Most people picture a tow at the side of a road, hazards flashing and traffic going past. A lot of tows are calmer than that: a car that has sat on the driveway since the battery died, a van that failed its test, a project car bought from someone two counties away. None of them needs a truck this minute. They need one at a sensible time, with someone there to hand over the keys.
That is what the scheduled option in the TowNow app is for.
Emergency or scheduled
When you request a tow in the app, it asks for the service type. Emergency sends the job out for help straight away. Scheduled lets you plan the pickup for another time. The rest of the request is the same: pickup pin, drop-off, registration and the problem.
Jobs that suit a scheduled tow
- A car that failed its NCT on a dangerous defect. A car with that result is not meant to be driven until the fault is repaired, so a truck to the garage is the simple answer.
- A car that has been off the road for months. Flat battery, soft tyres, maybe brakes that have stuck. Getting it to a garage on a truck is often easier than trying to coax it back to life on the street.
- A car you have just bought. If it is not yet insured for you to drive, it should not go on the road under its own power.
- A move between garages, for example from your usual garage to a specialist for a gearbox or an electrical fault.
- Moving house with a car that does not run.
Before you book
- Where it is parked. A driveway, an estate road, a basement. Mention anything that would stop a truck getting close: a height barrier, a narrow lane, a locked yard, other cars boxing it in.
- Whether it rolls. Flat tyres, a stuck handbrake or a missing key make loading harder. Say so in the problem, and add photos if the app asks for them.
- The keys. Who hands them over, and where.
- The drop-off. Check the garage is open at the time you choose and knows the car is coming. Some are happy for keys to go through a letterbox. Ask yours first.
Picking a time
Choose a time when someone can be with the car, or at least answer the phone. Weekday traffic on the M50 and the main roads into the city is heaviest at the start and the end of the working day, so a slot outside those hours tends to be easier for everyone.
The price
The request screen shows the price for your vehicle before you confirm, whether the job is for now or later. For a car it currently reads:
€150 base + €2 per kmThe distance from pickup to drop-off sets the rest. If the figure on the screen is not what you expected, do not confirm. Ring 087 452 4853 and ask.
If plans change
If the car starts after all, or the garage moves the date, tell us as early as you can: ring 087 452 4853 or e-mail support@townow.ie with the registration and the time you booked.
When it should not wait
A scheduled tow is for a car that is parked safely. A car stopped in a live lane, on a hard shoulder or on a blind bend needs an emergency request, and if anyone is hurt, ring 112 before you open the app.
Not on your phone yet? Get the TowNow tow truck app here: