INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TOW TRUCKS

Tow Trucks Backstory

There are many interesting things we can learn from tow trucks. These seemingly invincible vehicles can lift and transport any car to safety, so it’s worth looking into their backstory. When your vehicle gets stranded in the middle of nowhere, tow trucks come to save the day! If you are curious to learn more about the history of these specialized vehicles, you may be surprised by the road tow trucks have taken to be what they are today.

The Facts About Tow Trucks?

• The tow truck was invented in 1916! A Chattanooga mechanic named Ernest Holmes was the mastermind behind this invention after an acquaintance asked if Holmes could help extract his automobile from a creek bed. After using bricks, wood, and rope for eight hours, the vehicle was rescued by Holmes and 6 other men.

• The first tow truck manufacturer was the Cadillac! Holmes drafted his prototype and modified it with a 1913 Cadillac model, complete with a crane and pulley system. After making a few tweaks to his design, he filed for a patent in 1917 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

• The International Towing and Recovery Museum in Chattanooga, TN, features tools, equipment, and a timeline of towing and its beginnings. We all love a good museum- and if you’re a fan of all that tow trucks can handle, there’s a museum for you! You may even learn some towing traditions while you’re there!

Tow Truck History?

More than a hundred years after its inception, we now have five types of tow trucks...

• Heavy-duty vehicles are classified as weighing 10,000 pounds or more. Vehicles from semi-trucks and trailers to ambulances and tour buses fall under this category.

• Flatbeds

• Integrated

• Wheel Lift

• Hook and Chain

• Boom

• And our final point: You need more than just driving experience to be a tow truck driver! You would need a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) and extensive training to drive a heavy-duty tow truck. The hours can be grueling, similar to a 24-hour maintenance service since you never know when an emergency can strike in this line of work!

We hope you learned something new about tow trucks today- maybe you can see these incredible vehicles in a new light! While your car needing a jumpstart in the middle of the road or experiencing a mechanical breakdown isn’t ideal, our Tow Pro team can put your mind at ease by doing all the heavy lifting- literally! We offer a diverse fleet of light-duty, medium-duty, and specialized transport for heavy-duty vehicles, 24-hour assistance and quality towing services to all of Central Florida and beyond, with two convenient locations in Marion County, Fl.

We offer fast, friendly, & reliable service. Please call us at 352.245.3123, visit us online

@ carterstowingocala.com, or stop in and see us at: 4125 NE Jacksonville Rd, Ocala, FL 34479 or 8611 SE 126th Pl, Belleview, FL