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The 4 main types of tow truck and their common uses
No matter what sort of vehicle you have, if it has an engine it can break down or run out of gas and leave you in need of help from a towing service. However, though your type of vehicle doesn’t control whether you break down or not, it does greatly affect the type of towing vehicle Towing Evansville IN may need to send out to you. It makes sense that a heavier and bulkier vehicle would require a heavier duty tow truck to rescue and tow it. It also would be overkill to send out a large heavy duty truck to rescue a small car or motorbike.
It is for this reason that Towing Evansville will ask you what sort of vehicle you need towing when you call us up for help. We want to make sure we send you the right truck for your vehicle so we can help you out as effectively and efficiently as we can. To give you an idea of the sort of truck we may send out to you, we have compiled here a list of the 4 main types of tow trucks and their common uses. 1) Flat bedThe most commonly used tow truck these days, an all-round safe and secure method of towing. Flat bed tow trucks carry the vehicle flat on the bed of the back of the truck, with the weight distributed evenly across all 4 wheels. This means that there is no undue pressure or strain applied to any one part of the vehicle, and if it has been damaged in an accident no more damage will be incurred whilst it is being moved. The flat bed can be raised and lowered hydraulically, and the vehicle to be towed can either by pulled up onto the back of the truck, or if it is driveable, it can be driven up a ramp and on to the flat bed. Once in place the vehicle is secured in place. Along with cars and smaller vans, motorbikes and boats can also be carried on a flat bed.
2) Hook and chainOften what people picture first when they think of a tow truck, hook and chain tow trucks are the more traditional vehicles that have been used in the towing industry for many years. They work by attaching a hook or wrapping a chain around the front bumper or another part of the front of the vehicle to be towed. The vehicle is then pulled along by a chain that is attached to the tow truck.
While simple to perform, these types of tows have fallen out of favor in modern times as they put a lot of strain on the front of the towed vehicle and may scratch or damage it. Furthermore, this type of towing is not recommended for 4x4 or 4 wheel drive vehicles as it can damage the drive train. However, if a vehicle is already damaged from an accident or is being towed to a scrap yard, then hook and chain towing may be perfectly suitable as an easy method of moving the car or van. 812-461-16043) Wheel liftAs the name suggests, a wheel lift truck lifts the front wheels of the vehicle being towed, and then pulls it along with just its rear wheels on the ground. Unlike the rougher methods used by hook and chain trucks, wheel lifts use a yolk under the front of the vehicle to be towed, putting less strain on the bumper and causing less potential damage and scratching than hook and chain trucks. This means that cars that have broken down can be towed in this way without causing damage. A hydraulic or pneumatic lift is used to raise the front wheels off the ground.
4) IntegratedIntegrated tow trucks are more specialist vehicles that are used for towing heavy duty vehicles such as trucks or buses. There is usually an extra axle to help with strength and to keep them steadier while they lift or tow. The arm of the truck is also more integrated into the inner body of the vehicle, to help utilize its own weight and core strength when towing.
If you need a tow, give us a call and let us know the make and model of your vehicle and we will choose which tow truck from our selection is best suited to your requirements. We will also ask you what is wrong with the vehicle so that we can ascertain whether it is likely to be driveable or physically damaged, as this can also affect the type of truck we send.
Whatever you requirements, rest assured that we will treat your vehicle with the care and attention that you would want us to, and that we would give a vehicle of our own. |
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