questions about towing services answered

Posted on: 24 October 2022

Towing capacity is one of the most important factors to consider when selecting the right tow truck for a particular job. Manufacturers provide clear guidelines on tow truck capacities to which everyone should strictly adhere, and with good reason.

Here is a highlight of why you cannot afford to ignore towing capacity and why choosing a truck tow with the right capacity is crucial.

1. Keep the Engine in Good Shape

The towing capacity is matched to how much torque and horsepower the tow truck produces. Going over this capacity and overloading the tow truck will only put undue stress on the truck's engine, leading to severe damage. Frequent repairs may be in the books, and eventual engine failure is possible with continual overloading.

2. Save Money

There are profound cost implications to using a tow truck with a much more powerful engine that delivers greater towing capacity than needed. Powerful engines consume more fuel. This cost will most certainly trickle down to the customer who hires the tow truck. The higher charges will put customers off, and you risk losing out on repeat customers as a business.

3. Keep Transmission Wear in Check

Overloading the capacity of a tow truck is detrimental to the transmission system, be it automatic or manual. The more you exceed the limit, the faster you wear the clutch. Overloading also presents the risk of seriously damaging the gears.

4. Keep Braking System Wear in Check

In addition to the transmission system, the braking system of the tow truck is another system at risk when overloading a tow truck. The manufacturer considers the brake pad's size and depth when specifying the capacity of a tow truck. Overloading the tow truck will put the brake pads under undue pressure, and the resulting excessive friction will cause the brake pads to wear down quickly.

5. Uphold Passenger and Cargo Safety

Overloading your tow truck can lead to the hitched cargo swinging from side to side. This is enough to make controlling the tow truck quite challenging. It also impacts braking effectiveness, making it difficult to stop the truck when necessary. Considering all this, it is easy to see how big an impact adhering to towing capacity can help avoid accidents.

Safe Towing

By definition, the towing capacity is how much a tow truck can pull or tow safely. As outlined, sticking to set limits helps to prevent the risk of accidents. It also helps to keep the various tow truck parts in good shape by avoiding premature wear. For more information, contact a company such as M.A.D Transportation and Towing LLC.