A tow truck, also sometimes called a wrecker, is an emergency service vehicle used to take disabled motor vehicles off the roadway to another location in case of breakdown or collision. Three general types are in common usage, usually based on heavy-duty pickup or medium truck chassis:
- Hook and chain - the oldest of these types is seen less frequently in developed countries. Chains are looped around the vehicle frame or axle, which is drawn aloft by a boom winch to rest against a pair of heavy rubberized mats so the customer's vehicle can be towed on its other axle.
- Axle cradling - evolved from the hook and chain technology to produce a large metal yoke that can be fitted under the front wheels to cradle them, drawing the front end of the vehicle clear of the ground by a pneumatic or hydraulic hoist so it can be towed.
- Flatbed - the entire back of the truck is fitted with a bed that can be hydraulically inclined and moved to ground level, allowing the customer vehicle to be placed on it under its own power or dragged onto it by a winch.
These are by no means exclusive, as hook-and-chain and flatbed units exist that also offer an axle cradler.
Operations
Tow trucks are usually operated by private businesses, except for major highways and toll roads, where the road authority may operate the tow trucks for that stretch of road.
Since a tow truck is in a position to feed business to favourite crash repair firms, the fierce competition for business may lead to unsavoury business practice, which may require legislation to regulate the business.
Thus in New South Wales, there is a Tow Truck Act, and tow truck are identified by the number plates "TT".
