How to Prepare a Non-Runner for Transport
A collection checklist for non-running, project, MOT-failed and accident-damaged vehicles.
Read the parts that match your situation
General advice can help you prepare, but it cannot inspect the vehicle or judge a live road scene. Do not gather photographs, markers or information when doing so would put you or anyone else in danger.
Use the parts of this guide that match your situation
A collection checklist for non-running, project, MOT-failed and accident-damaged vehicles. The aim is to help you make a safer, clearer next decision. It is not a remote diagnosis and it does not replace the emergency services, the vehicle handbook, your insurer or a qualified workshop.
Start with safety, then note what you can actually see and hear. The most useful information normally includes seized brakes, flat or damaged tyres, locked steering, missing keys, collapsed suspension, missing wheels, transmission position and loose or removed components, together with the exact location and a suitable destination if the vehicle needs to be moved.
Check whether it rolls
Confirm each wheel can rotate and that tyres are inflated enough for loading. Declare seized brakes, locked wheels or suspension collapse.
Keep the description simple and factual. Note warning messages, sounds, smells, leaks and what happened immediately before the problem. A recovery operator can work with those facts; an unsupported diagnosis may send the conversation in the wrong direction.
Do not put yourself in danger to gather more information. Poor visibility, moving traffic, children, animals, disability and bad weather all change what is sensible. Where immediate danger exists, call the emergency services first.
Check steering and neutral selection
A steering lock, missing keys or transmission that will not select neutral can materially alter the loading method.
This point may also change the quote because AtWheel has to consider route mileage, collection travel, non-runner handling, extra loading time, restricted access, missing keys, locked wheels and waiting at auctions, garages or storage sites. Giving the information early helps us tell the difference between a straightforward attendance and a job that needs extra loading time, different equipment or further checks before dispatch.
Photographs are useful when taken safely. A wide image can show road width, barriers, walls and loading space; a close image can show damage or a warning message. Never stand in traffic or move unstable parts simply to take a picture.
Clear access
Remove obstacles and provide enough straight-line space where possible. Photograph narrow drives, low branches, gates, soft ground and steep gradients.
Think about where the vehicle will go if it cannot continue. Suitable options may include restoration workshops, garages, homes, storage sites, auction buyers, bodyshops or another address with enough space to unload the non-runner. Confirm that the receiving address is open and willing to accept the vehicle before it is loaded.
Keep useful references to hand, such as an insurer claim, police incident, auction lot, buyer release or garage booking. They help the receiving organisation identify the vehicle and reduce waiting.
Prepare keys and paperwork
Have all available keys, auction release documents, collection references and destination contacts ready.
Vehicle-specific instructions matter. The safe method may involve planned winch loading and restraint based on whether the vehicle rolls, steers, brakes, selects neutral and has enough clearance for the loading angle. Weight, low clearance, wheel movement and manufacturer procedures can all override a generic approach that worked on another vehicle.
Say when something has not been checked. Missing keys, electronic parking brakes, EV neutral procedures and locked wheels are easier to plan for when the uncertainty is known before attendance.
Remove loose items
Secure or remove parts, tools and personal belongings that could move or be damaged in transit.
Work through the situation in order: make it safe, identify the location, describe the vehicle, decide the destination and then confirm the service. Jumping straight to a price can produce an answer that does not match the real job.
Once the driver arrives, keep clear of ramps, winches and the loading path. Follow the driver’s instructions and do not push or guide the vehicle unless you are asked and it is safe.
Common mistakes that cause delay, damage or an unsuitable call-out
Do not guess the fault, give only a town name, hide missing keys or locked wheels, or assume a closed garage will accept the vehicle. These details can change the equipment, route and price. It is always better to say “not checked” than to confirm something that turns out to be wrong.
Avoid repeated starting attempts, improvised towing and unsafe roadside repairs. A vehicle that starts after a collision may still have serious steering, suspension or tyre damage. Call 999 for injury, fire, a live-lane obstruction or immediate danger before contacting a private recovery operator.
What to tell AtWheel when you call
Have current photographs, registration or VIN, keys, release documents, accurate movement condition, tyre state, access measurements and delivery contact details ready where possible. Explain the symptoms and visible condition in your own words. Mention barriers, car-park levels, gates, narrow access and anything that could prevent a recovery vehicle reaching the vehicle.
We may use planned winch loading and restraint based on whether the vehicle rolls, steers, brakes, selects neutral and has enough clearance for the loading angle. Final acceptance depends on the actual vehicle, route and access. The aim is not to make the fastest promise; it is to send suitable equipment and complete the movement safely.
- Exact location and a safe contact number
- Registration, make, model and vehicle type
- What happened and what the vehicle does now
- Whether it rolls, steers, has keys and can select neutral
- Destination, receiving contact and opening hours
Keeping the details up to date from booking to handover
Before setting off, we confirm the registration, collection point, destination, vehicle condition and access. We check them again when we reach the vehicle, because faults and circumstances sometimes turn out to be different from the first description. A locked wheel, missing key, extra damage, heavier vehicle or closed destination can change the safest way to complete the job, the equipment needed and the price. When something important has changed, we pause and agree the next step rather than carrying on under the wrong assumptions.
At the destination, the vehicle should be left in the agreed position and handed to the correct person or business. Keys, release references and any paperwork are returned as instructed, and the customer is told when the movement is complete. Where access, waiting time or a change of destination affected the job, that is explained clearly rather than left for somebody else to discover later.
Useful access notes can make a repeat collection easier, but they still need checking each time. Gates, staff, opening hours, parked vehicles, road restrictions and the condition of the vehicle can all change. Current information from the customer or site contact is always more useful than assuming the next job will be exactly like the last one.
This is general UK information. Call 999 for injury, fire, immediate danger or a vehicle blocking a live lane. Do not touch a damaged high-voltage vehicle or walk into moving traffic.
More practical AtWheel guides
These articles cover related safety, pricing and preparation questions.
Find the nearest AtWheel service area
Choose the place nearest to the vehicle, then provide the full address, road position or safe map pin.
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Send us the registration, exact location, vehicle condition, access and destination for a job-specific answer.