The neighborhoods surrounding Southern Methodist University — University Park, Highland Park, and the streets immediately north and east of the SMU campus — are some of the most traveled corridors in Dallas. Between students commuting to campus on Hillcrest Avenue, families running errands along Lovers Lane, and commuters cutting through on Mockingbird Lane, these streets stay busy around the clock. When a car breaks down here, help needs to arrive fast.
Texas Tows Inc. has been serving the Dallas area since 2015, and our TDLR-licensed operators (license #0654316VSF) know every block of University Park and the SMU neighborhood. Whether you're stuck in front of the Moody Coliseum, stalled on Daniel Avenue, or dealing with a flat tire on Airline Road, we can reach you in 30 minutes or less — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Call us anytime at (817) 512-1024.
Why University Park and SMU Present Unique Towing Challenges
University Park is a city entirely surrounded by Dallas — with its own police department, street maintenance, and parking enforcement. That jurisdictional overlap matters when you break down. University Park PD (UPPD) handles incidents within city limits, while Dallas PD covers areas on or near the SMU campus proper and surrounding Dallas neighborhoods. Knowing which agency to contact for a parking or towing dispute can save you time and frustration.
The streets here are also densely residential with narrow lanes and abundant street parking. Getting a flatbed tow truck into a tight block requires skill and familiarity with the local layout — something our drivers have from years of runs in this area. Traffic on Mockingbird and Lovers Lane can stack quickly during morning and afternoon rush, and during SMU home games, half the neighborhood streets turn into overflow parking. Our dispatchers account for all of it.
Roadside Services We Provide Near SMU and University Park
Texas Tows provides a full range of roadside and towing services in University Park, Highland Park, and the SMU corridor:
- Flatbed towing: Safe transport for any vehicle — AWD, luxury, lowered, or accident-damaged. Our flatbed towing fleet keeps all four wheels off the road during transport.
- Roadside assistance: Flat tire changes, fuel delivery (gas or diesel), and battery jump-starts when you're stranded on the street or in a parking lot. See our roadside assistance page for full details.
- Lockout service: Locked your keys inside? Our operators can unlock most vehicle models without damaging the door or window.
- Winch-outs: Slid into a ditch, stuck in mud, or beached on a curb? Our winch-out service gets you back on the road without further damage.
- Accident recovery: If you've been involved in a collision near the SMU area, our accident recovery team works alongside first responders to safely clear and transport your vehicle.
- Vehicle transport: Need your car moved — not towed — across town or to another city? Our vehicle transport service handles non-emergency moves professionally.
Neighborhoods and Streets We Cover in This Area
Our service zone around SMU and University Park includes, but isn't limited to:
- SMU campus and immediate surroundings: University Blvd, Bishop Blvd, Fondren Science Building area, Moody Coliseum parking, Binkley Avenue, and Ownby Drive
- University Park residential streets: Lovers Lane, Hillcrest Avenue, Preston Road, Armstrong Parkway, Stanford Avenue, Euclid Avenue, and Daniel Avenue
- Highland Park: Beverly Drive, Lakeside Drive, Turtle Creek Boulevard, and the Knox/Henderson adjacent zones
- Mockingbird corridor: From the Dallas North Tollway east to Greenville Avenue, including shopping areas near Mockingbird Station
- East of campus: Greenville Avenue, Lower Greenville, Belmont Avenue — transitioning into our Lower Greenville service area
We also connect seamlessly to nearby service areas including North Dallas, Preston Hollow, and Lake Highlands. No matter where in the greater Dallas area you end up stranded, Texas Tows has you covered.
Common Breakdown Scenarios in the SMU and University Park Area
After years of service calls in this neighborhood, our team has seen the same situations come up again and again. Here are the most common — and what to do in each case.
Dead Battery in a Campus Parking Lot
SMU's parking garages and surface lots are frequent sites of dead battery calls — especially on hot summer days when air conditioning runs continuously and aging batteries give out. If you're in a campus parking structure, call us at (817) 512-1024 and give us your exact parking level. Our drivers know the SMU campus layout and can navigate to you quickly.
Flat Tire on Lovers Lane or Hillcrest
Lovers Lane between Dallas North Tollway and Greenville Avenue is a high-traffic commercial corridor with heavy parallel parking turnover. Sharp curb edges, potholes near some older intersections, and occasional road debris can all cause flats. If you get a flat on Hillcrest or Lovers Lane, pull as far right as safely possible, turn on your hazard lights, and call us. We'll have a tech to you quickly — and if your spare is in poor condition, we'll transport you to a nearby shop.
Stalled on Mockingbird During Rush Hour
Mockingbird Lane is a major east-west artery. Stalling on Mockingbird during rush hour — especially near the Tollway junction — can block traffic and escalate quickly into a safety issue. If you break down on a busy main road, stay in your vehicle with your seatbelt fastened and hazards on until help arrives. Our average response time in the University Park area is under 30 minutes.
Fender-Bender Near the Campus or Neighborhood
Minor accidents happen at SMU's congested campus entry points and on residential streets where parking makes visibility tricky. Texas law (Transportation Code §550.062) allows you to call a tow truck before Dallas PD or UPPD arrives for non-injury crashes, which is often the faster move during peak traffic. Our accident recovery team will document the scene and transport your vehicle safely on a flatbed.
What to Expect When You Call Texas Tows
Our dispatch process is straightforward and designed to get you help fast:
- Call (817) 512-1024. A real dispatcher answers — not a voicemail, not an automated system.
- Give your location. A cross street, landmark, or parking lot name is enough. If you're not sure exactly where you are, share your phone's GPS location.
- Describe the situation. What happened, what type of vehicle, whether it's drivable. This helps us dispatch the right equipment on the first truck.
- Wait safely. Hazards on, stay inside your vehicle when possible (especially on busy roads), and watch for our truck. Our dispatcher will give you an ETA.
- We arrive and handle it. Our TDLR-licensed drivers assess the situation, confirm the service, and get you moving — or get your vehicle safely loaded for transport.
We operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — including late-night calls after SMU events, early morning calls before the school day, and holiday weekends when campus activity spikes.
Why University Park Residents and SMU Students Trust Texas Tows
Towing companies aren't all the same. The right one to call has licensed operators, proper insurance, modern equipment, and honest pricing. Here's what sets Texas Tows apart for the SMU and University Park community:
- TDLR licensed: All of our operators carry Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation credentials (VSF license #0654316VSF). You can verify our license on the TDLR website.
- Flatbed-first approach: We prefer flatbeds over wheel-lift towing whenever possible. This is especially important for the luxury and AWD vehicles common in the University Park area, where wheel-lift can cause drivetrain or clearance damage.
- Transparent pricing: Under Texas Occupations Code Ch. 2308, you have the right to a written estimate before any tow begins. We always provide one.
- Fast response times: Our fleet is staged across Dallas, and we consistently reach University Park in under 30 minutes.
- Dallas-native experience: Our drivers have been working these streets since 2015. They know the campus, the residential grid, and the fastest routes through Highland Park and beyond.
Tips for Drivers in the SMU and University Park Area
A few things that can help you stay safer — and reduce the chance of a breakdown in the first place:
- Watch tire pressure in summer. Dallas heat causes tire pressure to rise. Overinflated tires are more vulnerable to blowouts on hot pavement. Check pressure weekly during June through August.
- Know your battery age. Most car batteries last 3–5 years. If yours is approaching that threshold — especially heading into a hot Dallas summer — have it tested before it fails in a campus parking garage.
- Keep a roadside kit in your trunk. A basic kit (reflective triangles, a flashlight, jumper cables, and a phone charger) makes a breakdown far less stressful while you wait for help.
- Save our number now. Save (817) 512-1024 in your phone before you ever need it. In a stressful situation, having the number already saved saves time and prevents mistakes.
- Understand your insurance roadside coverage. Many auto policies include roadside assistance riders — check yours. If you're using insurance, let our dispatcher know so we can coordinate correctly.
Serving the Entire SMU and University Park Corridor, 24/7
From late-night calls when students get locked out of their cars to early-morning tows before the school day, Texas Tows is the reliable roadside partner for the SMU and University Park community. Our towing service covers the full Dallas area, and our local knowledge of University Park's streets, campus zones, and neighborhood grid means we get to you efficiently every time.
Don't wait on the side of the road longer than you have to. Call Texas Tows at (817) 512-1024 — we're available 24/7, and we'll have someone on the way to you in minutes.
