Needing a tow truck is a stressful experience. However, knowing how to choose the right tow truck and the difference between light-duty towing and heavy-duty towing could save you a lot of time and frustration.
Before getting your car towed, you need to know that not all towing businesses are the same. Most towing companies provides roadside assistance for cars, SUVs and light trucks only, but what if the vehicle you are driving is considerably larger? This is why it is important to understand the difference between light-duty and heavy-duty towing, so that you will know which service to request when you need it.
Choose the Right Tow Truck
Tow truck companies usually used the terms “heavy-duty” and “light-duty” to talk about the types of tow trucks. These are also terms that have to do with the services that towing companies provide.
Continue reading to learn the difference between light-duty towing and heavy-duty tow trucks.
What is Light-duty Towing?
Light-duty tow trucks are often used to help people on the side of the road with things like dead engines, flat tires, jumpstarts, picking up cars that have been left on the side of the road and/or recovering cars from accidents. They only need regular tow trucks, which are strong enough to move and haul most passenger vehicles such as cars, sedans, minivans, and pick-up truck but easy to move in tight spaces and on busy city streets.
What is Heavy-duty Towing?
Heavy-duty tow trucks are used to pull bigger vehicles as they are a lot bigger than light-duty tow trucks. This is because heavy-duty tow trucks are made to do big jobs and lift even bigger loads.
Heavy-duty tow trucks are the biggest tow trucks you can find on the market. They have a 25-ton boom lift and can carry the full weight of another large vehicle. Also, they should be strong enough to carry a whole car. Their frames have to be bigger and stronger, and their engines have to be stronger than those of regular tow trucks. People also expect heavy-duty tow trucks to have a lot of torque and horsepower. Heavy-duty tow trucks that moves big cars that have been in an accident are called wreckers.
Heavy-duty tow trucks needs the following features when pulling these cars:
- a winch,
- a 6-ton wheel lift, and
- a 25-ton boom lift.
Light-duty vs Heavy-duty Towing
8 Classification of Trucks
Trucks are classified based on their gross vehicle weight rating or GVWR. These vehicles are classified as:
- Classes 1 and 2 – Class 1 vehicles are vehicles that weighs less than 6,000 lbs. while class 2 vehicles weighs between 6,000 to 10,000 lbs. These vehicles are considered to be light-duty vehicles.
- Classes 3 through 6 – These vehicles are considered as medium-duty trucks. Their GVWR is between 10,001 and 26,000 pounds.
- Classes 7 and 8 -These vehicles considered as the heavy-duty truck with a GVWR of 26,001 to over 33,000 pounds.
Weight of Load
- Heavy-duty Trucks – Most of the time, heavy-duty tow trucks haul things that weigh more than 17,000 lbs. These trucks have a 25-ton boom lift and a 6-ton wheel lift, which lets them recover heavy vehicles like garbage trucks, dump trucks, semi-trailers, tractors, and so on.
- Light-duty Trucks – Light-duty tow trucks, on the other hand, can pull between 7,000 and 11,000 pounds.
Purpose
- Light-duty Tow Trucks – These type of vehicles are mostly used to pull small cars, motorcycles, small pickup trucks, and small trailers. Most of the time, these are the tow trucks that come to help drivers who have broken down or are stuck in traffic.
- Heavy-duty Trucks – These vehicles are made to pull big cargo trucks and lots of heavy things. These tow trucks have more horsepower and torque, so they can move almost any load. They are used to quickly and safely get garbage trucks, dump trucks, tractors, semi-truck trailers, shipping containers, and other large vehicles or cargo off the road.
What Will Happen if You Choose the Wrong Type of Tow Truck?
When it comes to fixing and towing cars, no two makes, models, or even units are the same. Your car and the one next door may have been made in the same year, but they act like two very different cars. So, if your car breaks down or has other problems, you should know who to call and what kind of help you need.
There has never been a “one size fits all” service for heavy or light duty towing. Tow companies will have a variety of truck sizes so that they can handle different towing jobs.
This is why it’s so important to do your research and find out which companies do the work you need before calling a towing company. Businesses that have been doing towing for a long time and have a good name in their area are still important and will be your best bet. Ask about their license, equipment, and safety measures, so you don’t have to worry about liability.
How to Choose the Right Type of Tow Truck for Your Needs?
A light-duty tow truck wouldn’t be able to move loads that clearly need a heavy-duty tow truck. On the other hand, getting a heavy-duty tow truck to move a small car will take longer than if a light-duty tow truck was used. Not only that, but it will also cost a lot more.
To avoid wasting time, money, and resources, you need to hire the right kind of towing service for the job.
Why Choose Cape Coral Towing & Recovery?
When you require speedy assistance that will administer you get off the side of the road, it’s most suitable to call a trusted towing company that can immediately respond. Cape Coral Towing and Recovery, Inc. fulfills all the measures that are mandated for the best towing service in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, Estero, Bonita Springs, and anywhere in Southwest Florida. Whether you demand a tow, a jumpstart, or a tire change you can count on us!
CAPE CORAL TOWING AND RECOVERY SERVICES
- Fast and Reliable Towing Services
- More than 25 years of experience
- Emergency Towing Services
- Family-owned and Operated Towing Company
We are just a phone call away to come to your aid and assist you.
Call us at (239) 458-3333 or send us a service request online.
