Considerations When Hiring A Tow Truck

Tow trucks are your best bet when recovering your vehicle from an accident site or when transporting your faulty vehicle to the garage. Below is an extract with criteria for choosing a tow truck service. 

Type of Tow Truck  

Most car owners presume that any tow truck can tow their vehicle. Nonetheless, nothing could be further from the truth. It is vital to note that tow trucks have different hauling capacities. For instance, some tow trucks are designed to haul small cars, while others can tow SUVs and lorries. Then, you also need to choose the type of tow truck. Preferably, consider hiring a flatbed tow truck. It is a tow truck that loads your vehicle on a truck bed using a winch. The benefit of this tow truck is that your car does not have any contact with the road. Therefore, your vehicle does not suffer any damages during towing. 

An alternative to the flatbed tow truck is the wheel lift tow truck. This tow truck has a yoke that lifts the vehicle's front end at a slight angle during towing. However, it may not be appropriate if you have a lowered vehicle that could suffer bumper or underneath damage when slightly lifted. When towing a heavy vehicle, such as a truck, bus, or large SUV, you could opt for an integrated tow truck.

These tow trucks have additional axles, heavy-duty winches and cranes that ease the recovery and towing of heavy vehicles. Hook and chain tow trucks are traditional tow trucks that hook the front or rear end of the car to a chain during towing. Although these tow trucks are cheap and available, they are likely to damage your vehicle's transmission, bumpers, and underneath. Therefore, they are suitable when moving wrecked or junk vehicles. 

The Expertise of the Towing Crew

Your next concern is the expertise of the towing crew. For example, does the crew understand the safety measures they should take when towing a vehicle? Typically, if the car has suffered an accident, they should secure the accident scene using safety triangles and cones, emergency lighting and barricades. Besides, the crew should take all measures to prevent further vehicle damage. For instance, they could detach panels and bumpers that could get damaged during towing or blown off by wind. Finally, inquire if the recovery crew has experienced mechanics. In some cases, the vehicle defect could be repaired by the roadside. Therefore, roadside repair services can help save time and costs. 

About Me

Getting Put of Sticky Situations: A Towing Blog

Stuck in a big mud puddle? Buried your wheels in sand? Stranded on the side of the road? Well, whether you are in a literal or proverbial sticky situation, this blog is designed to help. Through the years, I've done everything from cross country journeys to offloading, and I've dealt with my share of tow truck drivers. I created this blog to help others in the same situation. I plan to provide you with tips that will help when you're in the thick of the situation as well as ideas to help you prepare in case you encounter a situation. Explore and enjoy.

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