Different Types of Tow Trucks for When You Need to Tow Your Car
If you need to get your car towed, for any reason, you probably don't put a lot of consideration into what type of tow truck you're getting. The most important thing, after all, is to get your car off the road. However, by knowing what types of trucks there are, you can get the appropriate service for your type of car. If it's an emergency, you probably just want to get your car towed as quickly as possible, but if you're getting towed for any other reason, it might be worth knowing what different types of tow trucks do for your car. The main types are hook and chain, wheel-lift and flatbed.
Hook and chain
This tow truck uses a hook and chains to connect to the axles of your vehicle, pulling it backwards on its own four wheels. These types of tow trucks can cause a lot of damage to your car as the chains can scrape the bumper or even tear it off if the hook is applied in the wrong way. It can also cause damage to your car's tyres, as it doesn't do anything to protect them from being dragged along the road. Hook-and-chain tow trucks should only be used to tow your car if it has been severely damaged, like if it has been in a car accident.
Wheel-Lift
The wheel-lift tow truck is similar to the hook and chain. The main difference being that instead of hooks and chains, the trucks use a metal yoke that it puts behind the back or the front tyres. It then uses hydraulics to lift the tyres off the ground, dragging the car on two of its tyres. As it uses a steel bar with the same width as the car itself, it's far less likely to damage your car than a hook and chain truck. However, since two of your tyres are touching the ground, this can cause wear, as the car's weight is being put on only two tyres. This makes it an inappropriate tow truck for longer distances.
Flatbed
A flatbed truck is used by hoisting or driving your car up the large, flatbed on the tow truck's back. This is the safest option for towing long distances, as your car is completely off the ground and there are no attachments put on your car to drag it and potentially damage it. The only downside with a flatbed truck is that the procedure of getting your car up on the flatbed takes longer than fastening the yoke of a wheel-lift truck.
For more information, contact a company such as Swan Towing Service.
