- A tow truck is able to move a car, truck, or other vehicle from one location to another using various types of machinery (see Types). Tow trucks move vehicles that are illegally parked or abandoned, and they take vehicles away from the sites of accidents and breakdowns. They also retrieve vehicles that are stranded or stuck such as cars in ditches or in mud.
- A wheel-lift tow truck has a metal yoke that fits underneath the drive wheels of a vehicle. The tires are then pumped off the ground with a hydraulic or pneumatic pump. Hook-and-chain tow trucks pull a vehicle using a chain wrapped around the frame or axle. Flatbed or rollback tow trucks use an inclining truck bed powered by a hydraulic pump. The vehicle drives or is winched onto the bed, and the bed then returns to a horizontal position.
- Flatbed tow trucks are the best type of tow truck to use to avoid damage to the vehicle as they don't drag the vehicles wheels on the ground as wheel-lift and hook-and-chain tow trucks do. Hook-and-chain trucks are particularly damaging, leaving scratches on car bumpers. However, these types of trucks are useful for vehicles that are damaged beyond repair or vehicles without tires.
- Most tow trucks are privately operated by tow truck companies, who will reply to towing requests from the public. These companies often operate impound lots. If a vehicle's owner has been impounded, she must visit the lot and pay the towing company a fine to retrieve her car. Companies or departments that manage many vehicles, such as buses or firetrucks, may also own their own tow trucks. The Federal Highway Administration manages towing operations on major highways.
- Global positioning systems (GPS) and automatic vehicle locations (AVL) help tow truck owners manage their fleets and quickly aid customers in need. With AVL, dispatchers can determine which truck is closest to a customer, cutting down on the time it takes for the tow truck to arrive. GPS systems can actually send a vehicle's location to a tow truck service.
