Everything you need to know about long-distance towing.

Moving a car two counties over — a relocation, an auction win, a child off to college — is a different trade from a ten-mile breakdown tow. Here is how professional long-distance towing works, what it costs and how to prepare.

Flatbed first, always

On a long haul, all four wheels should be off the ground. Flatbed transport avoids hundreds of miles of transmission wear, stone chips and odometer creep. Any operator who suggests a dolly for a 300-mile move is selling you their convenience, not your car's safety.

Ask whether your car travels alone or consolidated. A dedicated truck costs more but runs on your schedule; a consolidated run shares the bed with two or three vehicles and can halve the price if your dates flex by a day or two.

Insurance is the whole conversation

Before you book, get three things in writing: the cargo cover limit, the deductible position (theirs, not yours) and the condition-report process. Reputable firms photograph every panel with you at collection and again at delivery — that report is your entire claims process if anything happens.

Our standard cover runs to $25,000 on open beds and $250,000 enclosed. If your car is worth more than the cover, say so — top-up cover is cheap compared to the car.

What it costs

Expect a hook fee plus a per-mile rate that falls as distance rises — short hops cost more per mile than long runs. Season matters too: snowbird season and month-ends book out, so schedule a week ahead when you can.

• Remove toll tags, loose items and anything visible through glass.
• Leave a quarter tank of fuel — enough to load and unload, little enough to keep weight down.
• Photograph the odometer, existing marks and the under-bumper areas yourself.
• Hand over one working key and keep the spare; note alarms and kill switches.

Timing and tracking

A good dispatcher gives you a collection window, not a vague day, and a tracking link once the truck moves. If nobody can tell you where your car is mid-journey, you hired the wrong company. Our long hauls include live GPS and a driver's direct number from pickup to drop-off.