Need a food truck moved in Detroit? Detroit Towing dispatches across Detroit, MI. Towing a food truck is not the same job as towing a sedan — it comes down to weight rating, deck length, and how the vehicle is secured — so we confirm what you are driving before a truck rolls, and quote the price before the hook goes on.
The right equipment for a food truck
Sending an under-rated truck is how a tow turns into damage. Our dispatcher matches the load to the equipment — deck, wheel-lift, or heavy wrecker — and the operator secures it to the manufacturer’s tie-down points rather than whatever is reachable.
A food truck that stalls mid-service in Detroit is a lost line, not just a dead engine — every minute it sits is a missed order. Detroit Towing sends a flatbed sized for the water tanks, propane, and generator weight, runs Mon–Sat Open 24 hours, Sun 12:30 – 5:30 PM, and covers 20 service areas, so the truck moves fast when the line is still waiting.
Most of the food-truck calls that come into Detroit Towing aren't about a truck that limps somewhere quiet to die — they're about a truck that stalls with a line still standing at the window. The order screen is lit, the flat-top is still warm, and the owner is doing math on how much product is about to spoil before a truck shows up.
That's what makes this different from an ordinary car tow. Propane has to be shut off at the tank, not just at the appliance, before the truck can be touched. The generator can't keep running on the deck. And the weight of two water tanks plus a loaded reach-in sits low and off-center on a chassis that was never built to be dragged on its rear wheels — which is why a flatbed goes out for these calls instead of a hook.
Why can't a food truck just get hooked and pulled like a delivery van?
A step van or cutaway built out as a kitchen carries most of its weight behind the rear axle — water, propane, and the cooking deck are all mounted further back than a cargo van would carry the same load. Hook it from the front and that rear weight fights the tow the entire way; a flatbed removes the argument by putting the whole truck level on one deck instead of leaving two wheels on the road.
- The propane valve gets closed at the tank before the truck moves, not just switched off at the range
- Loose pans, cutting boards, and anything on an open shelf get strapped down first
What actually determines the bill for a food-truck call?
Distance from dispatch is the biggest factor, followed by whether the truck needs a full flatbed or a lighter tow, and how much maneuvering it takes to line a deck up against a curb with cars parked on both sides or a lot with restricted access for an event. There's no flat number to quote sight unseen — a driver gives a real figure once they know where the truck actually is and what's around it.
Do I need to shut off the propane before you arrive?
Yes — close the valve at the tank, not just the burner controls, before the truck gets there. It's the first thing the driver checks, and it's faster if it's already done.
Will my food and equipment stay in the truck during the tow?
In most cases yes, as long as everything loose is secured — shelving, water jugs, serving windows. If the load is heavy enough to shift the truck's balance on the flatbed, the driver may ask to strap or reposition it first.
How do I reach dispatch for a call like this?
Call Detroit Towing directly at (313) 631-1184. Knowing the chassis type — step van, cutaway, or trailer-mounted — speeds up matching the right truck before it leaves.