Flat tire change in Portland, ME
Your spare put on at the roadside, or a tow to a tire shop when a spare will not do.
Flat tire in Portland? Get off the road first
Before anyone touches the tire, get the car somewhere safe to work on it: as far off the road as you can, hazard lights on, everyone out of the way of traffic. Then call us for a flat tire change, and we come to you at any hour.
On the highway, the rules help decide where to stop. On the Maine Turnpike, a disabled vehicle belongs on the right shoulder (Turnpike Rule 3-B). Maine law (29-A M.R.S. §2068(1)) also keeps you off the travel lanes, ramp lanes, bridges and left shoulder of limited-access highways like I-95 and I-295, unless the car is too disabled to go any farther.
So if a tire goes on Tukey's Bridge, which carries I-295 over Back Cove, and the car will still roll, ease it off the bridge at low speed with the hazards on before you stop. Driving slowly on a flat can ruin the tire and mark the wheel, but that is a better trade than stopping where there is no room to work.
While you wait, passing drivers are required to move over for a stopped car that looks disabled or has its flashers on, or to slow down where they cannot, under 29-A M.R.S. §2070(8), with a fine of at least $275. Stand well back from the car anyway. More on highway stops is on our page about Turnpike and I-295 breakdowns.
What does a flat tire change need?
From you, two things: a usable spare, and the key for your locking lug nuts if the car has them. We bring the jack, the tools and the lights.
- A usable spare. It has to be there, hold air and fit the car. Many newer cars carry a sealant kit instead of a spare, and a kit will not fix a torn sidewall.
- The lug lock key. If one nut on each wheel has a patterned head, the car has wheel locks. The key is usually in the glove box, the console or the spare tire well.
- A temporary spare's limits. A compact spare is built to get you to a tire shop, not to stay on; its limits are printed on it or in the owner's manual.
- Firm, level ground. A jack needs a solid base. On ice or a soft shoulder we may need to move the car a short way first.
If the lug lock key is missing, tell us on the call. Getting a locked nut off without its key is shop work, so the car will likely need a tow to a tire shop.
How does a roadside flat tire change work?
We set up safely, swap the flat for your spare, and check the spare before you drive off.
- Set up. We park where our truck shields the work from traffic and turn on our lights.
- Lift and swap. We loosen the nuts, lift the car at its jacking point, take off the flat and mount the spare.
- Tighten and lower. We snug the nuts in a star pattern, lower the car and tighten them fully.
- Check the spare. We check its pressure and stow the flat in the car for you.
If a lug nut is seized or a wheel stud is damaged, that is shop work too, and we tell you before trying anything that could make it worse. Once the spare is on, get the flat looked at soon, and ask the tire shop to recheck the lug nuts after your first drive on the spare.
No spare, or two flat tires? Then it's a tow
With no spare, two flats or a damaged wheel, the car goes to a tire shop on a tow truck, and we quote the tow on the same call.
Which truck depends on the damage. AAA explains that a wheel-lift tow truck raises only the front or the rear wheels, so the other pair rolls on the road; if a damaged wheel is on that end, a wheel-lift will not do. A flatbed keeps the whole vehicle off the road, which is why AAA calls it the safest option, and it is what we send for a bent wheel, a flat at each end, or a car that should not roll at all.
The same goes for a tire that has come apart or a wheel that will not come off. Tell us where the car should go, your tire shop, a dealer or home, and our flatbed towing takes it there; towing in Portland or to a shop in the next town is quoted the same way, before we hook up. Because we are a towing service in Portland, ME as well as a roadside one, the tire change and the tow are one call to the same Portland, Maine towing company.
Flat tire on the Turnpike or I-295?
Call us either way, and know that the Turnpike runs a free patrol that changes flat tires at set hours.
From a highway shoulder, tell us your direction, the last exit you passed and any mile marker you can see. That is how the truck finds you on the first pass.
The Maine Turnpike Authority's Safety Patrol changes flat tires at no charge; dial #999 or (207) 871-7701 from a cell phone. Near Portland, the patrol's listed weekday shifts cover Exit 42 in Scarborough to Mile 57 in Cumberland from 7:00 to 10:30 a.m., and Exit 48 in Portland to Exit 32 in Biddeford from 3:30 to 7:00 p.m.
I-295 has its own MaineDOT Safety Patrol between Scarborough and Freeport at peak travel times, which clears disabled vehicles out of the travel lanes. Outside those hours, call us for the tire change. When the spare will not do, the car needs a tow truck, and on the Turnpike, Rule 3-B makes arranging one the driver's job.
More help at the roadside
Frequently asked questions
Can you change a flat tire if I don't have a spare?
No. Without a spare there is nothing to put on, so the car needs a tow to a tire shop, and we quote that on the call. A sealant kit may get you moving if the hole is small and in the tread, but not if the sidewall is torn.
Do you need my wheel lock key?
Yes, if the car has locking lug nuts. The key is usually in the glove box, the center console or with the spare, and without it the locked nut is a job for a tire shop.
How much does a flat tire change cost in Portland?
It depends on where the car is and the time on scene. We give you the price on the call before we drive out, and if the job becomes a tow, we quote that before we hook up the car.
Will the Maine Turnpike change my flat tire for free?
Yes, during its patrol hours. The Turnpike's Safety Patrol changes flat tires at no charge; dial #999 or (207) 871-7701 from a cell phone. Near Portland it works set weekday hours, so at other times, call us.
How far can I drive on a spare tire?
It depends on the spare. A matching full-size spare can usually stay on, but a compact spare is only meant to get you to a tire shop, so follow the speed and distance limits printed on it or in the owner's manual.
Is it safe to change a tire on the highway shoulder?
Only with room to work, well clear of the travel lane. Maine's move-over law requires passing drivers to move over or slow down for a stopped vehicle with its flashers on, but a narrow shoulder is no place to kneel beside traffic. Wait away from the car and let a truck with lights do the work.
Flat tire in Portland right now?
Get safe, then call: tell us where you are and whether you have a spare.
- Where you stopped - street, lot, or highway with direction and last exit
- Whether you have a spare, and whether it holds air
- The lug lock key, if the wheels have locking nuts
- The year, make and model