Calling A Towing Service To Move Your Vehicle When A Breakdown Occurs

Posted on: 16 February 2023

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Towing services are often the best solution when you are broken down along the road and can not get your car or truck to a repair shop. The size of the vehicle you are driving will often dictate the type of tow truck necessary for the job, and the dispatcher will often ask what you are driving so they know if medium-duty towing is enough or if you need a heavy-duty wrecker. 

Towing Situations 

Medium-duty towing services will often use a rollback or ramp truck or a standard-sized wrecker to move a vehicle that is disabled. These tow trucks are heavy enough to handle most cars, SUVs, and light trucks without any issues and are flexible enough to allow them to adapt to different situations when necessary.

The tow service may need to do some recovery work if your vehicle is off the road, so the right equipment is essential. In some cases, a ramp truck and a wrecker may be necessary for a vehicle stuck in the snow, sand, or loose terrain. However, an experienced tow operator can often use the truck and other tools to carefully return the car or truck to the road before towing it into the garage.

Towing Your Vehicle

Moving your disabled vehicle can be handled in several ways, but the type of damage to the car or truck can affect how the medium-duty towing service handles it. A vehicle that won't start but can be taken out of gear can be towed with a wrecker that lifts one axle off the ground. 

Cars and trucks that will not roll freely need to go on a ramp truck that lifts the entire car or truck. In both cases, the weight of your car or truck plays a role in what the towing service will use, so if you are driving a one-ton truck with a lot of cargo in it, the medium-duty towing service may be limited to towing it on the ground behind a standard wrecker. 

The tow operator will have to determine the best option when they arrive at the scene, and in some situations, they may need to bring in a heavy-duty wrecker to handle the tow. However, most of the cars and light trucks on the road are well within the limits of a medium-duty towing service to recover and tow to a repair shop. 

Towing Costs

Insurance companies will often cover the tow if you have comprehensive coverage with a towing rider, or you can use a roadside club membership if you have one and the wrecker service is a member provider. Many medium-duty towing services will work with many different roadside clubs to allow them to service most customers, but be sure to ask when you call or arrange the tow through the roadside member services, and they can send the tow truck out to you.

To learn more, contact a medium-duty towing service in your area.