14 James Street

Toms River, NJ 08753

Phone (732) 349-6439

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Flatbed Towing Services

Flatbed Towing Services – Knowing When You Need Them

It’s always recommended that you choose a towing company before you need one. You should also think about what kind of towing you might need. Depending on the type of vehicle and the distance it needs to be towed, you might require flatbed towing services rather than standard or dolly towing services. It’s a good idea to understand the difference and make sure the company you’ve chosen offers the type of service you’ll need before you need it. Not only could it save you time and aggravation in the case of a towing emergency, it could reduce additional wear and tear on your vehicle.

Dolly Tow Truck

A dolly tow truck is attached to your vehicle at either the front or back wheels of your vehicle. It depends on what type of drive your vehicle has.

If it’s front wheel drive, the dolly tow truck will attach to your vehicle’s front wheels. With rear wheel drive, the truck will attach to the back wheels. The other two wheels will remain on the ground. Your vehicle will be towed with the powered wheels attached to the tow truck while the other two roll freely along the road.

Flatbed Tow Truck

With flatbed towing services, your vehicle is hoisted completely onto the tow truck and secured. The flatbed tow truck has a hydraulic system that lowers the back end of the bed to the road’s surface, creating a ramp.

Flatbed Towing Services - Knowing When You Need Them

With the vehicle in neutral, a winch is used to get your vehicle onto the truck bed which is then returned to a level position. The vehicle is put in park and each wheel is properly secured to the bed.

When to use Flatbed Towing Services

In some cases, standard towing with a dolly tow truck will be sufficient and get the job done, but there are other times when flatbed towing services are necessary.

Heavy Vehicles

If you have a heavier vehicle like a minivan, SUV, or full-size pickup truck, you will probably need to utilize flatbed towing services. A dolly tow truck typically has a weight limit of 2900 lbs but it depends on the type of dolly.

All Wheel Drive Vehicles

Many larger vehicles and even some cars have all wheel drive. These vehicles will require flatbed towing services. With front wheel or rear wheel drive vehicles, the remaining two wheels are not connected to the drive shaft. Those two wheels can roll freely on the road’s surface behind a dolly tow truck without damage to the transmission. This is not the case with all wheel drive vehicles.

Vehicles with Low Clearance

If your vehicle has been lowered or sits close to the ground, it could easily sustain damage to the undercarriage, the exhaust or other areas should it hit a bump or pot hold while being towed.

Long Distance Towing

Because two of the vehicle’s wheels remain on the ground, standard towing with a dolly tow truck is not recommended for long distance towing. Even if your vehicle can normally utilize standard towing, it can cause excessive and unnecessary wear and tear during a long distance haul. Having all four wheels up off the road’s surface and stationary is a much better option.

Vintage and Luxury Vehicles

If you have an antique, vintage or just a very expensive vehicle, it is advisable to use flatbed towing services when having it transported. With a vintage or antique vehicle, parts may not be available should it be damaged during a tow. While all vehicles are valuable to their owners, if you own a Porsche or a Jaguar, do you really want it bouncing down the road on two wheels?

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Safety and Security

Even if your vehicle meets the requirement for standard towing, sometimes flatbed towing services are just a better option. Your vehicle will be better protected from damage and sustain no wear and tear. While flatbed towing services can be a little more expensive, it is often money well spent.

At Accurate Towing Service, our team is comprised of top experts in towing, hauling, repair and recovery. Whether you need a car or a tanker truck towed or repaired our nationally trained and certified experts can handle all of your towing or heavy hauling needs. With multiple locations, we can provide the fastest and most reliable emergency towing service in Central Jersey as well as heavy hauling services throughout New Jersey. Contact us for all your towing needs.