Most of us are aware that there are light, medium and heavy duty tow trucks, it only takes common sense to realize that the heavier a vehicle is the greater the chances that they can only be safely towed using a medium or even a heavy duty tow truck. But very few can truly tell if towing a certain vehicle can be done with a certain type of truck without exceeding its STC (safe Towing Capacity). In this blog item we bring you useful info which will help you make sure the towing company the services of which you use does not exceed limitations.
Light, Medium and Heavy Duty Tow Trucks
Any self respecting towing company has at its disposal both light and medium duty tow trucks, some towing companies also operate heavy duty tow trucks. Pine Towing’s extensive fleet includes all three types of tow trucks.Most of us know how the vehicle we drive should be generally classified in terms of its size and weight. For instance, we know if our vehicle is an ordinary sedan, a minivan, a truck, a super heavy mobile home etc. Letting the towing company know that you are aware of the fact that your vehicle may need to be towed by a medium or a heavy duty tow truck is usually enough to ensure they do not allow themselves to send over a less than adequate rig.
A reliable towing company, such as Pine Towing Richmond, will make sure your vehicle can be safely towed by the truck they send over.
Calculating a Tow Truck’s STC
There is a formula used to determine the exact STC of each certain tow truck. Not that you are expected to do the calculation yourself but it is quite a simple formula which goes as follows – half the weight of the tow truck’s front axle multiplied by the truck’s wheel base and divided by the the distance between the centers of the tow truck’s rear and front axles.If you know the weight of your vehicle and if you can get the necessary data from the towing company, you can actually use the above mentioned formula to tell if you are in the clear so far as safe towing capacity and limitations go.Why adhering to safe towing capacities and limitations is self apparent, it is important not only that the tow truck used fits the bill but also that the tow tech is adequately certified.