Heavy Duty Tow Trucks

Heavy duty tow trucks are the largest type of tow truck. They are typically used to move construction equipment, farm machinery, and other large vehicles. Heavy duty tow trucks usually have a capacity of at least 20 tons.

Medium Duty Tow Trucks

Medium-duty tow trucks are smaller than heavy-duty ones, but they are still larger than light-duty tow trucks. They are typically used to move disabled buses and other medium-sized vehicles and have a capacity of between 10 and 20 tons.

Light Duty Tow Trucks

Light duty tow trucks are the smallest type of tow truck. They are typically used to move disabled cars and other small vehicles. Light duty tow trucks usually have a capacity of fewer than 10 tons.

Flatbed Tow Truck

A flatbed tow truck is a type of tow truck that is used to move disabled cars and other small vehicles. Flatbed tow trucks have a flatbed where the cars are secured in place. This is the most common type of tow truck, and it is used by most roadside assistance services. This is the type that is most suitable for towing electric vehicles.

Hook And Chain Tow Truck

This is a type of tow truck that uses a hook attached to a chain to secure and move disabled vehicles. They are not as common as flatbed tow trucks, but they are still used by some roadside assistance services. They are not usually in use because they could also damage vehicles. Usually, they are used when the cars are to be transported into the junkyard.

Wheel-Lift Tow Truck

A wheel-lift tow truck is a type of tow truck that uses a metal yoke to lift the wheels of a disabled vehicle off the ground. Wheel-lift tow trucks are less common than flatbed tow trucks, but they are still used by some roadside assistance services. Wheel-lift tow trucks are better than hook and chain tow trucks because they transport cars in a safer way.

Tow Dolly

A tow dolly is a small trailer that is used to move disabled cars. Tow dollies can also be used to move other vehicles like ATVs and motorcycles. When using such a trailer, you should know how to properly secure the vehicle so that it doesn’t get dislodged during the transport.

There are different types of tow trucks and they are used for different scenarios. Whenever you need a towing service in St. Louis and surrounding areas, call Reliable Guys Towing…

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Some people don’t like dealing with towing companies because they’ve had previous bad experiences with them. However, that isn’t always the case. Working with towing companies could actually help you to protect your vehicle as well as your personal property after being in an accident. 

Today, we are going to help you figure out how to deal with tow trucks in case you get involved in a car accident. In that way, you get the help that you need without feeling overly charged or taken advantage of because of the situation.

Do You Really Need A Tow

The first thing you should do when dealing with a towing company during an accident is to determine if you really need the services of a tow truck. However, before you determine that, it is best to take a look at yourself and the other passengers. Make sure you don’t have any severe injuries. From there, you can better calm down and assess the vehicle. 

Here are some things to check to make sure your car is safe to drive:

• Check for leaks
• Make sure your lights are working properly
• Look at your mirrors and make sure they are not broken
• Test your steering and breaking. 
• See if you can still close the hood securely

Fluid leaks, busted lights, broken mirrors, uncontrollable or changes in braking and steering, as well as a hood that can’t be closed properly would require a tow truck to transport the vehicle for safety purposes. 

Preparing The Vehicle For Towing

When you’ve concluded that your car does in fact need a towing truck, you have to also know what to do to prepare your vehicle. First of all, you should take detailed photos of the damages. Photos of the interior should also be captured. This will help you take note of the current state of your car.

Next is to remove the valuables in your car. Keep them close at all times. You also need to record information to use as evidence when you want to file a claim. 

Carefully Choose A Towing Company

Some insurance companies have their own preferred towing companies that work with them. You can call your insurance provider to see if they have one or if they include towing services as part of your cover. 

Once the tow truck arrives, you need to gather details about them to make sure that they really came from the towing company you want to work with. Ask for their names, phone numbers, and company addresses. Don’t sign anything unless you’ve completely read and agreed with it. 

If you’ve been in an accident and are looking for excellent towing service in the St Louis area, Reliable Guys Towing is the best to call…

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That’s why it’s understandable that car drivers would avoid it. With that belief, it is understandable that people want to avoid towing services.

While that perception wasn’t created out of thin air, there are still many towing companies (ours included) that price their services fairly. 

Additionally, there are just some scenarios that you would absolutely need a towing service. There is no simple fix and trying to avoid towing by trying to fix your car might just put yourself and the others on the road in more danger. Before you think of avoiding towing services, carefully assess your situation. 

Here are a few scenarios when you should not pass up on calling a towing service provider: 

Collision Damage

When you’ve gotten into a collision, you can be frantic and shocked but you need to calm down. Depending on the degree of damage, you may or may not need a towing service. If you can’t figure out if the damage is too severe for you to drive your vehicle, it is best to call up a towing service to have the technician check your vehicle. 

When in doubt about your car’s condition, it is always best to assume the worst rather than to try to drive it. You might meet another accident if the vehicle has received internal damage that you can’t easily identify. 

Overheated Engine

There are different reasons why your engine could overheat. It can be due to a leaking water pump or a leak in the cooling system. There could also be issues with the radiator, belts or the thermostat. Whatever it is, an overheated engine can shut down completely and can even cause more damage to the other parts of the vehicle. 

When your engine overheats, you need to call a towing service provider to have it towed to your mechanic of choice. It really needs to be checked and repaired or else you could be facing a more costly repair in the near future. 

Running Out Of Gas

Embarrassing as it seems, car owners can run out of gas while on the road. It is quite common as many people simply forget to refuel or worse, try their luck to push to its limits. Whatever the reason is, you need to call a towing service. 

Some towing service providers can bring you fuel and help you refuel your vehicle. They’ll also be there to make sure that your car successfully runs before they leave you. In some cases, even if the car is already refuelled, it still fails to start or run. In that case, the tow trucks could easily take over and tow your vehicle to where you want it to go. 

A Dead Or Drained Battery

When the battery of your vehicle is drained, all you need to do is to jumpstart it. It is simple but dangerous and you need another vehicle to do it. A towing service can provide you with a jump start service as well. However, if your battery is dead, they can bring you a replacement or tow your vehicle to a mechanic to get it replaced. 

Unknown Car Breakdown

Sometimes, a car breaks down for reasons unknown to drivers. You can easily assess if the engine overheats, there is a flat tire of if the battery is drained. However, there are still other reasons why your car can malfunction and won’t easily be able to identify what it is. 

Don’t leave things to guesswork. Call up a reliable towing company to help you. Most of them have on-call mechanics that could provide roadside assistance. If the problem is simple and the area is safe, they can repair the vehicle on site. However, there is still a chance that the car needs to be towed to a shop. 

A Flat Tire

Most drivers know that the solution to a flat tire is just to replace the tire with your spare. In this situation, you can fix it on your own if you have a spare and if you know how to replace your tires. However, believe it or not, there are some cars that don’t have a spare. That’s because car manufacturers wanted to make the car lighter by including a spare. For that, you’d really have to call a towing service. 

Changing a flat tire is a skill that drivers should learn. However, some new drivers don’t really know how to do that. Instead of risking yourself, it is best to call a towing service and have them change your flat tire if you are carrying a spare. Using the jack is simple but it can be dangerous because you are lifting the car’s weight. If it is not properly done, it can cause some serious accidents. 

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If looking for professional help, we highly recommend that you don’t just call up a towing company at a whim, you should #1) Do some research and #2) Prepare to answer important questions in order to make this unpleasant process go quicker and so they can do their job well.

Car owners who prepare well are more likely to experience a smooth towing process. Even if it is your first time to call a towing company for help, you still need to inform yourself about what’s going to happen. This lets you be better prepared to handle the situation. Also, it helps you prepare the pertinent information that towing companies need from you.

Here are the 4 things you should know before calling a towing service provider:

What Is Your Location?

Location is the most important information that the towing service provider needs to know. With it, they can locate you and give you the help you need. You can check the car’s GPS so you can pinpoint your location and tell them. If your car’s GPS isn’t available, you can try using your phone to pinpoint your location.

If, for some reason your car and phone’s GPS isn’t available, you can try to look around for some clues as to where you are. Tell them what road your on and what landmarks you see but it will still be best if you can narrow down your location.

Your Car And It’s Condition

Another thing that towing companies need to know is what type of car you have. You should be able to provide them the make and model of your car. This will help them in choosing the right tow truck to bring.

Additionally, you should also know your car’s current condition. If the car is totally damaged, they may use a flat-bed tow truck to assist you. Also, they can use a wheel-lift tow truck for older models or those that are already slightly damaged.

You should also inform them whether the car is parked on the side of the road or if it is stuck in a ditch. This will help them know what kind of tow truck to bring, which would be most helpful in your car’s current condition.

Information About Your Insurance

Your insurance policy information is another thing that a towing company might ask. This is to help them determine the method of payment you will choose or the type of coverage you have. Some of the things about your insurance policy that you should know is your policy number, type of coverage, payment information, etc.

Mechanic Or Autoshop Address

If your car has broken down, the towing service provider can tow it for you to your home, the nearest auto shop or your preferred auto shop. When you choose to have your car towed to a mechanic, it prevents the additional cost of towing your car once again from your home to the mechanic.

It is always best to choose your mechanic rather than to trust a stranger to fix your vehicle. This is also to avoid overpaying the mechanic who fixed your vehicle. Also, there are times when the towing service company also offers roadside assistance. Sometimes, they can fix the car on the road and wouldn’t need towing at all. 

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