Moving a Vehicle That Does Not Run

A vehicle that does not start, does not brake, does not steer or has no registration is routine freight. It only becomes a problem when nobody mentions it until the truck arrives.

What counts as a non-runner

Anything that cannot be driven onto a deck under its own power. That includes cars that start but cannot be driven safely, which people often do not think of.

The four questions

“Not sure” is a perfectly good answer. We will send equipment that covers the uncertainty. A confident wrong answer is what costs a day.

Unregistered is not a problem

The most common worry, and an unnecessary one. An unregistered vehicle is legal to carry on a truck. Registration governs a vehicle being driven on a road under its own power. On our deck it is freight, and no permit is required.

Where a vehicle needs to be towed rather than carried, permits or trade plates come into it, and we arrange those.

What we regularly carry

• Project cars and barn finds: half assembled, no glass, panels off, engine out
• Repairable write-offs for repairers and rebuilders
• Statutory write-offs to wreckers and dismantlers
• Auction purchases that turned out less mobile than advertised
• Deceased estate vehicles that have not moved in years
• Flood and fire damaged vehicles. Tell us, these have their own handling requirements

Preparing a non-runner

• Clear access. We need room to winch, which is more space than you might think
• Remove anything loose in or on the vehicle
• Tell us if it has been sitting long enough for tyres to be flat or brakes to have seized
• Note any missing structural parts, particularly if tow points or the chassis are compromised
• Photograph it thoroughly yourself. On a damaged vehicle this matters more than on any other job.