These days, professional towing operations that use professional-grade towing equipment are more important than ever. As a professional towing company, we have seen many towing jobs go wrong due to a lack of professional equipment. Whether it be a towing company that has cut costs or an amateur job gone wrong, maintaining professional towing equipment can make a difference, so let’s take a drive and discuss why professional towing equipment is essential for any towing job.
Why is professional towing equipment essential?
Professional towing equipment is important because when you are towing thousands of pounds like a vehicle, that tow can’t fail. You do not want a vehicle dropping off the back of your tow truck or, worse, causing issues during operation. So, what separates professional towing equipment from non-professional?
Much like any safety equipment, professional towing equipment goes through testing and validation to ensure its use goes smoothly on the road. This tested equipment is then offered to dealers, merchants and direct to towing companies. This equipment is not set and forget style. Instead, certified towing companies adhere to strict maintenance plans to ensure that professional equipment operates to spec anytime they need to use it.
For a modern towing company, maintaining a towing fleet is one of the most important parts of their jobs. A good company will provide their operators with support to ensure that their professional towing equipment is up-to-date and certified when needed. This means that a company will spend the time and effort to replace old or broken down pieces of equipment. Companies will also complete periodic testing to ensure the existing materials can still handle the job’s rigours. Towing is not light work, and when transporting thousands of pounds of someone’s property, ensuring that the equipment holding it down is in good operating order is a no-brainer for those in the industry.
Towing Equipment
If you are working with a towing company, you should be able to see a few things on the rig. First and foremost, the tow truck should look generally clean and well-maintained. Signs of rust or loose chains are not a good look. Secondly, the equipment, no matter the type of tow truck, should be well-lubricated and not make screeching sounds when in operation. A proper tow truck will be maintained, cleaned, and put together, with a lot of hardware on board. This could include things such as:
- Recovery ropes
- Tow chains
- Tow hooks
- Transport straps
- Chain or web v-bridles
- Brake lights
Whether the truck is a wheel lift, flatbed, or something else, the list of equipment will always be roughly the same with some variation. Towing is an art, but it is an art with a predictable set of tools to assist operators. For instance, flatbeds will need v-bridles, tow hooks, tow chains and transport straps primarily. In comparison, wheel lift tow trucks will need a similar list, with the exception of transport straps. At the end of the day, the exact kit and equipment list will vary, but the professional grade should remain the same.
Training and Experience
This might seem like common sense, but tow truck equipment needs to be operated correctly. An operator can only learn how to best operate equipment with proper training and experience on the rig. You can tell when someone is unfamiliar with complex equipment; this is no different when you think of a tow truck. Knowing the little adjustments that can be made and the confidence that is required can only be gained through experience on the road. Any towing company worth your investment will explain their experience and show it off if you know towing companies; the men and women who drive tow trucks love showing off their skills.
What to do if you notice issues?
If you have called for a tow and noticed that things are off, you can always decline the service. Not all towing companies are created equal, and if a truck arrives on scene that you are not comfortable with, you can call another company. We have been on the second call a number of times, and whether it is due to the driver, the equipment or another issue, we are always happy to work with you to ensure that your tow goes off without a hitch.
Whether you are looking for a tow immediately or need to set up a tow in the future, working with a towing company that uses professional towing equipment is so important. These companies will provide a better towing experience and ensure that your tow is safe from pick-up to drop-off. If you are interested in working with a company that provides towing service with professional towing equipment, give us a call today and see why we are the number one choice for all things towing!