Buying a Utility or Tow Truck For Your Business Needs
As a tow truck driver, you need to ensure you have a sturdy vehicle that helps you handle your work. You can find many tow and utility truck models for your needs, including heavy-duty versions of the Ford F250, Chevrolet Silverado, and GMC C4500 among other choices. But it helps to see what you can get out of such a vehicle. Dodge, Freightliner, GMC, International, and Kenworth among others make attractive choices, but you must see how well each utility option works for you.
What Will Your Truck Do?
You have to look at what you will do with your utility truck when buying one. You could use your truck from Ford or Freightliner among others:
- You might need to repossess vehicles for a police department impound lot.
- You could also tow vehicles that have broken down for any reason.
- Sometimes you just need something for towing a camper or other large item with wheels.
- A mechanics truck can also include a towing cable for lifting a car for roadside tasks.
What is the Towing Capacity?
You will have to review the towing capacity for your utility truck to ensure your GMC, Kenworth, or Ford truck can handle the immense weight needed for the job. A job-ready tow truck may handle at least 10,000 lbs at a time. A light-duty vehicle may tow less. A heavy-duty model will utilize 25,000 or more lbs at a time. These are standards for maximum control and safe driving.
But to make this work, the truck needs a powerful engine. An engine that produces more torque or horsepower for the utility truck will pull more weight at a time.
What Kind of Fuel Does My Truck Need?
You can use either gasoline or diesel fuel when getting your tow truck running. Newer year models tend to utilize diesel for fuel economy reasons. But be advised that no matter what you choose, you will use more fuel when towing something. A water truck that carries an immense amount of fluid would be better off with diesel in many cases, for instance.
Review the Cab Type
You must also look at how the cab type on your truck is organized. A cab may come with an open body on the back area to help you with securing a large truck hoist or hitch. Sometimes a pickup cab will be good enough for fitting the hooklift or another towing item, but sometimes the wrecker will need a flat-bed layout with some extra room to work with.
What Kind of Extra Equipment Can I Add?
You must also look at how well the utility body on your truck is organized. There are many pieces of equipment that a driver can use for towing purposes:
- Crane - A crane truck will utilize this measure for trying to lift a vehicle out from a ditch or other deep spot.
- Wheel-Lift - The front wheels will be lifted and placed on the back of the cab. Only the rear wheels of the car being towed will be on the ground. This works for when you need to tow larger vehicles like a school bus or utility van.
- Flatbed - A stake truck bed uses a flat surface in the back. The design keeps the entire service truck open with room for the vehicle you need to tow to be added to the back area. Make sure the body length is suitable enough for the task at hand so each vehicle tire will stay secured on the space.
- Lift Flatbed - The design works for parallel-parked vehicles that state police departments can detain. The lift extends to the side here.
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