FLATBED TOWING

FOR VEHICLES THAT CAN’T BE DRAGGED

Some vehicles need all four wheels off the ground — all-wheel-drive SUVs, lowered sports cars, exotics with delicate front splitters, classics with worn drivetrains, or anything that’s been in a wreck. That’s what our Jerr-Dan flatbed carriers are for.

We’ve moved everything from a Lamborghini at 2am to a ’71 Chevy Blazer to a full-size SUV with axle damage. Soft straps, approved tie-down points, and drivers who know not to touch the paint.

Flatbed work is priced the same as standard light-duty towing — no luxury surcharge just because we’re being careful.

WHEN YOU NEED A FLATBED

• All-wheel-drive vehicles (can’t wheel-lift)
• Exotics, supercars & collector cars
• Lowered or modified vehicles
• Classic cars & restoration projects
• Post-collision vehicles with damage
• Motorcycles & powersports
• Long-distance transport
• Soft straps & approved tie-down points only

FLATBED VS. WHEEL-LIFT — WHEN IT MATTERS

A wheel-lift tow truck cradles two wheels and rolls the other two down the road. That’s fine for a lot of everyday cars, but plenty of vehicles can’t take it — all-wheel-drive and 4WD drivetrains, lowered or modified cars, anything with a wrecked suspension, and vehicles that simply roll on too-valuable tires. A flatbed (also called a rollback or slide-back carrier) puts all four wheels off the ground on a single steel deck, so nothing drags, spins, or scrapes on the way to the shop.

The rule of thumb our drivers use across Houston and Crosby: if there’s any doubt about the drivetrain, the ride height, or the damage, the car goes on the flatbed. It costs you nothing extra over our standard light-duty rate, and it’s the difference between a clean delivery and a second repair bill.

AWD & 4WD VEHICLES — WHY A FLATBED IS REQUIRED

Towing an all-wheel-drive or full-time 4WD vehicle with two wheels on the ground can damage the transfer case, center differential, and driveline. Most manufacturers specifically call for flatbed transport or all-four-wheels-up towing. Subarus, AWD crossovers, performance sedans, and modern SUVs all fall in this category.

We flatbed AWD and 4WD vehicles the way the owner’s manual wants them moved: completely off the ground, secured at the manufacturer’s approved tie-down points, no driveline spinning down the highway. If you’re not sure whether your vehicle is all-wheel drive, tell the dispatcher the year, make, and model and we’ll bring the right truck.

LOWERED, MODIFIED & EXOTIC CARS

Low front splitters, aggressive ride heights, and wide aftermarket body kits are exactly what scrapes and cracks on a standard ramp. Our carriers run extended approach plates and we’ll set the bed angle, use wood or rubber ramps, and winch slowly so a low nose clears without contact. We’ve loaded everything from a six-figure supercar at 2am to a slammed show car headed to a meet. The handling is the same: deliberate, hands-off the paint.

For exotics and collector cars we keep the vehicle on its own tires on the deck whenever possible, strap over the wheels rather than the chassis, and document the load. If your build needs even more isolation or an enclosed option, our specialty transport service is set up for one-of-a-kind vehicles.

MOTORCYCLES & POWERSPORTS

A motorcycle, trike, or ATV doesn’t belong on a hook. It belongs upright, on its wheels, on a flat deck. We transport street bikes, cruisers, baggers, sport bikes, side-by-sides, and ATVs using a wheel chock and soft straps run over the handlebars and frame at the factory points, so the forks aren’t over-compressed and the bodywork isn’t marked.

Whether it’s a breakdown on a ride, a non-running project bike, or a fresh purchase that needs to get home, we load it level and deliver it the way it went on. Tell dispatch it’s a motorcycle or powersports unit so the driver brings the chock and straps.

POST-COLLISION & NON-RUNNING VEHICLES

After a wreck, a car often can’t roll, steer, or sit on a wheel-lift. Bent control arms, seized brakes, flat tires, and crash damage all rule out a drag tow. A flatbed lets us winch the vehicle straight up the deck and carry it fully supported, which is what insurers and body shops expect for accident vehicles.

We handle post-collision transport across greater Houston 24/7, move the vehicle to the body shop, dealership, or our secured Crosby lot, and keep loose parts and bumpers with the car. Smith Towing has run this work since 2001, so the loading is careful and the scene clears quickly when you’re standing on the side of the road.

SOFT-STRAP TIE-DOWN METHOD

How a vehicle is secured matters as much as how it’s loaded. We use soft loop straps over the tires and the manufacturer’s approved tie-down points — not chains thrown over a control arm or a hook bitten into a brake line. Strapping at the wheels lets the suspension move naturally on the road and keeps tension off bumpers, body panels, and aero parts.

For lowered, exotic, and collector cars this is the whole point of calling a flatbed: the car arrives with no new scuffs, no strap marks, and no bent tabs. Our drivers check the binders before rolling and again before unloading.

LONG-DISTANCE & OUT-OF-TOWN TRANSPORT

A flatbed is the right call for longer hauls too: an out-of-town breakdown, a vehicle purchase that needs to come home, a dealer trade, or a project car moving between shops. Riding on the deck instead of behind a wheel-lift means no highway miles added to the odometer and no drivetrain wear over the distance.

We run long-distance flatbed jobs out of Crosby across the Houston metro and beyond, give you a flat quote before the truck rolls, and keep you updated on the ETA. One vehicle or a coordinated multi-car move, the rate is set up front.

EQUIPMENT & CAPABILITY

Our flatbed fleet is built for clean, damage-free loading: Jerr-Dan slide-back carriers, wheel chocks and soft straps, low-clearance approach plates for lowered cars, and winches sized to pull a non-running vehicle up the deck under control. When a job is bigger than a single car — a dually, a box truck, or something heavier — we have the heavy iron to back it up, including a 35-ton wrecker and 50- and 75-ton rotators in the same yard.

Every flatbed run dispatches 24/7/365 from our 4-acre Crosby facility at 4338 Harvey Rd, answered by a real dispatcher, never a call center. Typical response is around 15 minutes in Crosby and 20 to 40 minutes across greater Houston depending on traffic.

SERVING CROSBY & GREATER HOUSTON

We provide this service 24/7 across Crosby and the greater Houston area, including:

Crosby • Baytown • Channelview • Pasadena • Deer Park • La Porte • Kingwood • Humble • Atascocita • Highlands