Recovery Guides for Cornwall Drivers
Straight answers on what recovery costs, which method your vehicle needs, and what to do when something goes wrong — written from day-to-day work on Cornwall's roads and lanes.
These guides explain how vehicle recovery in Cornwall actually works: what decides the price, which truck your vehicle needs, what to do on the A30 and how a non-running car is moved. If you need help right now, ring 07874 130193. Lines are open 24/7 and no membership is needed.
Where to start
If you have broken down, read the A30 guide or the page for your nearest town and call us. If you are planning ahead, the cost guide and the 3.5 ton vs 7.5 ton guide will tell you what to have ready when you ring.
Every guide is written from our own work on Cornwall's roads and lanes. None of them quote prices, because the honest answer depends on your vehicle, its location and its condition, and we give you that figure on the phone.
Do these guides cover the whole of Cornwall?
Yes. They are written for drivers anywhere in our Cornwall coverage area, from Penwith to the Tamar.
Can I get a price from a guide?
No. Prices depend on the vehicle, location and access, so we give you a clear quote on the phone before dispatch.
How It Works
What Happens When You Call
The full call-out sequence from first ring to drop-off, including exactly what to do while you wait at the roadside.
Read guideBroken Down on the A30
The A30 is the county's spine and its fastest road. Here is the safe sequence if you stop on it.
Read guideBuying a Car Remotely
The practical checklist for getting an online, auction or distance purchase collected and delivered without drama.
Read guideWrong Fuel in Your Car
One decision decides whether this is an inconvenience or an engine bill. Make it before you turn the key.
Read guideRun Out of Fuel
Why a fuel drop beats walking, and the extra step diesel drivers usually need.
Read guideTowing Eyes & Recovery Points
Two minutes of checking before the truck arrives can prevent a bent subframe or a torn bumper.
Read guideRecovery in Narrow Cornish Lanes
Cornwall's lanes are the county's defining recovery challenge. Here is how a truck actually gets to you.
Read guideCar Will Not Start, What Is Actually Wrong
The noise the car makes when you turn the key narrows it down faster than anything else. Here is how to read it.
Read guideAfter a Breakdown, and Who Pays
The recovery is the easy part. This is what happens to the vehicle afterwards, and who ends up settling the bill.
Read guideHow to Move a Broken-Down Car
Your car has stopped somewhere that is not the roadside — a driveway, a street parking bay, a workplace car park — and it needs to reach a garage. Here are the realistic options.
Read guideBroken Down With No Breakdown Cover
You have stopped, you have no membership and you are wondering whether to sign up on the spot or ring a local firm. This is the order to do things in.
Read guideHow Long Does Recovery Take?
There is no single number for a recovery job. The total is three separate waits added together, and you can influence two of them.
Read guideWhat To Do If You're Locked Out of Your Car
The different ways a lockout happens, what a recovery driver can and cannot help with, and how to get the vehicle and the situation sorted properly.
Read guideThe Accident Recovery Process Explained
A plain walkthrough of what happens from the moment a collision is reported to the vehicle arriving at a garage or storage yard.
Read guideWhat to Do at the Scene of an Accident
The practical steps to take in the minutes after a collision, from staying safe to exchanging details and knowing when to call the police.
Read guideUsing Dashcam Footage After an Accident
Practical steps for saving dashcam footage after a collision so it is not overwritten, and what to expect when sharing it with insurers or police.
Read guideInsurance Claims After a Breakdown
A plain explanation of what standard car insurance typically covers, and does not cover, when a vehicle breaks down mechanically rather than being in a collision.
Read guideVehicle Recovery After a Non-Fault Accident
What non-fault claims usually involve, why some firms push you toward credit hire, and how to keep control of recovery, storage and repair choices.
Read guideMotorway Breakdown Safety
The correct sequence for breaking down on the M5, A30 or A38 — getting clear of the carriageway, using the SOS phones, and what to tell the operator.
Read guideTowing Rules and Licences
A plain-English rundown of licence categories, weight limits and trailer safety basics, and when it makes more sense to book a professional transporter instead.
Read guideBreakdowns at Cornwall Services & Lay-bys
You have made it away from moving traffic. Here is how to choose a safe waiting place, describe the stop and make recovery straightforward.
Read guideCompare Your Options
Flatbed vs Tow Truck
Why the wrong lift can damage a gearbox or bumper, and how to tell which method your vehicle actually needs before the truck arrives.
Read guideBreakdown Cover vs Independent Recovery
The honest comparison — including when your existing policy is genuinely the better option and you should use it.
Read guideFlat Battery: Jump Start or Recovery?
A jump start fixes a flat battery. It does not fix a charging fault — here is how to tell which you have.
Read guide3.5 Ton vs 7.5 Ton Recovery
One number on your V5 decides which truck comes. Here is where to find it and why it matters.
Read guideRoadside Assistance vs Recovery
They are often sold together and people use the words interchangeably, but they are two different jobs. Knowing which you need speeds everything up.
Read guideTowing a Car: Rope, Bar or Flatbed?
A tow rope in the boot looks like a cheap fix. Sometimes it is; often it is the start of a bigger problem. Here is an honest comparison.
Read guideHow to Choose a Recovery Service
The practical checks worth doing before a breakdown happens, so the number you dial is one you can trust rather than the first search result.
Read guideCosts & Pricing
What Vehicle Recovery Costs in Cornwall
The six factors that actually move the price of a recovery job, and how to describe your situation so the quote you get is the price you pay.
Read guideLong-Distance Car Transport: What Affects the Cost
People search 'how much to transport a car 200 miles' hoping for a single number. There isn't one — but the price is built from a handful of predictable factors.
Read guideCheap Car Recovery: What to Check
The cheapest recovery is the one that is quoted clearly, turns up with the right truck and gets the car to the right place first time.
Read guideHow Breakdown Recovery Prices Are Worked Out
A plain-English walk through how a recovery quote is built, what should be included in it, and how membership cover compares with paying per job.
Read guideVehicle & Situation Guides
Motorhome & Campervan Recovery
Weight, height and access are the three things that decide whether a motorhome recovery goes smoothly — check them before you call.
Read guideElectric Vehicle Recovery
EVs cannot be conventionally towed. Here is why, plus what to do if you run flat between chargers in Cornwall.
Read guideMoving a Non-Runner
Seized, keyless, wheel-less or simply dead — how each type of non-runner is actually loaded.
Read guideClassic Car Transport
Low ground clearance, fragile chrome and original chassis points — what changes when the car is irreplaceable.
Read guideCaravan & Trailer Breakdowns
An outfit is two vehicles, and the recovery plan depends entirely on which one has failed.
Read guideBreaking Down on Holiday
Unfamiliar roads, no local knowledge and a booking to get to — the practical version for visitors.
Read guideCan I Still Drive It?
A safety-first decision for drivers facing smoke, overheating, tyre damage, warning lights or a car that no longer feels right.
Read guideWhen a Car Won't Roll: Skates, Dollies and Winching
Some vehicles cannot simply be pushed onto a truck. Here is how immovable cars are recovered without damage, and why the details you give on the phone matter.
Read guideCar Been in Floodwater
Water in an engine or electrics can turn a recoverable car into a write-off in seconds. The first rule is simple: do not turn the key.
Read guideTowing an Automatic Car
Many automatics should not be towed with their driven wheels on the road. Loading onto a flatbed avoids the problem entirely.
Read guideThe Complete Guide to Flat Batteries
Why batteries actually fail, how to tell a flat battery from a bigger fault, safe jump-starting, and what modern start-stop and AGM batteries need.
Read guideWhat To Do If You Have a Tyre Blowout
How to recognise a blowout, keep control of the car in the first few seconds, and get somewhere safe before dealing with the tyre itself.
Read guidePunctures and Spare Wheels Explained
What your car actually carries instead of a spare wheel, how each option works, and when a puncture genuinely needs a recovery vehicle rather than a roadside fix.
Read guideWinter Driving Tips for Cornwall
Cornwall's winters are mild by UK standards but still catch drivers out — cold starts, battery failure, and the odd stretch of ice or snow on higher ground.
Read guideStorm and Flooded Road Driving
Cornwall's Atlantic storms bring standing water, flooded fords and occasional saltwater surges — knowing when to turn back matters more than pushing through.
Read guideBreakdown Emergency Kit
A practical, no-nonsense list of what is actually worth carrying for a breakdown, and the rules around using it safely once you need it.
Read guideVan Recovery Guide
Why a van breakdown is not the same job as a car breakdown, and what changes depending on size, weight and what is inside it.
Read guideMotorcycle Recovery Guide
Why bikes are handled differently from cars during recovery, and what to expect if yours has broken down, been dropped, or come off the road.
Read guide4x4 and SUV Recovery
Why four-wheel-drive vehicles need particular handling during recovery, and what changes when the vehicle is stuck on a beach, field or verge rather than a road.
Read guideTrailer, Caravan and Plant Transport
Booked, planned transport for trailers, plant and small machinery — separate from an emergency breakdown recovery.
Read guideFor Businesses & Fleets
Need Recovery Now?
Call Broadside Recovery Ltd for fast, reliable 24/7 breakdown recovery and vehicle transport across Cornwall.