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A Few Interesting Towing Facts

In 1915/1916, Ernest Holmes, a mechanic from Chattanooga, enlisted six men to use ropes and blocks to tow vehicles. He determined later that they could tow cars easier by using a truck that was flat on the cargo end, hence coming up with the flatbed truck. Then he invented a type of crane that could lift cars that had been in accidents onto his tow trucks. In His hometown, There is a Museum dedicated to the history tow trucks located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum displays restored antique trucks, wreckers, tools, even other equipment, as well as pictorial histories of the industry Holmes created. They also keep most of us in this line of business updated on current events in the industry, and they help raise money each year to help prevent accidents and loss of on the road. 

Many law enforcement officials credit tow truck owners and operators for keeping traffic moving along better. They keep the streets free of cars blocking major traffic areas.
Common names we use are: tow trucks, boom trucks, wrecker, self-loader, recovery truck, snatcher truck, quick pick truck, slide truck, roll back truck, rotator towing truck, breakdown truck
Flatbed tow trucks are the most commonly used in the United States. It is less likely the customers property will be injured, and flatbeds are more efficient in many situations.
The average operator of US owned towing trucks works at only an estimated 5% profit margin. That means that for every $20 in gross revenue our customers pay, our profit is only 1$, the other 95% of that revenue is going towards your trucking expenses as a basic estimate. These include things like truck payments, maintenance, fuel, insurance, permits, and hourly pay for some staff.
The military actually deploys tow trucks and wreckers for recovery of stranded vehicles. In the US Army, a type of the HEMTT truck is commonly used for this, called the M984 wrecker. For recovery in combat situations during combat many armies with large vehicle fleets also deploy heavy duty armor wrecker or tow trucks. These vehicles handle a similar role, but are resistant to heavy fire and capable of handling rough terrain with their deep tracks, and can manage towing vehicles beyond the weight limits of wheeled wreckers, such as tanks as most are based on tank designs for this reason specifically.
Some police departments own tow trucks, but in the USA it is common to contract police tows to private companies. WE DO NOT IMPOUND OR TOW UNLESS THE OWNER OF THE CAR, TRUCK OR MOTORCYCLE IS PRESENT AND REQUESTS THE TOW.