This is the March 2004 American Towman Magazine cover
[ This article was posted into the internet in May 20, 2005 ]
So you decided that you want to enter the heavy-duty tow truck market. You've been thinking about it for a long time and see an ad for a used truck that fits in your budget. First glace says it's a good deal, as a matter of fact the more I look at it; it's a great deal, or is it??? Before buying a heavy-duty tow truck, you should identify the type of work that you're after. Then you should start building a model truck that you need. Many times a truck is built and purchased without the new owner knowing what the towing capacity of the tow truck is. You say that it has a 50-ton rated boom on it so it must able to handle just about anything. Wrong! As a matter of fact there are many used trucks out there that are for sale for a cheap price because they weren't spec'ed out properly. Some towers enter this market totally blind and what they believe to be a good deal is nothing more than a waste of money and effort. To enter this market you must first realize that there are not many great deals on used heavy-duty trucks. The ones that are good workhorses are out there working everyday and are not traded until they're tired, and the ones that aren't, are depreciating at such a rate that the owner finally realizes to cut the bleeding and trade for either one that works or exit the heavy business. To calculate tow capacity (or T.C.) follow this formula. Tow capacity= 50% of front axle weight multiplied by the wheelbase in inches and divided by the overhang in inches. So for example a truck with a 12,140 lb front axle you would take 50% of that at 6070. Then take and multiply the 272" wheelbase, which equals 1,651,040. Divide that by the 108" overhang and you have a tow capacity of 15,287lbs. Now change the overhang to 120" and now you've decreased your capacity to 13,759lbs. Now watch what happens when we lighten the front axle to 10,000lbs and leave everything else the same. You go from a 13,759lb to an 11,333lb capacity. That's an overall loss of 18% of tow capacity! There are other factors to consider as well. Your anchoring ability while winching will also come into play. If you are going to do a lot longer distance runs you will probably extend the wheelbase. If you are doing short in town runs and are tight on space you will probably shorten it up and consider single axle. A tandem will have a tendency to push you into turns and actually decrease your capacity over a single axle. As you can see by moving a few numbers around you can either have a real workhorse or something that simply looks big and nice parked by your front driveway. Unfortunately, many times buyers will go and have a body mounted on a truck that they found to be good deal, and once put together, can't tow anything but a UPS or Fed-Ex truck. The tower that wants to enter this market needs to do his homework. First identify your customer's needs, and then build a truck to match those needs. If you are purchasing a new truck (which I strongly recommend) ask your distributor for assistance. A distributor wants you to be happy and remain a loyal customer. Selling you a truck that doesn't fit your needs not only jeopardizes your future but also guarantees that distributor a dissatisfied customer. John Borowski, a tower for 30 years (19 of which he owned his own tow business), has also served as President for Statewide Towing Association of Massachusetts and is currently Treasureer for the association. A two-time recipient of the American Towman Medal (for heroism), John is AT's Field Editor. John is the Manager of Specialty Markets for Jerr-Dan Cooperation.
Buying A Heavy-Duty Tow Truck
Be An Educated Purchaser
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