Wrecker Services in Gilbert, AZ
When a standard tow truck isn’t enough, you need a wrecker. Wreckers are heavy-duty tow trucks designed for recovery — pulling vehicles out of ditches, recovering overturned trucks, clearing accident scenes, and handling situations that require serious lifting and pulling power. Thompson’s Auto Repair & Towing operates wrecker trucks throughout Gilbert and the East Valley, ready 24/7 for accident recovery, vehicle extraction, and heavy-duty towing. With over 30 years of experience, we’ve pulled vehicles out of just about every bad situation you can imagine — rollover accidents on the Loop 202 Santan, cars stuck in washes after monsoon season, trucks buried in construction site mud off Williams Field Road. Call 480-418-9206 when you need real recovery power.
Why Choose Thompson’s for Wrecker Services
Wrecker work is the tough stuff. It’s not just hooking up a car and driving to a shop — it’s accident scenes with debris everywhere, vehicles on their sides or roofs, heavy trucks that are stuck in places they shouldn’t be. This kind of work requires the right equipment and the right experience. Mistakes during recovery can make a bad situation worse — further damage to the vehicle, injury to bystanders, damage to the road or surrounding property.
Bryan Vivian has run Thompson’s for over three decades, and wrecker services have been part of the business from the start. Our drivers are trained in heavy-duty recovery techniques, winching operations, and multi-point rigging. We work with Gilbert PD, Chandler PD, Mesa PD, and DPS on accident scene clearance, which means we know how to operate safely in traffic, coordinate with first responders, and get the road cleared fast.
And here’s the Thompson’s difference: after we recover your vehicle, we can repair it. We’re a full-service auto repair shop. If the damage is mechanical — bent suspension, broken axle, damaged radiator — we can fix it without you needing to find a second shop. Tow, recover, and repair. That’s what we do.
How Wrecker Services Work
Step 1: You call 480-418-9206. Describe the situation — accident recovery, stuck vehicle, overturned truck, whatever it is. Give us the location and the type of vehicle involved.
Step 2: We dispatch the right wrecker. Depending on the job, we send a medium-duty wrecker, a heavy-duty wrecker, or a combination of equipment. For complex recoveries, we may send multiple trucks.
Step 3: Scene assessment. Our driver surveys the situation before touching anything. Where is the vehicle? What’s it sitting on? What’s the safest angle to pull from? Are there hazards (fuel leaks, downed power lines, unstable ground)? We plan the recovery before we start.
Step 4: Recovery. Using the wrecker’s boom, winch, and rigging equipment, we extract or upright the vehicle. This might mean winching a car out of a ditch, righting an overturned SUV, or pulling a truck off soft ground. Every recovery is different, and our drivers adapt to the situation.
Step 5: Transport. Once recovered, we load the vehicle and transport it to your preferred destination — our repair shop, a body shop, a dealership, your home, or wherever you need it.
When You Need Wrecker Services in Gilbert
Gilbert is growing fast, and with growth comes more vehicles on the road and more situations that need a wrecker. Here are common scenarios:
- Accident recovery: Multi-vehicle accidents on the 202, rear-end collisions on Gilbert Road, single-car rollovers — we clear the scene and recover the vehicles.
- Rollover recovery: SUVs and trucks that have rolled over need a wrecker with a boom to upright them safely before towing.
- Off-road recovery: Vehicles stuck in desert washes, soft dirt, or mud after monsoon rains. This happens a lot in the areas south of Gilbert near Queen Creek and San Tan Valley.
- Ditch extraction: A car or truck that’s slid off the road — especially on wet roads during monsoon season — and is stuck in a drainage ditch or embankment.
- Commercial vehicle recovery: Delivery trucks, box trucks, and commercial vehicles that need heavy-duty recovery.
- Construction site recovery: Equipment or trucks stuck on job sites along Higley Road, Williams Field Road, and the rapidly developing areas of southeast Gilbert.
Service Areas for Wrecker Services
We provide wrecker and recovery services throughout Gilbert and the surrounding area:
- Loop 202 Santan Freeway corridor
- US 60 (Superstition Freeway) corridor
- Gilbert Road from Baseline to Queen Creek Road
- Val Vista Drive, Higley Road, Power Road corridors
- Power Ranch, Morrison Ranch, Seville, Agritopia
- SanTan Village area
- Heritage District
Nearby cities: Chandler, Mesa, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Tempe, Scottsdale, and Phoenix.
Frequently Asked Questions — Wrecker Services
What’s the difference between a tow truck and a wrecker?
A standard tow truck (flatbed or wheel-lift) moves vehicles that can be loaded normally. A wrecker is a heavy-duty truck with a boom, winch, and recovery equipment — it’s designed to recover vehicles that are stuck, overturned, or in positions where a normal tow truck can’t reach them. Think of it this way: a tow truck moves cars. A wrecker rescues them.
How fast can you get to an accident scene?
For locations within Gilbert, we’re typically on scene within 20-30 minutes. Highway incidents on the 202 or US 60 may be faster depending on our truck location. We prioritize accident recovery calls because blocking traffic creates additional safety hazards.
Do you work with law enforcement?
Yes. We work regularly with Gilbert Police Department, Chandler PD, Mesa PD, and Arizona DPS on accident scene clearance and vehicle recovery. We’re familiar with their procedures and can coordinate smoothly.
Can Thompson’s repair the vehicle after recovery?
Absolutely. If the damage is mechanical — suspension, steering, drivetrain, engine components — we can often repair it right at our shop. For body work, we’ll recommend a trusted collision repair center. But the point is, you don’t need to arrange a separate tow from the impound lot to a repair shop. We handle it all.
Call Thompson’s for Wrecker Services — 480-418-9206
Accidents happen. Vehicles end up in places they shouldn’t be. When the situation needs more than a standard tow truck, Thompson’s wrecker services are ready. Over 30 years of experience, heavy-duty equipment, and the ability to repair your vehicle after recovery — all from one company in Gilbert, AZ.
Call 480-418-9206 anytime, day or night. We’ll get you out.