There are many amazing facts about tow trucks you never knew about. Read on to learn 6 of them!
How much do you know about those tow trucks that always seem to arrive at the nick of time to bail you – and your vehicle – out of a sticky situation? If you’re like most folks, you probably haven’t given much thought to them aside from wishing they would arrive sooner than later so you can get home in time for the game with friends.
Inasmuch as we are dedicated to providing you with prompt, high-quality towing services, we are also passionate about what we do – and our trucks. This is why in today’s article, we will be sharing some of that passion with you as we tell you about these 6 amazing facts about North Lakes & District Towing tow trucks that you probably knew nothing about.
1. Tow Trucks Have Been In Existence For Several Decades
It’s been over a hundred years (a century) since mankind started using tow trucks to recover stuck vehicles. That’s an appreciable amount of history for something we see almost every day on the road! As a matter of fact, the year 2016 marked the 100th – year anniversary of the first tow truck ever produced – quite by accident if you can believe it.
The discovery of what was to later become the modern tow trucks of today was made by a mechanic named Ernest Holmes Sr in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee after a dear old friend’s car got stuck in a ditch. It took six hefty men all of eight hours to get the car out of the ditch and Ernest decided right there and then that there had to be a better way of removing stuck vehicles without relying entirely on brawn power. After countless hours of brainstorming the problem and several failed attempts later, Ernest eventually created the first-ever towing system using a crane and that marked the beginning of the rise of tow trucks in the world.
2. A Cadillac Was The First Tow Truck Ever
As unbelievable as what is now considered a luxury car being used for such a purpose, a Cadillac was the first-ever vehicle used to tow another. And Ernest Holmes played an instrumental role in making this happen.
After successfully developing his crane system, Ernest Holmes went on to install it on his 1913 Cadillac, effectively turning it into the world’s first tow truck. Shortly after the successful launch of his tow truck, Ernest formed the world’s first towing company – Ernest Holmes Co – and thus began the start of the towing industry as we know it today. This happened after filing for patent rights to his crane-pulley system on January 17th, 1918.
It is interesting to note that the hook system created by Ernest in the early 1900s is still very much in use in modern tow trucks today. In fact, the split-boom wrecker design created by Holmes formed the foundation for the wreckers used by the Americans during World War 2, and was also adopted by NASCAR for many years.
3. Tow Trucks Have A Museum
The International Towing And Recovery Hall Of Fame and Museum is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was built in Ernest Holmes’s hometown in honour of his creativity and is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the industry.
A first-time visitor to the museum gets to experience any of the following:
A display of rehabilitated tow trucks from the past years;
An exhaustive brief of the tow truck industry since it began in 1916;
A “Hall Of Fame” dedicated to all the leaders of the industry;
A memorial known as the “Wall of the Fallen” was raised to honour persons who died while working in the tow truck industry.
So whenever you happen to be in the neighbourhood of Ernest Holmes’ hometown, you can just make a quick stop at the museum for tow trucks and enjoy a brief tour of the facilities.
4. There Are 5 Types Of Modern Tow Trucks
Ever since the first tow truck was created in the early 1900s by Ernest Holmes, the evolution throughout the years has given rise to 5 different types of tow trucks in the world today. The first type of tow truck is the one that actively deploys Ernest Holmes’ Hook & Chain system, and is commonly known as the Boom Tow Truck. There have been four new releases ever since bringing the total number to five and they include:
Flatbed Tow Trucks, more commonly used to transport passenger vehicles because of its design;
Integrated Tow Trucks, which are designed for fast and efficient vehicle removals;
Rotator Tow Trucks, which are designed to lift and remove heavy-duty vehicles; and
Wheel Lift Tow Trucks, are more commonly used to tow rear-wheel-drive vehicles.
5. The World’s Largest Tow Trucks Are In Canada
Canada is home to some of the biggest tow trucks on the planet, which is not surprising as it boasts of being one of the countries with the largest trucking industries in the world. It’s only logical therefore that a country with that many trucks would equally need bigger tow trucks for efficient removal and towing whenever they break down.
As a matter of fact, it’s on record that the biggest tow truck in the world is found in Kelowna, Canada. The behemoth was initially built in Quebec and is equipped with a massive 80-ton boom rig with a 60-k rear winch. Reports say that moving this massive tow truck all the way to British Columbia lasted about one week; a journey that was accompanied by many snapshots from folks looking to record such a spectacle.
6. Flatbeds Are The Favorites Of Most Tow Truck Drivers
And last but not least, if you were to pull over a tow truck driver and ask him what his favourite tow truck is, you’d most likely hear him name the Flatbed as his choice of the day. They are not only easy to operate, but they also offer the least damage to vehicles in addition to providing better safety.
So the next time you call a North Lakes & District Towing tow truck, you can smile knowing that you’re a living witness to a piece of rich, interesting tow truck history.
