Non-runner vehicle transport

Describe what the vehicle can do

Does the engine start? Can the gearbox be placed in an appropriate loading state? Will all four wheels roll? Does the steering move, and are the keys available? These answers are more useful than a general description such as broken, dead or off the road.

A car with a mechanical fault but free-moving wheels may be relatively straightforward. A vehicle with a missing wheel, locked brake, collapsed suspension or a steering lock needs a separate assessment. We will discuss whether suitable recovery can be arranged.

Project cars, stored cars and workshop transfers

Non-runners are often moved between a home, a garage, a restoration workshop or a buyer. Check access before agreeing a collection date. A car that has stood for a long time may have flat tyres, seized components or possessions stored around it.

Do not try to free seized parts or push a heavy vehicle on a slope without the right expertise and equipment. Tell us what is known and, where practical, send safe photographs of the vehicle’s position and the access route.

Keys and release permission

Missing keys affect more than starting the engine. They may prevent access to the cabin or stop the steering and transmission being released. Explain this before booking, and make sure the owner or authorised person can approve collection.

Auction or salvage collections need the correct release information. Tell us whether the site offers any loading assistance, but do not rely on that until it has been confirmed.

Quote the job as it really is

Non-runner transport is priced around the route, vehicle and loading requirements. A low per-mile figure without those details can be misleading. Describe damage, leaks, modifications and access restrictions before accepting a quote.

Prepare a suitable unloading space and tell the recipient that the car will not drive away. Read our non-runner preparation guide or start a transport enquiry.

When someone else is holding the car

If the vehicle is at a garage, seller or storage site, ask the person there to describe its present loading condition. A car may have arrived under its own power and later had wheels, suspension or transmission components removed. Tell us what has changed before booking transport.

Make sure the collection site has authority to release it and that any account or release issue has been resolved. The recovery driver should not be expected to settle a dispute or persuade a site to release a vehicle without the required permission.

At the receiving end, ask for a safe place where the car can remain immobile. The recipient may need its own plan for getting it into a workshop after unloading. Clear responsibility at both ends helps keep the movement practical, particularly when the person paying for transport will not be present.

Questions about non-runner transport

Non-running does not describe the whole loading problem

A vehicle can be a non-runner because its engine will not start, because it has no drive, or because it is partly dismantled. Those conditions can lead to very different movements. Tell us whether each wheel can turn, whether steering is available and whether keys are present. If you do not know, describe the last known condition and who may be able to confirm it.

Mention the reason it has been standing if known. A car awaiting an engine repair may have loose components, an open fluid system or parts removed from underneath. Do not assume that a vehicle which was driven into a workshop can now be collected in the same state. Ask the person holding it for an up-to-date description before arranging transport.

Collecting a project from storage

Give the actual storage position: inside a garage, on a driveway, in a yard or on another surface. Explain the entrance and whether there is room to approach the vehicle. A car behind stored materials or other vehicles needs those obstructions discussed before collection. Do not attempt to drag or push it out simply to demonstrate that a movement is possible.

Photos taken safely can help explain access and visible condition, but they do not replace the important facts. Include missing wheels, visibly flat tyres, damaged suspension and any sharp change in ground level. If the car has not moved for a long time, be clear about what is known and what has merely been assumed. Loading arrangements depend on its present condition.

Buying a non-runner from somebody else

Ask the seller how the vehicle will be released and whether the person at the site knows about the transport. Confirm the registration and collection address before sharing them with AtWheel. A description in an advertisement may focus on the mechanical problem while saying little about access, keys or whether the brakes have seized. Those omissions can be significant for transport.

Keep purchase decisions separate from collection instructions. The transporter needs permission to move the vehicle and accurate loading information; arranging a truck does not resolve a dispute about the sale or establish that the vehicle meets the advertisement. If the seller changes the reported condition, pass that on before collection so the job can be assessed again.

Planning an unload that the recipient can manage

The destination needs to expect a non-runner. Ask a garage or restoration workshop where it wants the vehicle unloaded and who will be present. A car with locked wheels may not be easily repositioned after delivery. Leaving that discussion until arrival can mean there is no workable place to accept the vehicle, even though the address is correct.

For delivery home, think about space, access for other vehicles and where the car will stay until repair. Discuss loose parts and key handover in advance. Confirm the whole transport price for the route and condition, including any loading extras. Non-runner transport is quoted individually; the standard recovery call-out does not determine a fixed transport total.

If the condition changes before the move

A workshop may remove a component after the original enquiry, or a seller may discover that a wheel no longer turns. Tell AtWheel as soon as the change is known. Keep the updated description in the same conversation as the agreed quote so there is no uncertainty about which condition was priced. Accurate preparation matters more than calling every non-running vehicle a simple collection.