Tow Trucks

It’s happened to most of us at some point; you’re driving along the highway whistling to Tom Petty on the radio and bam! A blowout. Suddenly your rear left tire is strung out all over the road, and you’re grinding against the pavement. The only problem is that you don’t have a spare. Time to call the tow truck.

Tow trucks are used from everything to pulling people with flats, yanking someone out of a ditch, or hauling away a smashed up car from the scene of an accident. They’ve come a long way in their evolution, there’s no doubt about that. The two truck of yesteryear is not the tow truck of today; at least in most cases it’s not. How do you know which one is pulling your vehicle away? Well, the best way is to be informed.

There are three main types of tow trucks in use today, so let’s go to school, shall we?

Hook and Chain: The oldest of the old. These are your grandfather’s tow trucks. They aren’t in use today as much as they once were, but you can still find them around in some places. You know the type. A hook is place on the front or rear axel of your car, with a chain leading to the tow truck. It pulls your car to the garage and presto, you’re home free – or are you? The reason hook and chain tow trucks aren’t used much anymore is because they were found to cause damage or scratches. In other words, they did more harm than good to the vehicle. No one wants to pay for a replacement tire only to find out that his or her axel is bent to hell. Thus, the hook and chain tow truck has pretty much gone the way of the dodo bird.

Wheel-Lift: Similar to a hook and chain tow truck, wheel-lift tow trucks use a metal yoke rather than a chain. The yoke is hooked under the front or rear tires, and a hydraulic lift or pneumatic hoist lifts the vehicle off the ground to be towed. These are the most common tow trucks in existence today. They don’t scratch the vehicles frame, or cause damage to the axel. Safer and more reliable than hook and chain tow trucks, if you get in an accident, this is probably the type of tow truck that is going to come to your rescue.

Flatbed: Otherwise known as a rollback tow truck, flatbeds contain a large empty bed in the back of the truck. With the use of hydraulics, this bed can be inclined to form a ramp. The damaged car or truck can then either be driven onto the bed, or a winch can be attached to it to pull it onto the flatbed. The hydraulics then level the bed out and the vehicle is secure. These types of tow trucks are typically used when there’s been a serious crash and the vehicle cannot be towed away with a hook and chain or wheel-lift. Likewise, they are also used to haul damaged vehicles long distances. They are safe and reliable because there is no pressure placed on the vehicle, but rather the flatbed handles all the stress.

Now that you know a little more about the three different types of tow trucks, let’s look briefly at who uses them.

While big companies sometimes use tow trucks, they are more typically owned by independent firms who make a profit off of towing your vehicle. You know the type, right? Bob’s Wheelies, Frank’s Towing, or Dale’s Repair and Maintenance. These are tow trucks that are either privately owned, or small companies that may contain a fleet of two or three trucks. There are also government owned tow trucks, if you ca believe that. These are used to patrol toll roads and highways for vehicles that may need to be moved. Yes, that is your tax dollars at work, and why not? A stranded vehicle is unsafe to other drivers, especially at night or in a storm. No one wants to rear-end a parked vehicle that has been sitting there because no one wants to tow it.

There you have it, you’re a little more educated on tow trucks. Now the next time you’re in an accident or get a flat tire (God forbid), you’ll be able to get a better grip on the situation by knowing the type of truck that is towing your vehicle away. Not only that, but you’ll sound smarter to the tow truck driver. “What do you got there, a wheel-lift?” you can ask him. You like to sound smart, don’t you?