Heavy-Duty Tow Trucks

Tow trucks are one of those devices that you don’t give much thought to until you need one. Tow trucks come in various designs and configurations, each designed to meet specific use cases and tasks. The type of tow truck most people are familiar with and may have used is the light-duty tow truck. Light-duty trucks are most commonly used to tow automobiles from roadsides and random breakdowns. However, other types of tow trucks offer far more power for more involved tasks.

Tow-Truck Weight Lift Totals

Tow truck weight recommendations are varied, and how much weight a tow truck can lift is one of the key ways it’s classified. The general breakdown is as follows.

• Light-Duty Tow Trucks: These tow trucks can lift and pull between 7,000 and 11,000 pounds. These tow trucks are commonly used to tow personal vehicles.
• Medium-Duty Tow Trucks: A medium-duty truck can lift and pull between 7,000 and 17,000 pounds. They do many of the same jobs light-duty trucks can do but are also used on larger objects that require more power to move.
• Heavy-Duty Tow Trucks: These are the biggest and strongest types of tow trucks that see common use and have a heavy duty towing capacity of over 17,000 pounds. Weighing several tons, a heavy-duty tow truck can pull several tons on its own.

Where Heavy-Duty Tow Trucks Are Used

Heavy-duty tow trucks are used for some of the biggest and most important jobs. There are some situations where a small truck just won’t be able to help. For example, if a fully-loaded tractor-trailer needs towing, you need something that can move both the truck and its cargo. A heavy-duty truck can lift and tow items, including modular homes, other heavy vehicles, multiple cars, and industrial equipment such as the type of gear used on large farms. Also, heavy-duty tow trucks see use when the terrain isn’t easy to drive on. Not every accident or towing need occurs on a well-maintained interstate freeway. Sometimes an 18-wheeler or a tractor ends up at the bottom of an incline, and you need a lot of tow power to pull it out.

Final Thoughts

As with any job, you need the right tools to do the job properly, which is essential in towing. A tow truck that’s too weak won’t be able to do the job, and you also risk damaging your equipment. A big job needs a powerful tow truck, and a heavy-duty tow truck is exactly what you need for the biggest tasks.

Categorised in: Tow Truck Service

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