Preparing For Car Emergencies

Posted on: 4 January 2023

Statistics show that 69 million annual vehicle breakdowns occur in the United States. Although this number is largely composed of passenger cars, heavy-duty vehicles like refrigerated trucks and tractor units are no exception. When a large, heavy vehicle like a tractor unit breaks down, hiring heavy-duty towing services becomes necessary. Read on to discover more about heavy-duty towing and what it entails.

Heavy-Duty Towing Explained

Heavy-duty towing involves large, oversized vehicles like school buses, motorhomes, tractor-trailers, semis, and garbage trucks. It's different from light-duty towing for smaller, lighter automobiles like passenger cars or medium towing needed to transport recreational vehicles, vans, box trucks, and similar automobiles. Hiring heavy-duty towing services is essential because it ensures you have the equipment needed to haul a larger vehicle. Otherwise, using the wrong tools can damage the cargo and tow truck. Also, heavy-duty tow trucks come with formidable chains and hooks that safely secure the vehicle under transportation, preventing unnecessary movements and adverse incidents.

Fundamentals of Heavy-Duty Towing

Below is what you need to know about heavy-duty towing.

Equipment

Heavy-duty towing companies rely on numerous tools and equipment like rotators. A rotator is a truck with a crane-like arm designed to rotate around. When a heavy-duty vehicle that needs towing is in a difficult-to-reach position, like in an embankment, towers may use this machine to haul it out. Towing experts also use lowboys to haul large vehicles. A lowboy comes with a double drop trailer that allows professionals to load and unload enormous cargo easily.  Since these trailers are significantly closer to the ground, they also facilitate the transportation of supersized cargo. Most importantly, these experts use heavy-duty tow trucks designed to facilitate the recovery of oversized vehicles like garbage trucks. These machines are power-packed, with some boasting a gross weight rating of approximately 40,000 pounds. In addition, many heavy-duty tow trucks are equipped with axle lifts. These components allow the wreckers to handle loads that are typically beyond standard axles.

Cost

Heavy-duty towing is often costly for various reasons. First, it requires powerful tow trucks, which demand professional handling by drivers with extensive experience. That is necessary because driving experts have the knowledge and skills to do several things correctly, like setting up weight distribution bars.  Also, heavy-duty towing often involves challenging maneuvers with huge loads. For instance, you may call a company to provide cliff recovery on a highway with limited space. Or, you may hire towing services in unpredictable weather, exposing the tow truck driver and your vehicle to physical harm and costly damages. All these factors are considered by towing companies when billing their clients. With the above in mind, heavy-duty towing fees vary depending on various factors, including the time of day and distance covered. Many companies charge extra fees for services offered after working hours or outside specific geographical boundaries.

Reach out to a company like Jensen Towing to learn more.