every towing method safe for that model.
- Passengers normally need separate transportation unless dispatch expressly confirms another arrangement.
- The operator must reassess the actual vehicle and scene before loading; material differences may change the plan, equipment, time, or estimate.
Questions drivers ask
Should I empty everything from the vehicle?
Remove essential, valuable, restricted, fragile, and loose items when it is safe. Ask dispatch about bulky cargo or items that cannot be removed. Do not enter traffic or a hazardous vehicle to retrieve property.
Should I put the vehicle in Neutral before the truck arrives?
Not unless dispatch or the operator asks and the model-specific procedure allows it. Some vehicles require power, a detected key, a service menu, or a special transport mode, and some modes are only for short loading movement.
Do I need to be present?
Ask dispatch. The operator may need keys, identification, authorization, access, payment arrangements, or someone who can identify the vehicle and approve a changed plan.
Should I disconnect the battery?
Do not disconnect, jump, or alter a battery or high-voltage system unless the manufacturer procedure and a qualified person call for it. Tell dispatch about no-power conditions before assignment.
Official and primary resources
Ford owner manuals and guides
Official model- and year-specific owner information, including emergency and towing instructions where applicable.
Subaru Owner Support
Official owner resources for model-specific operation, support, roadside, and safety information.
Tesla transporter instructions
An example of detailed manufacturer requirements for transport mode, power, tow-eye use, wheel movement, and approved transport position.
External resources are provided for convenience. Tommy's is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of those organizations.
Related guides
Safety first.
If anyone is injured, in immediate danger, facing a fire or hazardous spill, or blocking an active traffic lane, call 911 first. Move only when you can do so without entering traffic or increasing the danger.
Need help now?
Call live dispatch. An online form or email does not dispatch a truck.