When you find yourself with a non-operational vehicle on the side of the road, you call a wrecker service for a tow. But if you do not convey your exact situation to the dispatcher, the wrong tow truck or one without the correct equipment may show up. It is essential to identify if you need a traditional, recovery, or heavy-duty tow. But what is the difference between these three?

Here is some information to help explain the differences so you can know what kind of tow you need.

What Constitutes a Traditional Tow?

There are many reasons you may need a tow at one point or another. Some of these reasons include the following:

• Breakdowns
• Flat tires
• Lack of gas
• Car accidents

When most people think about a tow, it is safe to assume that they perceive a traditional tow. But even a standard tow can be conventional or non-conventional.

• A conventional tow utilizes your vehicle's tow ball, pintle hook, or similar configuration to pull your car behind the tow truck or wrecker. Your driver may use a hook-and-chain tow truck or a wheel-lift tow truck.
• A non-conventional tow hooks up to your vehicle's chassis or body. When using non-conventional towing, the tow truck driver normally loads your car onto a flatbed wrecker. 

Both conventional and non-conventional towing allow tow companies to move your vehicle off the side of the road and get it to the shop or wherever it needs to go. 

What Constitutes Recovery Towing?

When you need recovery towing, it is often because your vehicle has left the road or is in an emergency situation. Your car may or may not be operable. Some of these reasons you may need recovery towing include:

• Accidents
• Weather
• Road conditions
• Vehicle weight

The first part of recovery towing is when your wrecker driver uses special equipment to safely get your vehicle back on the road. When responding for a recovery tow, the wrecker company may send a truck with an adjustable boom with a winch. This equipment allows the tow truck driver to reach and hook up your vehicle. Without the equipment, your car would typically be too far away for them to get by other means.

Your vehicle may be in a ditch, down a ravine, in the woods, or stuck in the mud. Once your vehicle is recovered, you may or may not be able to drive away without further assistance from a tow truck.

What Constitutes Heavy-Duty Towing?

You may need heavy-duty recovery services if you drive an oversized vehicle, an RV, an 18-wheeler, or a bus. The most significant difference between light-duty recovery and heavy-duty is the size and weight of the vehicle needing services. 

Average cars can range in weight from 2,600 for a subcompact car to approximately 6,000 pounds for a large SUV. According to RV and Playa, an average 40-foot camper can weigh anywhere from 12,000 to 30,000 pounds. Depending on its load, a fully loaded 18-wheeler can range from 35,000 to 80,000 tons. 

Unfortunately, due to the massive weight of larger vehicles, they do not stop as quickly as smaller vehicles. This continuing momentum means that when they go off the road, they tend to go further than the average car. 

Their massive weight also means that when they need recovery, they need larger and heavier equipment to perform the task. Heavy-duty tow trucks and wreckers are designed to handle vehicles of this size. Heavy-duty tow truck drivers receive training to work with these size vehicles. 

Hix Wrecker Service is prepared to offer you any wrecker service you need. We are ready to tow you or recover you. Give us a call today so we can get you back on the road.