Tow Manager

Tow MaNager Carrier vs Wrecker

Deliberate on Your Options

By Paul Stephens

Paul Stephens is a towing industry trainer with more than 34 years of towing experience. He has served as a consultant for many automobile manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, and companies for service provider education, towability and road service procedures.

Business decisions for a wheel lift or carrier purchase should be just that, buying for need and necessity.

Thinking of jumping into the towing business or adding to your fleet? Decisions on carrier or wheel lift equipment can be a bit of a challenge with all the equipment availability. What is right for you, and what type of business will this equipment bring for new revenue? With so many choices, the difference in a carrier or wheel lift can be huge if you do not know your customers. My suggestion is to explore your potential core business opportunities prior to deciding on a piece. Will you be balancing a mixed base of business such as police calls, motor clubs, retail customers, commercial accounts, or private property towing? Knowing what your core business will require and what percentage of mix, such as tow, recovery, and transport will help send you towards the right purchase of a carrier or wheel lift. If your business is going to do police calls, depending on the area and terrain you are based, then it is more likely you will look to purchase a carrier if there is less than 5 percent recovery. If the recovery number is much higher, you will have to consider a wheel lift for the boom and extra winch capabilities.

If you are going to be working with a motor club, then you might be considering a flatbed with all the various types of distance towing that might be available, and the many types of drivetrains in todays vehicles.

The volume of work you anticipate handling with the wheel lift or carrier type equipment will dictate the first step in the purchase plan as a wheel lift and dollies might do the same job for you, with much greater access to limited areas, however ◀

Searching for the right rollback can still be challenging even when you have the right concept already in your head.

the dollies have a distance and speed limitation.

Searching for the right rollback can still be challenging even when you have the right concept already in your head. I know that looking for the right carrier for me is always a bit of a search due to the spec our company has developed. We look for a certain deck length and load angle, extra key slots in the bed to accommodate multiple different tie down methods, removable rails, and a movable head board.

To explain why we choose the way we do is related to being on the side of the highway. The spec allows operators to move quickly and freely to expedite removal and back to a somewhat safer environment. This spec is different than a lot of others so when choosing a rollback or carrier, be thinking of your specific needs. Will you need a 19.5 deck, or 21, 22, maybe even longer? The bed length will help with the length of vehicle being transported. Think about what your needs are with a carrier. If you are moving lower vehicles then the bed angle becomes a key factor, manufacturers are building several different units to accommodate the end user. Larger size bed capacity is available, with upgrades for the winch, lighting, and width. All these are great however, buying the right carrier, regardless of the model. It is important to buy off need so unless you are going to spec a truck, and have it built than you may want to research the used carrier before jumping forward. Is the angle right for you, will the width accommodate? These are questions you need to address and with today’s internet sales knowing the carrier deck model number will allow you to reference the manufacturers website. Size and capacity are a standard consideration but do not forget the convenience features that are available from the distributors as well, such as remote controls, air free spool winch releases, and many more.

This brings us to a wheel lift set up, if you are doing work in tighter areas, such as parking lots, garages, shopping centers, or gas stations then you want something with a substantially reduced turning radius, quick loading, and the ability to throw on some dollies then the standard wheel lift will suffice. The ability to have more recovery work helps as well.

Being in this business for many years has taught me a few things about buying equipment. The basics are the foundation of the purchase. There are a lot of trucks out there and many might fit your application but defining that application based upon your current business plans or customer base will help build a solid foundation. I have purchased equipment in the past, acquiring equipment that was almost showroom new due to a past buyer not being happy or not really understanding their needs. This resulted in them looking to offload the piece quickly to be able to move forward to more suitable equipment they originally needed or that was not available at that time.

Business decisions for a wheel lift or carrier purchase should be just that, buying for need and necessity, not the adage of I really want it. The biggest business decisions

can make or break a company by overextending, not buying the right equipment, or buying to maximize the purchase potential. We as an industry are usually focused on buying a particular unit based mainly off price. Using this analogy, will the cheapest be the best fit, will a higher priced unit suit your needs better? Some buy exclusively off brand which can limit options. Many things need to be considered and they start with identifying the company’s direct need.

With many options available today on carriers or wheel lift models, ordering a new truck seems to be an easier choice however not everyone can afford a shiny new unit or may not want to burden their business with additional cost.

That initial identifying of your direct need will help the decision process by outlining what your core business is related to equipment in your fleet. The more you know the better educated you are prior to starting the process. So, in theory, if your business is doing internal dealership transport and most of those vehicles are used cars and SUV’s than the chassis you choose might need to be air ride to assist with the added regular weight on the wheel lift. If you are going to do parking lot enforcement or parking garages, then the wheel lift you choose might need to have height limit.

Replacing a truck? It is easier to identify your needs. The more you understand about the chassis you want then the easier it is to spec your body. If buying something already at a distributor, or a used piece then you can fine tune the search. The length of the body will matter, purchasing a rollback, then you need to look at several things that can make the job easier.

If replacing a truck, did your truck perform as well as expected or was it sometimes lacking in areas? Depending on your tow vs roadside mix of calls, choosing the right unit for a replacement truck can really pay off here. The option of one winch vs two, and the winch size can really justify the upgrade as more complex recoveries can offset the cost. Deciding on self-loader capabilities is another option, as well as wheel lift capacities. Choosing the right unit is always a bit difficult as some used equipment may have the wheel lift capacity however it may be lacking in truck length or storage capacity.

Each item on each truck will potentially be slightly different as customers order customer-built trucks, tow truck distributors build trucks, and now other truck sellers are getting into the arena. The truck might have a different size pto, lift capacity, cable length, fuel tank, or box configuration. Ask yourself, when looking into a wheel lift setup for the first time, what are the key things that will help me maximize my units potential and allow me ◀

to service my customers.

Speaking with a regional truck salesman, he advises would be purchasers to know what you are looking for, do some research, and know what your bank is willing to loan you VS. what your expectation of monthly payment is going to be. This will help with a salesman understanding what he can assist with such as equipment availability, locating equipment from outside resources, or sending you to someone who does have the piece.

Compare before you buy as one truck may be better suited for your business than another. The flatbed vs wheel lift question is always on our minds, no matter the size of the company. If I want to do parking garages than the choice is pretty cut and dry as a carrier is not going to clear the height. If all my tows are wrecks and salvage than I would want a carrier or rollback to handle those.

Deciding on the right piece of equipment will require some research unless you are just replacing an older piece. These decisions should be made with business improvement, equipment capacities, and truck conditions as the cement in your foundation. Many companies make mistakes with truck purchases and doing that prepurchase research will pay off in the end.