Why not just change the tire?
Because we do not offer it, and we would rather say that plainly than half-do it. A tire fitted badly at the roadside on a dark shoulder is a genuine hazard. We take the car to people whose whole job is tires.
Towing
Flat tire — we tow, we do not change
Let us be straight with you before you call, because it saves everyone time: we do not change tires. Not as an upsell, not for a fee. What we do is take the car to a shop that will fix it properly. For a lot of flats in Tampa that is the only real option anyway — modern cars increasingly ship without a spare at all.
Call 656-777-2980When a flat becomes a tow
- There is no spare in the car, which is now normal on new vehicles.
- The spare is there but flat, or the jack and wrench are missing.
- The wheel itself is bent or cracked from a kerb or a pothole, so a new tire alone will not help.
- More than one tire is down after hitting debris.
- A blowout at speed that also tore up the wheel arch or a brake line.
- The car sits on a highway shoulder where changing a wheel by hand is genuinely dangerous.
- A locking wheel nut whose key has gone missing.
How it goes
- 1Pull as far off the road as you can, hazards on, and stay in the car with your seatbelt on if you are on a highway.
- 2Call and tell us which wheel is down and whether you have a usable spare.
- 3If you do have a spare and a safe place to work, we will say honestly that a tire shop or a mobile tire service is cheaper than us.
- 4If it needs a tow, you get the price on the phone and the car goes to a tire shop, your mechanic or home.
What it costs
Priced as a local tow: from $95 for the run out plus a set towing distance, then a flat rate per extra mile.
There is no charge for advice. If the phone call ends with us telling you to call someone else, that costs you nothing.
Where the car goes is your decision. If you do not know a tire shop nearby, we can name one.
Local tow from $95. We will not give you an arrival time over the internet that we might not keep — call and we will tell you where the truck actually is.
Flat Tire Towing — common questions
My car has no spare at all. Is that unusual?
Not any more. A large share of new cars ship with an inflator kit instead of a spare wheel, and those kits do nothing for a sidewall tear or a bent rim. That is why flat tires turn into tow calls far more often than they used to.
I hit a pothole and the wheel is bent. Now what?
A bent or cracked wheel will not seal against a new tire, so the wheel has to be repaired or replaced. The car needs a shop, and it should not be driven there on the damaged wheel.
Can you take it to a specific tire shop?
Yes. Name the shop and that is where it goes. If they are shut, we can drop it for opening or take it home instead.
Need this right now?
A real person picks up, day or night. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week.