Understanding towing rates: Flatbeds vs. Hook services

What separates a flatbed from a hook truck

A hook-and-chain or wheel-lift truck drags the vehicle with one axle still turning on the road. A flatbed winches the whole car onto a deck so nothing rotates. The deck costs more to run, and that difference is what you see in the quote.

Vehicles that must ride on a deck

1. 1.All-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive vehicles, where a turning axle feeds the transfer case.
2. 2.Every electric and hybrid vehicle — a spinning wheel pushes current back through the drive unit.
3. 3.Lowered, long-wheelbase or damaged vehicles that cannot be lifted safely at one end.

“If you are unsure which truck your car needs, say the make and drivetrain when you post. The dispatch filter only shows operators with the right deck.”

How distance is billed

Quotes combine a hook-up fee with a per-kilometre rate from the pickup point to the destination you enter. Because the destination is part of the request, the figure you accept already covers the full haul — nothing is recalculated on arrival.