We treat our cars as our prized possessions. Surely, you wouldn’t want something to damage it or ruin it. However, when you have an accident or just got your car stalled on the road, you might need a towing service.
There are different types of tow trucks that towing service providers use. If you search online, many will say that you should insist on getting a flatbed tow truck.
But what if a flatbed tow truck isn’t currently available? Is a wheel lift tow truck not capable of towing a car too? Well, it is capable of towing cars and has been used for years.
Wheel lift tow trucks are a great alternative to flatbed tow trucks. There are some instances that wheel lifts are better at doing the job as well. Let’s tell you more about wheel lift tow trucks to finally ease your mind into using them for your vehicles.
Car Safety On A Wheel Lift Tow Truck
The main reason why some people will ask you to insist on a flatbed tow truck is due to safety. They have a point here. That’s because the manner of towing differs between the two trucks.
For flatbed tow trucks, the whole car is lifted and is carried by the tow truck. However, for the wheel lift tow truck, only two wheels are lifted. The other two wheels are on the ground and will roll as the car is towed.
Even if the two wheels are on the ground, this is still a safe towing technique and is applicable for most cars. However, there are also a few exceptions, like the four-wheel-drive vehicles. More on that below.
In order for the wheel lift tow truck to safely tow your car without too much damage, a few things should be considered. They are as follows:
Vehicle Drivetrain
Wheel lifts nowadays will use a crossbar that is used to carry either the front or back wheels of the vehicle. The wheels lifted will depend on whether the vehicle is a front-wheel drive or a back-wheel drive.
For front-wheel drives, the front wheels are lifted. On the other hand, rear-wheel drives need the back wheels lifted. The wheels connected to the transmission are lifted to prevent further damage from the transmission.
If you have four-wheel drive, then it would be best to get a flatbed tow truck or a trailer. If not, the wheels to be lifted would be disconnected first from the driveshaft to protect the transmission from getting damaged.
Towing Distance
How much distance will they cover to tow your vehicle to your preferred destination? If it is only a short distance, then wheel lifts can safely tow your vehicle. There is no need to wait for hours for a flatbed to be available when a wheel lift can do the job quickly.
Space For Tow Truck
Where is your car? Is it parked on a narrow road? Maybe it’s inside a parking garage with a low ceiling? When it comes to tight spaces, the wheel lift tow trucks are best to use. They are relatively smaller compared to the bigger flatbed tow trucks. Additionally, wheel lift tow trucks can also tow parallel parked cars
Availability
Flatbed tow trucks can be considered specialty tow trucks. Although there are many companies who offer this kind of service nowadays, most will still have wheel lift tow trucks.
Wheel lift tow trucks are more common and less expensive. Many towing companies may have multiple wheel lifts but only a single flatbed tow truck. That’s the reason why wheel lifts are more readily available than flatbed tow trucks.
If your car is already in the way and is blocking traffic, it would be best to have it towed with the available tow trucks. You can certainly choose flatbeds but if they are not available, wheel lifts will still be a good alternative.
The quicker your car is towed, the lesser risks of more damage it could get. If your car stays on the road, there is a chance that someone else could crash into it again. Additionally, you would also be disrupting traffic if you choose to wait for an available flatbed when a wheel lift is available.
Price
Wheel lift tow trucks may be more affordable than flatbeds. Plus, with many units available, the price of the service would be lower as compared to flatbeds. If you are just going for a short distance, you can save on towing if you choose a wheel lift instead.
Is your car stuck on the road and causing a traffic jam in the Dallas area? You’ll need a quick and reliable towing service to get your car out of the way and into your preferred garage. For that, the best one to call is Premio Towing.
