The Inside Scoop On Towing Services

Unless you are somehow connected with towing services, the chances are good that you don't think of them very often. However, if you spend a lot of time on the road, there is a good chance that you will need car towing services. Therefore, it could prove helpful to understand the basics of these services and to be prepared.

Towing services are on-call businesses. They typically have expensive equipment and skilled operators on standby, awaiting your call. There are so many types of vehicles for which they have to be prepared, for example, car towing and SUV towing, commercial towing, and motor home towing, that there may be multiple pieces of equipment available. Since this equipment is very costly, the prices charged for the services may seem high. However, keep in mind that the cost of the equipment has to be covered by the charges for the services.

Car towing services are considered to be among the lightest-duty towing services. However, this still requires the correct equipment and skilled operators. Typical equipment of these towing services will include either flatbed trucks with provisions for loading the vehicles onto the beds, or hook and cable wreckers. However, the more modern approach is to use the flat-bed truck, leaving the hook and cable for heavier work.

SUV's come in many sizes these days. For that reason, for SUV towing there may be a need for equipment ranging from flat bed trucks to lighter-duty hook and cable machines. When the need arises for having your SUV towed, be sure to advise the towing service of the vehicle brand and model when you make the call.

Commercial towing can be an extra-heavy-duty affair. This service includes towing commercial vehicles ranging from local delivery vehicles to over-the-road diesel tractors. The towing service will invariably use a very large and heavy-duty hook and cable unit to tow commercial vehicles of this type.

If you own and travel in a motor home, be aware that this is also a heavy-duty tow, and it will be costly to have it moved should you run into trouble on the highway. As with commercial towing, motor home towing requires the use of the hook and cable approach, with the equipment tending on the heavy side.

Because the use of tow services are usually an emergency when there are mental stresses beyond the simple act of moving your vehicle, it helps to be prepared. Take a few minutes, assess your own situation, type of vehicle, typical routes of travel, etc., and research the available towing services that could match your needs. Then write down the numbers of the towing services and keep them handy - in the glove compartment, for example. Doing so could save you a great deal of anguish should the need arise for a towing service.