More new cars come without a spare wheel than with one, which means a puncture that used to be a ten-minute job now leaves many drivers stranded.
When not to change it yourself
Never change a wheel on the hard shoulder or the verge of a fast road. If the car has a locking wheel nut and you cannot find the key, if the jack point is damaged, or if the tyre has come off the rim, stop and call us. Driving on a flat, even slowly, can ruin the wheel and damage suspension and brake parts.
Inflator kits and run-flats
A tyre inflator kit can seal a small tread puncture, but it will not fix a sidewall cut or a blowout. Run-flat tyres let you drive a short distance at low speed; your handbook gives the limits. If neither applies, the safest option is to put the vehicle on a flatbed and take it to a tyre fitter or your home.
How we help
Our driver will assess the tyre, and where the vehicle cannot be safely driven we load it onto the flatbed and carry it to a tyre fitter, garage or your address. We cover cars, vans and light commercials up to 7.5 tons, 24 hours a day, with no membership required. Call 07874 130193 and you will get a clear price before we dispatch.
What to do right now
- Stop as soon as it's safe — driving on a flat destroys the tyre and often the wheel
- Pull off the carriageway onto a layby, verge, or side road
- Check the tyre quickly — sidewall damage means recovery, tread punctures may be foam-fixable
- Have your wheel lock key ready if you have locking wheel nuts
What not to do
- Don't try to drive 'just a bit further' — a flat at 30mph for a mile shreds the tyre and wheel
- Don't use a foam repair kit on a sidewall puncture — it won't hold and you'll lose the tyre
- Don't change a wheel on the A30 hard shoulder — call recovery, it's not worth the risk
- Don't drive on run-flats below 50mph or further than 50 miles after a puncture
What affects the cost
- Distance to the nearest open tyre fitter from your location
- Time of day (out-of-hours premium for evening/weekend recovery)
- Whether the wheel itself is damaged and needs separate repair
Equipment we bring
- Flatbed truck — no towing on a flat tyre (it would destroy the rim)
- Wheel chocks and winch for non-rolling load
- Soft tie-downs to protect alloys during transport
Questions drivers ask
What's the nearest 24-hour tyre fitter to Cornwall?
Cornwall itself has limited overnight tyre coverage — most fitters are 8am–6pm. We can recover you to a depot for next-day fitting, or to your home and back the following morning, which often works out cheaper than emergency overnight rates.
Can you fit a tyre roadside?
No — we're a recovery operator, not a mobile tyre service. We'll get you and the car to a fitter quickly and cleanly, which for most situations is faster and cheaper than waiting for a mobile fitter.
What if I have run-flats?
Run-flats can usually be driven slowly to a fitter — but only if the warning came on recently. If you've been driving on them for more than 50 miles or above 50mph, the sidewall is destroyed and recovery is the only option.
Will you take me to my preferred fitter?
Yes — tell our driver on arrival. We routinely take customers to specific depots they've already phoned ahead to confirm have the tyre in stock.
Punctures with no usable spare are now the most common roadside call we get from Cornwall. Broadside Recovery uses a flatbed (never towing on a flat) and delivers you to a tyre fitter that has stock — usually faster and cheaper than waiting for a mobile fitter overnight.