You’re driving without a care in the world and suddenly your vehicles stalls and dies. Or you get into a minor accident and the engine refuses to start. What do you do? How do you get the vehicle moved to a safe place?

Professional towing services mostly cater to vehicles involved in collisions or those that have broken down. They also tow impounded vehicles. To do this, they must make use of certain mechanisms to lift and transport vehicles.  Reliable Guys Towing utilizes three basic types of tow trucks:  Hook and Chain, Wheel Lift and Flatbed each of which have been designed for specific towing purposes and utilized based on your individual need.

In this article, we’ll cover each to give you a better idea on what to look for in your next service call.

Hook and Chain Tow Trucks

No longer widely used but still useful for towing large vehicles like trucks or vehicles with tough steel bumpers, the hook and chain method is basic at best. It involves hitching the towed vehicle by its axle to chains attached to a boom winch installed on the towing vehicle. As you can imagine, the chance of inflicting damage on the towed vehicle’s bumper or axle is quite high. Since modern vehicles don’t normally sport steel bumpers and contain too many expensive components, the hook and chain method doesn’t exactly score big points.

A towing service may recommend this method if there’s little chance of damaging the vehicle or if it’s too far gone to warrant much towing care. Since it’s a basic technique, you’re likely to find it offered by wrecker services or those located in remote locations.

Wheel-Lift Tow Truck

The wheel-lift is based on the same principle as the hook and chain but with a few more sophisticated variations. It doesn’t use a hook or a chain but relies on a metal yoke to hold the vehicle. A hydraulic hoist lifts the vehicle. This prevents the bumper and underside of the vehicle from sustaining damage and makes the entire process a lot more efficient.

Wheel-lifts are superior to the hook and chain but may still not be suitable for expensive vehicles or those with very low ground clearance. Since the risk of damage is present, albeit much lesser than with a hook and chain, the next towing method should be considered.

Flatbed Towing Service

These are the best because there are no hitching mechanisms to damage the vehicle. The towing truck lays down a flatbed using hydraulics so that the vehicle can be driven up or pulled in place using a winch. The bed is then positioned back into place and the vehicle transported to its destination.

Flatbed towing has become the preferred method because it guarantees minimal to zero damage to the towed vehicle. The tow truck is what bears all the stress.

Flatbed trailers are not cheap so the cost of having a vehicle towed in this manner is not at a throwaway price. Since the tow truck bears all the weight, it also consumes more gas. However, it’s a small price to pay for a vehicle that may see potential damage during hitching and transport.

So which towing method do we typically recommend? That really depends on your unique situation. You may request for flatbed towing but if it appears that the same can’t get your vehicle up and moving, the service will recommend another technique. In general hook and chain is rarely if ever used anymore unless your vehicle in being taken to a scrap yard.

Need a Tow Truck St Louis MO?

If your looking for a reliable towing company in the St. Louis area? Why not choose the towing team with over 20 years experience exclusively in our proud Gateway City.

Fully insured, licensed and bonded in the states of Missouri and Illinois, the folks at Reliable Guys Towing pride themselves in clear communication to ensure that services, prices and quality far surpass our competition. We know our talented technicians are the best in the business, and we go that extra mile in resolving our clients issue so that they feel comfortable and assured for their Roadside Assistance needs.

Whether you need basic flatbed towing service, you’ve locked your key in your car, or have a dead battery, we’d be more than happy to serve you with your roadside assistance needs. Give us a call at (314) 325-1016 and one of our knowledgeable towing service reps will help assist getting a tow truck to you as quickly as possible.