"Non-runner" covers everything from a flat battery to a car with no engine, no brakes and no wheels. The equipment needed is very different in each case.
The single biggest cause of failed collections is a description that was more optimistic than the vehicle.
Tell the operator which kind of non-runner it is
- Will not start but rolls, steers and brakes — the simplest case, winched straight onto a flatbed.
- Rolls but will not steer — needs skates or a spec lift to get it aligned.
- Seized or locked wheels — needs skates under each locked wheel, and more time.
- No wheels, or on axle stands — needs a specialist lift and usually a second operator.
- Accident damaged — may need sheeting, debris clearance and body straps.
Preparing the vehicle before collection
- Release the handbrake if it is safe and the vehicle is chocked.
- Put an automatic gearbox into neutral, or have the key available for electronic parking brakes.
- Clear the route to the vehicle — bins, bikes, low branches and locked gates all cost time.
- Remove loose valuables and personal items; recovery insurance covers the vehicle, not its contents.
- Have the keys, and any locking wheel nut, ready to hand over.
Access is as important as the vehicle
A flatbed needs a straight run of roughly 15 metres and enough headroom to tilt the bed. Underground car parks, gravel drives, steep inclines and narrow terraced streets often rule one out.
Say so at booking. An operator who knows the access in advance can send a spec lift or a smaller truck instead of arriving and being unable to load.
Photos save money
Four photos — front, rear, each side, plus one of the approach to the vehicle — let an operator quote accurately and bring the right kit first time. It is the cheapest five minutes you will spend on the whole job.
