Thanksgiving week is the busiest driving week of the year in the Triangle, and WTF Towing runs straight through it — Wednesday’s getaway traffic, Thursday itself, and the Sunday crawl home. If you break down anywhere in Cary, Morrisville, Apex, RTP or at RDU, or on I-40, US-1 or NC-540 on the way in or out, call (919) 230-4498. A person answers, the price is quoted before the truck rolls, and there’s no holiday rate.
The rest of this post is what we tell our own families before they drive to Grandma’s: the ten-minute check that prevents most holiday breakdowns, what actually goes wrong on Thanksgiving trips, and what to do if it goes wrong anyway.
Why Thanksgiving breaks cars
Three things stack up. First, it’s the first cold snap for a lot of vehicles: a battery that was marginal all summer meets its first 30-degree morning in the driveway on Thanksgiving Day, and that’s the first jump-start call of the week. Second, cars that mostly do school runs and grocery trips suddenly do four hours at highway speed, fully loaded, with the heater on — which finds every weak hose, worn belt and under-inflated tire. Third, the traffic: I-40 from RTP to the I-440 split, US-1 through Cary, and the airport exits are all at capacity Wednesday afternoon and Sunday evening, so a stall in a lane becomes a hazard within seconds.
The ten-minute check, the weekend before
- Tires. Set the pressure to the number on the driver’s door sticker, cold. Colder mornings drop pressure; a tire that was fine in October is low now. Look at the spare too, and make sure the jack and wrench are actually in the car.
- Battery. If it’s more than four years old, or the car has cranked slowly at all, get it tested — most parts stores do it free. A battery that dies in your driveway is an inconvenience; one that dies at a rest stop on I-95 is your Thanksgiving.
- Fluids. Oil level, coolant level in the overflow tank, washer fluid full. Wipers that streak get replaced now, not in the rain on Thursday morning.
- Lights. Walk around with someone tapping the brake. Sunset is before 5:15 in late November; you’ll be driving in the dark more than you think.
- Fuel. Leave with a full tank. NC-540 has no stations on it, and the ones near I-40 exits are jammed on Wednesday. Our post on running out of gas explains why “E” lies.
- The kit. Phone charger, a blanket, water, a flashlight, and our number saved: (919) 230-4498.
What goes wrong, in order
From the calls we take every Thanksgiving week: dead batteries first (cold morning, car loaded, lights left on at the store the night before); flats and blowouts second (under-inflated tires at highway speed with a full trunk); then lockouts — keys locked in the car at the Crossroads or Park West lots during the last-minute grocery run — and fuel; then overheating on the long haul; and finally the crashes, mostly rear-end collisions in the stop-and-go on I-40 and US-1. Nearly all of the first four are prevented by the list above. The fifth is prevented by following distance.
If you break down on the way
- On the highway: get to the right shoulder while you still have momentum, hazards on, stay belted in the car unless you can get well clear of traffic. Note the last exit or mile marker. Broke down on US-1? walks through it step by step.
- In a lot or a driveway: you have time. Tell us the symptoms and we’ll bring the fix — a jump start, a tire change, fuel, or a lockout — instead of a tow.
- Far from home: we do long-distance towing on the rollback: from a rest stop on the way to the coast, or from Cary to family in Charlotte or Greensboro, quoted upfront.
- Flying in to a dead car at RDU: call from the gate; we’ll time the truck to your arrival. The RDU page has the details.
We’re open — and we mean it
Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, the whole weekend: 24 hours, our own trucks and our own drivers, the same price you’d pay on a Tuesday in March. When your plans depend on the car, knowing the number to call is part of the plan.
Common questions
Do you charge more on Thanksgiving?
No. Distance and vehicle set the price; the calendar doesn’t.
Can you tow me home from out of town?
Yes. Tell us where you are and where home is, and you’ll get one upfront number for the trip.
My car died at a relative’s house in Apex — do you come out there?
Yes. Apex, Holly Springs, Morrisville, RTP, Raleigh and Durham are all normal runs.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at WTF Towing. If the trip goes sideways, call (919) 230-4498 — when your car makes you say WTF, you call WTF Towing.
