Wheel-Lift Towing in Columbus: Tight Spots, Honest Options

Not with our own trucks. Auto Lyft USA runs four flatbed carriers only. For tight spots we use wheel dollies, go-jaks or skates to roll the car to open space and load it on the deck. When a location really calls for a wheel-lift truck, the dispatcher can arrange one through a partner company and tell you who is coming.

Wheel dollies are small wheeled platforms placed under a car's tires so it can roll even if its own wheels are locked. Go-jaks are a type of dolly that clamps around a tire and jacks it up a few inches, letting a driver push the car sideways or in a tight circle. Both work on flat pavement or concrete.

In most cases, yes. If the garage is too low for the flatbed, the driver brings dollies or skates in, rolls the car to an exit ramp or the street, and loads it outside. A jump start or spare tire is sometimes enough to drive it out. Tell the dispatcher the posted clearance height when you call.

For most newer vehicles, yes. With a wheel lift, two tires stay on the road and turn, which can harm an all-wheel-drive system, an electric motor or some transmissions. A flatbed carries the whole car, so nothing in the drivetrain moves. For short moves of simple front-wheel-drive cars, a wheel lift can be perfectly fine.

The dispatcher includes any dolly or skate work in the price you hear before a truck is sent, based on what you describe about the location. If a partner wheel-lift truck is needed, that price is quoted up front too. The rates page explains how towing charges are put together.

Usually. The flatbed parks at the end of the alley or on the nearest street, and the driver rolls the car out on dollies or skates if it can't be driven. Brick alleys in older neighborhoods are uneven, so the move may be slower, but it rarely stops the job.

Yes. Without a key, the steering may be locked and the transmission stuck in park. Skates or go-jaks under all four tires take the car's own wheels out of the equation, so the driver can roll it straight or sideways to where the deck can reach.

It is uncommon, but some locations leave no room to dolly a car out, such as a car wedged deep in a garage with posts on both sides. A wheel lift can sometimes work from closer in. When that happens, we coordinate with a partner company and keep you informed instead of leaving you to search for another tow on your own.

It depends on how far the truck has to travel to reach you, traffic, and how complicated the move to open space is. Rolling a car out of a garage takes longer than loading one from a driveway. The dispatcher gives you a live arrival estimate and a sense of how long the work itself should take.

Dollies and go-jaks contact only the tread of the tire, not the rim, and they are designed for this purpose. The driver checks the tire size and positions them evenly. Very large or very low-profile tires may need extra care, so mention aftermarket wheels when you call.

Gentle slopes are usually fine, but dollies roll, so the driver may use a winch line or wheel chocks to keep control of the car as it moves. Steep driveways may need a different plan. Describe the grade to the dispatcher and send a photo if you can.

Yes. Motorcycles, scooters and small utility vehicles are easier to move out of tight spots by hand and load on the flatbed. A bike can usually be walked out of a narrow side yard or a packed garage by hand. Our motorcycle towing page explains how bikes are secured once they are on the deck.