Breakdown Problem
Stuck in Mud, Snow or a Ditch — Winch Recovery
Verges after heavy rain, farm tracks, festival fields, unlit country bends in winter — most of these calls come from the same handful of situations. The important thing is that being stuck and being damaged are different problems, and we check for the second before we pull on the first.
What you're likely seeing
- Wheels spinning with no forward movement, vehicle sinking as you try
- Slid off a bend onto a verge or into a ditch
- Grounded on the sills or the sump on a rut or kerb
- Front wheel over the edge of a soft verge with the car leaning
- Snow or ice with no traction on a slope
Do this before anything else
- 1Stop spinning the wheels. Every extra second digs you in deeper and heats the clutch or transmission.
- 2Get everyone out of the vehicle and well away from the intended pull line — a snapped strap under load is genuinely dangerous.
- 3Never let a passing motorist tow you out with a rope on a tow eye that isn't rated for it. Bumpers and subframes get torn off this way.
On a motorway or dual carriageway, ring 999 and ask for National Highways before you call any recovery company. Motorway breakdown advice →
How we move the vehicle
Our units carry a powered winch, rated straps and bridles. We assess the angle and the ground first, protect the recovery points, then pull the vehicle back onto a firm surface. If it's grounded on the sump or has damage underneath, we don't drive it away — it goes on the bed to a garage for inspection.
What it costs
Winch-outs are quoted individually because access and difficulty vary enormously between a soft verge and a car on its side down a bank. We give you a figure on the phone based on what you describe and confirm before any work starts.
Full recovery cost guideQuestions we get asked
The service you probably need
Other problems we're called to
Tell us what the car is doing
Describe the fault on the phone and we'll tell you honestly whether this is a roadside fix or a recovery — and what it will cost — before a driver leaves.