A crab walk is the name our operator Chris uses for setting a vehicle down off a tilt tray when it cannot simply roll off. He used one recently to put a 3.5 tonne Mercedes-Benz Sprinter into a narrow side yard in Waikiki, straight from the Pickles auction yard in Bibra Lake.

You won't find it in a towing manual. Search for crab walk and most results are about the sideways-steering mode on the GMC Hummer EV. On the back of a tow truck it means something else entirely.

What a Crab Walk Is

In Chris's words, a crab walk is for when “ya can't get the car out of drive or park so you have to drop the back wheels on the ground and tray up and down then drive out so the car ends up on the ground.”

A vehicle stuck in drive or park will not roll freely, so it cannot be let down the tray the usual way, on the winch. Instead, the truck does the moving.

Diagram of a crab walk: the vehicle's back wheels go down onto the ground, the tray is worked up and down, and the truck drives out from under the vehicle

The Crab Walk, Step by Step

  • Back wheels down. The tray tilts until the vehicle's back wheels sit on the ground behind the truck.
  • Tray worked up and down. The operator works the tray up and down while the vehicle's back wheels stay on the ground.
  • Truck drives out. The truck drives forward and out from under the vehicle, so the vehicle ends up on the ground where it needs to be.

Why the Sprinter Job Needed a Tilt Tray

The Sprinter came out of the auction yard with a smashed windscreen, so it had to travel on a truck. At the other end it had to go down a side passage between the house and the fence, with very little room either side.

On a tilt tray the whole vehicle rides on the tray, and the tray tilts right down to the ground at the drop-off. That means the vehicle can be put down exactly where the customer wants it, even in a space as tight as this one.

Chris's verdict on the Waikiki job: “one of the tightest crab walks I've done with a 3.5 ton Sprinter on the back.” The photos of the space are on the Sprinter job from Bibra Lake to Waikiki.

Other Ways to Move a Car That Will Not Roll

Not every stuck car needs a crab walk. Some cars have a release at the gear selector that lets them go into neutral without the engine running, and the owner's manual shows where it is. Towing operators also use wheel skates, small dollies that go under each wheel, to move a car around a garage or a car park.

If your car is stuck in park in a tight spot, tell us when you call so we come ready for it. Find out more about our tilt tray towing service, or call us for a price.