Vehicle break downs occur all the time, and mostly in unexpected fashion. It can occur when you are on heading for work, in the parking lot, on your road-trip, near your home. When vehicle break down happens, you probably will need to get a towing company to help move your vehicle. There are several types of towing trucks which are designed for various towing purposes. Each offers its unique performance and benefits. Some towing trucks work better than others depending on circumstances.

The 4 types of tow trucks are:

1. Wheel-Lift Tow Truck

Wheel-lift tow trucks shares similar mechanism to the hook and chain tow trucks. The difference between them is that they use a metal yoke instead of chains. This induce less damage to the towed vehicle. The metal yoke is hooked under the front or rear wheels. A hydraulic lift suspends the front or rear side of the towed vehicle in order to lift it from the ground and pull it away. Front wheel drive vehicle is towed by its entrance wheels. Wheel lift tow trucks less expensive to acquire compared to flatbed tow trucks, and are more mobile. However, it lacks the stability and safety of its counterpart.

2. Flatbed Tow Truck

Flatbed tow trucks are one of the most commonly used towing vehicles in the towing industry. Flatbed tow truck has “flatbed” or long ramp situated at the back the vehicle. The movement of the flatbed depends on the hydraulics, which enables the ramp to move upwards or downwards. Flatbeds are popular because of the ease to load the vehicle onto the truck; you can either drive the vehicle up to the ramp or have it pulled. It is also very useful in transporting vehicles which have their wheels damaged or immobilized. It can be used to tow a wide range of vehicles such as motorcycles, cars, RVs, boats and so on. It is considered one of the safest way to tow vehicles due to the stability. However, the downside is the speed; flatbed tow trucks are They are also one of the safest ways to tow vehicles.

3. Integrated Tow Truck

Integrated tow trucks are normally employed in heavy-duty towing. Due to its strength and stability from the extra axles, they can be used to tow heavy vehicles such as buses or rigs. The arm is embedded in the core of the truck for towing the vehicles.

4. Hook and Chain Tow Trucks

Hook and chain tow trucks were used widely in the past, but nowadays knowing that a lot of pressure is applied on the towed vehicles using this method, it has become a less commonly used method. Furthermore, wrapped chains cause scratches or damage to the vehicle. In addition, the hook and chain tow trucks should not be used on all-wheel drives because it can damage the drivetrain. It is not rendered useless however, the hook and chain tow trucks are mainly used for towing junk or wrecked automobiles. When transporting these vehicles, additional damage to the already wrecked vehicle does not matter.

Victory Towing Long Beach provides 24/7 towing services and roadside assistance, call us today!