There’s three main kinds of tow trucks commonly used, but five common categories of equipment. The three main kinds of trucks are used for different crisis or labor scenarios like emergency towing, and determine what kind of tow truck that a service will send out. The three main kinds of tow trucks are:
Hook and Chain or Sling Trucks
Hook and chain tow trucks are rarely used today because, due to their design, damage is often sustained to the bumpers or front end of the cars. This truck works by looping a chain around the frame or axle of the vehicle, which is then wound up with a boom winch. Sometimes the sling truck is used on towing vehicles that have suffered an accident, or are missing one or both of the rear wheels, since the car can’t be securely towed by another kind of wrecker truck.
Flatbed, or slide trucks
These trucks are fit with beds that can be hydraulically positioned at an incline, and slid down to ground level – the truck is then driven onto the bed, or pulled on to it with a truck mounted winch. This is the most common and popular kind of tow truck used for emergency towing.
Wheel-Lift Tow Trucks
This truck is similar to sling trucks, but rather than using a hook and chain, it uses a metal yoke that fits under the front or back wheels. When the wheels are tightly in the cradle of the yoke, the rear or front end of the vehicle is lifted up clear off the ground with a pneumatic or hydraulic hoist in order to get towed away. The yoke is usually placed onto the drive wheels of the vehicle, touching only the tires so no damage can be caused to the bumpers – like the damage that occurs with hook and chain trucks.
Besides these main categories of trucks, there’s two additional types of equipment that are commonly used by emergency towing service providers:
Integrated or Repo Trucks
These light duty trucks have a boom and wheel lift mechanism combined inside one unit. They have controls inside the truck’s cab that allows for the vehicle to be repossessed or quickly towed away, without anyone having to exit the truck to hook the vehicle up to it’s bed or towing mechanism.
Booms Tow Trucks
This equipment is commonly used in all types of tow trucks in order to assist in the recovery of a vehicle from a ditch or embankment.