Gas delivery in Portland, ME
Out of gas or diesel? We bring enough fuel to the car to get you to the next station.
Out of gas in Portland? How gas delivery works
Call us, tell us where the car is and what fuel it takes, and we bring enough to get you to a station. Our fuel delivery runs around the clock, alongside our towing in Portland and the nearby towns, and we give you the price on the call before we drive out.
It is a short visit. We add the fuel, get the engine running, and you drive to a station to fill up properly. If the car cranked for a long time before it gave up, the battery may be low as well, and we can jump it while we are there.
Give us a cross street on a city street, or the level and row in a lot or garage. On a highway, stay with the car rather than walking the shoulder to an exit with a gas can; we bring the fuel to you.
Calling a local tow truck in Portland for fuel can sound like more truck than the problem needs. The advantage is that the truck bringing the fuel belongs to a Portland, Maine towing company, so if fuel turns out not to be the problem, the same call becomes a tow, quoted before we hook up.
Out of gas, or something else?
If the gauge read empty and the engine sputtered before it quit, it is very likely fuel. If the gauge still shows fuel, tell us, because the problem may be the fuel pump, a filter or the gauge itself, and a car with a fault like that needs a tow truck, not a can of gas.
Tell us, too, if the engine ran rough, lost power or showed a warning light before it stopped. Those point to a fault rather than an empty tank, and knowing it before we leave means the right truck comes.
Gas or diesel: which fuel should we bring?
The one your car takes, so tell us on the call. We bring gasoline or diesel to match, because the wrong fuel can do real damage.
If you are not sure, the fuel door, the filler cap or the owner's manual will say. Diesel pickups and some diesel cars look just like their gas versions from the outside.
If someone has already put the wrong fuel in, do not start the engine, and tell us when you call. That is not a job for more fuel: the tank has to be drained, which is shop work, so the car needs a tow.
A diesel that ran completely dry may also need its fuel system primed before it will run, depending on the engine; the owner's manual explains how.
Out of gas on the Turnpike or I-295?
Coast onto the right shoulder, turn on the hazards and call us with your direction and the last exit you passed.
On the Maine Turnpike, Rule 3-B puts a disabled vehicle on the right shoulder and makes the driver responsible for arranging its prompt removal; fuel that gets the car moving does exactly that. Stopping in a travel or ramp lane, on a bridge or on the left shoulder of I-95 or I-295 is against Maine law unless the car simply cannot go on (29-A M.R.S. ยง2068(1)). If the car died in a travel lane, call 911, or dial #999 on the Turnpike, where the free Safety Patrol moves disabled vehicles to the shoulder during its patrol hours.
Exit numbers are the quickest way to find you. Around Portland, the Turnpike's own labels run from Exit 42 Scarborough and 44 I-295 Connector through 45 South Portland, 46 Jetport, 47 Rand Road and 48 Portland to 52 I-295 Falmouth and 53 West Falmouth. The last one you passed and your direction tell us where to look; our page on breakdowns on the Turnpike and I-295 has more.
Electric car out of charge? That needs a flatbed, not fuel
An electric car that has run its battery flat cannot be refueled at the roadside, so it has to be moved to a charger, and for many electric cars that means a flatbed.
Tesla spells it out for its own cars. Its owner's manuals for the Model 3 and Model Y name a flatbed truck or comparable transport vehicle as the recommended way to transport them, and warn never to transport the car with its tires able to spin, because that can cause serious damage and overheating. The Cybertruck needs all four tires off the ground, on a flatbed at least 21 feet long.
Tell us the model when you call. Tesla's manual for the Model Y, for example, describes Tow Mode, which keeps the parking brake disengaged while the car is winched onto a flatbed, and knowing that before we arrive saves time at the roadside.
Tesla also says its warranty does not cover damage from improper transport, which is one more reason to tell us it is an EV when you call. We send a flatbed and take the car to the charger or service center you choose.
Out of gas on Peaks Island or another island?
That is a different problem, because we cannot bring a can of fuel over on the ferry.
Casco Bay Lines, which runs the car ferries to the islands, says U.S. Coast Guard regulations prevent it from carrying containers holding gasoline of any kind on its scheduled runs, including the fuel inside a lawn mower or a chainsaw. It carries hazardous materials only by special charter arranged in advance.
So if a car runs dry on Peaks, Great Diamond or Cliff Island, call us before anyone heads to the ferry terminal with a gas can, and we will talk through what is possible. If the car has to come off the island instead, see our guide to towing a car off Peaks Island.
Other help when the tank or battery is empty
Frequently asked questions
How much gas do you bring?
Enough to get you to a nearby station, where you fill up properly. Tell us where the car is and we bring enough to cover the drive to an open pump.
Do you deliver diesel?
Yes. Tell us on the call that the car takes diesel and we bring diesel. If the wrong fuel is already in the tank, do not start the engine; it needs a tow so the tank can be drained.
How much does gas delivery cost in Portland?
It depends on where the car is and the time of day. We give you the price on the call before we drive out, and if fuel does not get the car going, we quote a tow before anything else.
Can you bring a charge to my electric car?
No. An electric car that has run out of charge has to be moved to a charger, and Tesla recommends a flatbed for its Model 3 and Model Y. Tell us it is an EV when you call and we send a flatbed.
Can you deliver gas on Peaks Island?
Not the usual way. Casco Bay Lines says Coast Guard regulations bar gasoline containers of any kind on its scheduled runs, so call us to talk through the options before anyone carries fuel to the ferry.
What should I do if I run out of gas on the highway?
Coast as far onto the right shoulder as you can, turn on the hazard lights and call us with your direction and the last exit you passed. If the car stopped in a travel lane, call 911 first.
Out of gas in Portland right now?
Call with your location and fuel type, and we give you the price first.
- Where the car is - street, lot, or highway with direction and last exit
- Gas, diesel or electric
- The year, make and model