Any municipal fleet manager knows that one of your most important vehicles is your tow truck. From retrieving municipal vehicles to towing stuck or abandoned vehicles on municipal property, cities and towns that invest in their own towing equipment can save a great deal of time and money by investing in light-duty towing equipment. But when it comes to determining the best equipment for your municipality, where do you start?
Let’s take a quick look at the available light-duty towing equipment options for municipalities, so we can determine which is the best option:
3 Light Duty Towing Equipment Options for Municipalities
01. Integrated tow trucks
True workhorses, integrated tow trucks are built to handle any kind of vehicle you can imagine. From RVs and big rigs to buses and regular passenger vehicles, integrated tow trucks can do it all, but they’re often more than most municipalities need on a daily basis.
02. Flatbed tow trucks
Flatbed tow trucks make towing easy. The ramp minimizes the driver’s required effort and makes for safe long-distance driving. That said, they’re usually too large for most municipalities to house. Their size also contributes to a cost that’s often much higher than most municipalities can afford.
03. Slide-in wheel lifts
Slide-in wheel lifts are designed for compatibility with existing light-duty towing vehicles. In many cases, your municipality may already have a truck in use that is suited to light-duty towing. In that case, you’ll only need to pay for the wheel lift and installation, rather than an entire tow truck.
After looking at those three light-duty towing equipment options for municipal applications, it’s clear that the wheel lift is typically the best choice for municipalities.
Why is a Wheel Lift the Best Light Duty Towing Equipment for Municipal Applications?
But you don’t have to take our word for it! There are plenty of reasons why a wheel lift is the best option for most municipalities, including:
Wheel Lifts are Affordable
Heavy-duty tow trucks are expensive, and they’re more powerful than what most municipalities need. Wheel lifts are installed on smaller trucks than a traditional tow truck, which means smaller gas requirements, and simpler storage for your municipality. They’re also simple to maintain, with only a few moving parts compared to the complex mechanics of a heavy-duty tow truck.
They are Practical for Municipal Requirements
As a municipality, you likely aren’t towing vehicles long distances, you probably have relatively light towing needs, and you also don’t have much space to store an additional vehicle. A wheel lift provides the light-duty towing equipment you need to solve all of those problems.
- They fit on existing trucks (check to make sure your vehicle is applicable)
- They can accomplish the job your municipality needs them for — towing municipal and passenger vehicles short distances
- They don’t take up much space. Contrary to a large flatbed tow truck or wrecker, a truck with a wheel lift doesn’t take up any more space than a traditional truck.
Wheel Lifts are Convenient
Slide-in wheel lifts can be installed on most light-duty trucks (see which trucks are best suited for slide-in wheel lifts) and in most cases, will outlast the life of the vehicle itself. So, when the vehicle breaks down, the lift can simply be moved to another vehicle to keep operations running smoothly. That’s convenient and cost-saving.
They Provide Exceptional Durability
As mentioned above, the Minute Man wheel lift can last for years, and may even outlast the vehicle it’s installed on. No worries, simply move the lift to the next vehicle and watch it continue to serve your municipality for a fraction of the cost of a flatbed tow truck or wrecker.
Looking for a towing solution that accommodates your municipal application? Try the MinuteMan Wheel Lift. At Minute Man, we’re well aware of your needs, and we make the best product for the job. The Minute Man wheel lift is perfect for a number of applications, including vehicle repossession, roadside service, and impounding.
Contact our team to learn more about how the MinuteMan Wheel Lift can work for you.
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