Which Type of Tow Truck Do You Need?

It happens to the best of us.

When you least expect it, your vehicle breaks down, or worse. You get into a collision that you’re unable to drive away from because your car or truck has sustained too much damage — or you’re in a spot you can’t drive out of.

Now what?

Depending on the situation, you’ll most likely need a tow truck — but did you know there are different types? The situation you are in will indicate what type of truck you need.

Related: How to Choose the Best Towing Service

That’s why you’ll want to call a towing service that offers the level of assistance you need to safely remove your vehicle, no matter where it may be. Here’s what you need to know.

The Two Most Common Types of Tow Trucks and When to Use Them

From flatbeds to hook trucks, the top towing service companies offer a spectrum of options, helping you get out of a wide range of situations.
Let’s dive deeper into what these trucks are and how they work, focusing on the two most common types — those that lift only one end of a vehicle and those that lift the entire vehicle.

1. Flatbed tow truck

You have probably seen flatbed tow trucks many times before, as they are the most common. You can pick out this type of truck based on its large empty bed, which is used to secure cars and other vehicles. When ready to load a vehicle, the bed is lowered to ground level so that the car can be pulled onto the bed where it is tightly secured.

This type of towing service does have a weight limit and can only be used in certain situations. Most often, this type of towing service is used when vehicles have broken down or are completely damaged. For example, if your car is immobile, a winch can be used to pull it onto the bed. (lowpricebud) Once loaded, your vehicle will be lifted off the ground, making this one of the safest methods of towing. In certain cases, like when your vehicle has a broken axle, a flatbed is the only option.

In some cases, two flatbeds may be required. This happens in specific circumstances, particularly when a vehicle has gone off the road. For example, if your car goes off the road and into a ravine and needs to be dragged up a heel — or if you’ve gone into the woods and your car is on its side, this is when two flatbeds may be necessary. Each flatbed will hook up to a vehicle that’s in an odd position so that their winches can efficiently maneuver the vehicle without needing to reposition several times.

However, this option only works if you can access the car accordingly. For example, a flatbed truck is not ideal if you have broken down in a parking lot where accessibility is tight. In this case, you’ll want a hook truck, which is discussed below.

Learn more about what you should do if you’ve been in an automobile collision here.

2. Hook trucks

As suggested by its name, this truck uses a hook to tow a vehicle. This is another fairly common method of towing — it is also one of the oldest methods. Previously, ropes were used as an alternative to chains. Although chains have significantly increased the reliability and safety of this method, if you try to perform this without the right equipment or experience, you could scratch your vehicle.

That is why it’s recommended you call a professional. Dragging a car with another car can lead to transmission or wheel damage when not done properly. This will cost you more in the long run.

As suggested, this is a great option if you need to get out of a tight parking spot, without needing to be straight on with a vehicle.

Related: What to Do While Waiting for a Gross & Son Tow Truck

Need a Towing Service in Pensacola, FL?

If you get into an accident on your way to work or break down at night, you need a 24/7 towing service you can count on. Since different situations call for different types of tow trucks, you must call someone who has the experience to safely move your vehicle to where it needs to go.

Gross & Son Paint and Body shop is also a trusted Pensacola towing company, offering car towing services any time — day or night. Whether you need a wrecker service, tow recovery, or roadside service, we can help you get off the road quickly and safely. Following a collision, we can even repair your car so that you can get back on the road sooner.

Offering 24/7 availability, flatbed towing, and other roadside assistance services, if you need towing in Pensacola, FL, we’ll be there. Our reviews speak for themselves!

Call Gross & Son for 24-hour Towing Service in Pensacola, Florida today!