Hook-and-Chain
The location of tow hooks on a vehicle is also important, as there are certain areas that should not be used as attachment points for recovery or towing straps. For example, a bumper is not designed to handle the weight of a vehicle, and it will either be deformed or completely pulled off if it is attached to a recovery strap. It is also not a good idea to attach a recovery strap to an axle, as this can easily be bent or torn off under pulling pressure.
Tow Hooks
Integrated
A slide-in wheel lift is a favorite for repossession agents because it can be easily installed on multiple different light-duty trucks. It can also be disassembled and transferred to another truck if it’s no longer needed. It’s also less exposed to the elements than a hidden wheel lift, which can help it last longer.
There are a lot of reasons you may need to get your car towed, ranging from a simple flat tire to picking up a totaled vehicle after an accident. Depending on your specific situation, different towing methods are more suitable.
Once you submit your request via our app, our algorithm will swiftly determine the most suited towing method for your needs. Let’s explore the main towing options available:
Flatbed tow trucks are designed with a flat level deck on the back. They have a hydraulic system that tilts and slides to allow vehicles to be driven or towed onto the flatbed. They are the safest type of towing truck since they don’t put pressure on towed cars or drag them across the ground. They also protect towed vehicles from harmful road conditions during transport, such as potholes and cracks.
Loading vehicles on a flatbed is easier than with other types of towing trucks. With a standard flatbed, the tow truck operator simply drives or pulls the car up onto the bed and secures it in place for transportation. The flatbed is also more stable than a wrecker, which can cause your vehicle to slide and damage the underneath of the car. This is especially dangerous if the car is in a high gear, as it can cause transmission damage.
A tow truck is a vehicle used to move disabled or impounded vehicles. It can be equipped with a boom, hook, chain, wheel lift system, or other equipment to facilitate the lifting and transport of vehicles. There are many different types of tow trucks, and knowing which one is right for your business can make a big difference in profitability.
Tow hooks are a must-have for any car that spends much of its time off road or on difficult terrain. Often, they will be used in conjunction with towing chains or recovery straps to pull vehicles out of sticky situations. The tow hook’s purpose is two-fold: it distributes the force of the pull along a reinforced part of the vehicle’s frame, and it securely holds the towing chain or strap in place. This minimizes sway and vibration that can cause damage to the towing or recovery strap, as well as to the vehicle being pulled.
Typically, tow straps are made from nylon and have a high stretch value. This makes them suitable for bringing a stuck vehicle out. Additionally, they can be used for towing a free-wheeling vehicle behind another. These straps are available in a variety of lengths and often include useful shackles on both ends. Depending on your recovery requirements, you may need a towing strap with a lower or higher break strength.
Another important towing equipment is the grab hook, which holds a chain or rope. The hook has a narrow gap between its inside walls, which allows it to grip the chain and prevent it from slipping during use. Grab hooks are available in a variety of sizes to suit various applications, including construction, mining, and agriculture.
A tow truck with a wheel lift is typically smaller than a flatbed tow truck, which makes it more maneuverable in tighter spaces like parking garages. It’s also ideal for towing vehicles that are parallel parked or inside a storage garage because it doesn’t need to be backed up to them. It’s also a great choice for short distance tows because it’s faster than the traditional hook-and-chain method.
A wheel lift tow truck is an updated version of a traditional hook and chain tow truck. It uses a wheel-lift system that lifts a car’s front or rear and leaves the other side’s wheels on the ground, allowing the tow truck to drag the vehicle behind it as it travels down the road. This type of tow truck is often used to haul vehicles that are in need of repair, as it can save time by not having to drive the vehicle to its destination.
Once the tow strap is in place, the recovery vehicle can slowly start pulling the stuck vehicle out of the ditch. The tow strap’s stretchiness collects the kinetic energy from the tugging and disperses it evenly over a large area, thus reducing the force required to pull the vehicle out of the ditch. This is how tow straps differ from chains, which can be dangerous if they get caught under a moving vehicle and cause it to become uncontrolled.
This type of towing is used by both towing companies and repossession agents because it’s quick and efficient. It also minimizes the risk of damage to vehicles by placing only a small amount of pressure on the car’s wheels. It’s also less expensive than flatbed towing because it doesn’t require a large tow truck or as much specialized equipment.
The most common type of tow truck is a flatbed. This is a long truck with a flat top that moves up and down hydraulically.
For more involved towing scenarios, a company might dispatch a heavy-duty rotator tow truck. These trucks have integrated crane booms that allow them to rotate, position, and recover overturned tractor-trailers and other large cargo loads. They’re also suitable for hauling abandoned or stranded vehicles for repossession purposes.
Before using a tow strap, put the car being towed into neutral and make sure there are no bystanders close to the vehicle that could be injured by the metal hooks. Also, be careful not to pull hard or abruptly when the strap is tightened. Sudden movements can damage the vehicle, tow hooks and even the strap itself.
How to Choose the Right Towing Service for Your Needs
A tow trucker, also known as a tow truck driver or operator, offers a variety of vehicle-related repair and hauling services to non-commercial and commercial vehicle drivers, police, municipalities and even other tow truckers.
In summary, the term “tow truck” is a broad category that includes various types of vehicles designed for towing and recovery, while “wrecker” typically refers to a specific type of tow truck with specialized equipment for lifting or towing vehicles.
However, three main types of towing are still the most common and relied upon; flatbed, wheel-lift, and hook-and-chain.
Hook and Chain. The hook and chain tow truck is what many pictures when they think of a tow truck. This style is also called a sling or belt lift, but it is not normally used in today's towing industry. A hook and chain truck is operated by attaching a metal chain to the vehicle's bumper or axle.
Flatbed tow trucks, also known as rollbacks, are the most common and widely used towing vehicles in the world. As the name suggests, flatbed tow trucks have a long metal flatbed with hydraulics that allows the bed to move up and down vertically. They are handy for multiple fields, from automotive to agriculture.
CLASS 5: Class 5 receivers are the highest weight ratings and can range between 2.5” and 3” receiver sizes. They are usually found on heavy duty full-size trucks and commercial trucks. The 2.5” receiver is rated up to 18,500 lbs. and the 3” is rated at 21,000 lbs.