When your car needs a tow, you might assume any tow truck will do. But towing method matters — and using the wrong one can cause expensive drivetrain, transmission, or suspension damage. Here's everything you need to know.
Flatbed Towing
Your entire vehicle is loaded onto a flat platform. All four wheels are completely off the ground for the entire trip.
- ✓ All 4 wheels off the ground
- ✓ Safest for all vehicle types
- ✓ Required for AWD & 4WD
- ✓ No drivetrain stress
- ✓ Best for damaged vehicles
- ✓ Best for luxury & sports cars
Dolly / Wheel-Lift Towing
The front or rear wheels are lifted off the ground while the other axle's wheels remain on the road and roll during transport.
- → 2 wheels remain on the road
- → Lower cost option
- → OK for FWD short distances
- → Not safe for AWD or 4WD
- → Can stress transmission
- → Not ideal for long distance
Why AWD and 4WD Must Use Flatbed
This is the most important rule in towing: all-wheel drive (AWD) and four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles must be flatbed towed — no exceptions.
Here's why: in AWD vehicles, all four wheels are linked through the drivetrain. When two wheels roll on the road while two are lifted, the differential and transfer case spin at mismatched speeds. This can permanently damage:
- The transfer case
- The differential
- The transmission
- The driveshaft
Repairs from this type of damage can cost thousands of dollars. A flatbed tow — which keeps all four wheels off the ground — avoids this completely.
Which Towing Method Does Your Car Need?
🔋 Electric Vehicles (EVs) Need Flatbed Too
Most EV manufacturers (Tesla, Rivian, GM) explicitly state their vehicles must be flatbed towed. Rolling an EV on its wheels can engage regenerative braking in unexpected ways and potentially damage the drivetrain. Always use flatbed for EVs.
OnPoint Towing Uses Flatbed as the Default
At OnPoint Towing, we use flatbed towing as our standard method because it's the safest option for virtually every vehicle. We have 15+ years of experience and know firsthand the damage that improper towing can cause.
When you call OnPoint Towing, you can trust your vehicle is being handled the right way — loaded properly on a flatbed, secured correctly, and delivered without damage.