Auto wrecker: what are there, features of platforms, can everything be removed

Auto tow truck comes to the rescue when you need to transport a damaged car and deliver oversized cargo. Such special equipment comes in several varieties. The main differences are in the design platform of tow trucks and the type of lifting mechanism. This determines the ability of the equipment to lift cars and other cargo under different conditions.

Types of auto wreckers

Types of tow trucks and features of platforms:

• Auto wrecker with a curved platform, retractable ramps and a winch. The curved platform makes it easier to get your car in and out. The advantage of a powerful electric winch is that it can lift a car weighing up to 5 tons, no matter where it has a towing hook.
• It is easy to lift a car with a low clearance to a tow truck with a sliding platform. The platform slides out and down at a given angle. On such tow trucks, the winch is often hydraulic. Due to the design of the platform and the capabilities of the lifting mechanism, it is possible to pull out damaged vehicles from pits and ditches.
• A tow truck with a crane-manipulator can lift a badly damaged car, even if it is upside down. Technique with a fixed platform is used when the car is in a hard-to-reach place. It is convenient to load any type of transport on the sliding platform. The oversized car is lifted on tow trucks with wheel grippers and a traverse. This additional equipment reliably secures the load.
• Partial loading tow trucks are equipped with a curved platform. They are mounted on the front or rear of the machine. They are maneuverable and are often used in cities with heavy traffic on the road. However, if all pairs of wheels are damaged and there is no way to control them, a tow truck with full loading is required.

A car with any clearance can be lifted on a flat platform. It is fixed securely and does not move during loading. If the surface is curved, it is more convenient to load the vehicle on it. However, the ground clearance must match the angle of the bend.

If the undercarriage of the car is damaged, it is more convenient to use a tow truck with a sliding platform. It falls low at a slight angle, and the crane-manipulator drags the car.

What can be transported by auto tow truck

On a standard tow truck you can move one or more cars. For large trucks you will need special equipment with an extended platform and increased capacity. If the car is severely damaged, it will be able to raise the tow truck with a crane-manipulator.

At the auto tow truck transport such cargoes:

• containers, trade tents;
• tanks and other oversized containers;
• tractors, concrete pavers, mini-excavators;
• Construction materials and structures: pipes, sewage concrete rings, plates, etc.;
• Boats, boats.

On auto wrecker you can transport any cargo that belongs to the category of oversized, if it is allowed by the rules of the road. It must correspond to the weight of the tow truck and be firmly fixed on the platform.