It is almost impossible to go through your day without seeing at least one tow truck on the way to work. They have been a major asset to the car since their invention in 1915 and continue to play a huge role today. They are known in various names, a towie, a recovery truck, but it all the same thing; you can’t move a wrecked car without one, whether from a private towing company or a garage.

Whenever a vehicle has been damaged or immobile, this is the first truck that you would think of. It was created to carry cars to repair shops or the junkyard if it is damaged. But the police also uses them to get rid of vehicles that are un-moved, such as parking where they are not to.

In Tennessee, an innovator had the concept to dream up one of these trucks after long hours aiding a friend pull his wrecked vehicle from a river. Ernest Holmes famous for the invention of this truck and he created and produced it from a workshop that he owned, it was something that he could use to his gain to carry cars to repair in his own garage.

With some thinking and planning he eventually decided to use a 1913 Cadillac as the foundation of the tow truck he’s about to create. He used a pulley and some poles to complete his invention and designed the first tow truck that we still use today. He didn’t kill time in patenting his new creation, instead he opened the first towing business.

This turned out to be a massive success for him and his invention became known worldwide. The W-45 was the highest selling of his trucks; used during WW2 as became a transportation truck during the entire war, roaming from Normandy to Belgium.

It is said that the strength of this truck was amazing; it had the capability to drag up to 15 tons or more, making it valuable in the recuperation of immobile motor vehicles during that point. The French army kept using it for a while until about 1973. The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame Museum (Chattanooga) still display this and other prior models of the Holems tow truck.

Until his death, Holmes continued to run his corporation and handed it down to his son, Ernest Holmes Jr. He carried on the business until 1973 when he retired and the Dover Corp took over. That same year, Century Wreckers was established by a third generation member of the Holmes family and became a significant competitor to the Dover Corp. Century Wreckers utilization of hydraulics is what provided them the advantage. Through time, both companies were procured by Miller industries.

There was countless number of alterations to these vehicles since they were produced. You will find three main styles used today: the flat bed, wheel lift and hook and chain.

The first method utilized and still in use today is the hook and chain. A hook or chain goes around the axle of the automobile or body. This can cause scrapes but has a gain to cars that are lacking front or rear tires.

The most popular method these days is the wheel-lift. This causes the least destruction or scratches and a metal yoke is then attached underneath the motor vehicle, either front or back to then be pulled into the air hydraulically or pneumatically to be towed away.

For motor vehicles that are still movable, even if just slightly, a roll back truck or flat bed, is used. They have a bed that is operated by controls to form a ram, enabling someone to then drive the car right up onto the truck to get it hauled away.

With the amount of automobiles on the road today, a tow truck is much needed to many men and women. Sometimes you may dislike seeing it towing your vehicle, but as long as the automobile keeps manufacturing cars, we will see tow trucks every day, and most likely use them at one time or another.

Discover the world of the tow truck and precisely how it can strengthen the productivity of any road accident today. Get all the current news on towing.

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