Tommy'sRoad RescueCall live dispatch816-588-8888Wheel, brake, steering, and power qualification
Call live Kansas City dispatch at 816-588-8888 for current availability.
A vehicle that will not roll may have a mechanical failure, engaged parking brake, steering lock, transmission state, loss of low-voltage power, collision damage, security system, or manufacturer protection that must not be forced. The safe method depends on the exact cause and vehicle instructions.
Report the number and position of wheels that will not rotate, whether steering moves, the gear display, parking-brake status, keys, power, warning messages, flat tires, collision damage, and whether the condition began before or after the incident. Do not assume the transmission is the only cause.
Use the owner or transporter instructions for the year, make, model, drivetrain, and power state. Electronic neutral, tow, or transport modes can have strict prerequisites and short-distance limits; a procedure for a different model may cause damage.
Dragging can damage the tire, wheel, drivetrain, brake, steering, pavement, or vehicle body and can destabilize loading. The operator must plan how to support or isolate the affected wheel and how the vehicle will be aligned and controlled.
Manufacturer guidance may call for self-loading dollies or tire skates when a vehicle cannot enter its approved loading mode. Tesla, for example, directs their use in specified power-loss conditions. Load rating, tire size, surface, slope, clearance, travel distance, and equipment instructions still control.
The final wheel support and transport position must match drivetrain and manufacturer limits. A vehicle can have both locked wheels and a steering lock, and freeing one system does not make an unapproved wheels-on-ground transport safe.
Once loaded or moved to a safer assessment area, recheck tires, wheel supports, alignment, suspension, securement, leaks, damage, and manufacturer-required settings. Stop if a wheel support shifts, a tire rotates unexpectedly, or the vehicle no longer follows the planned path.
Year, make, model, trim, VIN when appropriate, drive type, EV or hybrid status, suspension, wheel and tire size, and relevant owner-manual or transporter instructions.
Which wheels rotate, which steer, gear indication, parking brake, steering lock, keys, security state, low-voltage power, dashboard messages, and attempts already made.
Crash position, suspension or axle damage, flat or displaced tires, leaks, heat, smoke, high-voltage warning, unstable ground, and traffic exposure.
Surface, slope, curb, garage clearance, room to align, ramp transitions, travel distance before loading, and whether property or emergency personnel control movement.
It may be movable with a qualified, manufacturer-compatible loading plan, but all-four-wheel lock materially changes the job. Dispatch needs the exact vehicle, cause, power and key state, damage, surface, clearance, and available support equipment before confirming a method.
Dragging is not a safe default. It can damage the vehicle and equipment and can create an uncontrolled path. Approved wheel supports, loading aids, attachment points, and manufacturer procedures must be assessed first.
No. A parking brake, seized brake, steering lock, axle or suspension damage, security system, power loss, or drivetrain condition can still prevent safe movement. Neutral procedures can also be model-specific and temporary.
The model's transporter instructions control. Some vehicles cannot activate their transport or tow mode without low-voltage power and may require an approved external-power procedure, dollies, or tire skates for loading. Do not improvise from another model's instructions.
Model-specific example covering all-wheels-off-ground transport, Tow Mode limits, power loss, self-loading dollies, and tire skates.
Manufacturer guidance directing owners to the exact vehicle manual and VIN-specific information before wheels-on-ground towing.
Federal lookup for VIN-encoded vehicle identification that can help distinguish a vehicle before consulting its manufacturer procedure.
External resources are provided for convenience. Tommy's is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of those organizations.
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.
Call live dispatch. An online form or email does not dispatch a truck.