When a truck stops on a freight route, every hour costs money in late loads, driver time and a lane blocked. Truck towing needs a heavy wrecker with an underlift that can lift a loaded front axle, air lines to release the spring brakes, and an operator who knows how to drop a driveshaft or pull the axles. Tell us the truck, the load and where it stands, and heavy operators in that area quote you directly. Sending a request costs nothing and you are not obliged to accept.
How a truck is towed
Most rigid trucks and truck tractors are towed with an underlift: a boom arm slides under the front axle or chassis and lifts the front, and the truck rolls on its rear wheels. Before moving, the operator connects an air supply to release the spring brakes and disconnects the driveshaft or removes the axle shafts so the gearbox is not driven. Trailers are normally hooked to a spare horse or towed on a dolly. Buses and long rigids may need a front lift from a bigger unit.
What to tell the operator
- Truck type: rigid, truck tractor, tipper, tanker or bus
- Number of axles and roughly what it weighs
- Whether it is loaded, and with what (hazardous goods matter)
- Where it stands: shoulder, lane, weighbridge, depot or veld
- The fault: engine, gearbox, brakes, tyres or accident damage
- Where it must go, and whether the load must be moved first
Loaded or empty
A loaded truck is heavier on the underlift and harder to tow safely. Many operators prefer the load to be moved to another truck first, which needs a second vehicle and sometimes a crane or forklift. If the truck has rolled or left the road, it becomes a recovery job with winching or a rotator; see heavy-duty towing. Ask whether a permit or escort is needed for an oversize combination.
How truck towing is priced
Truck towing is quoted per job, usually as a call-out fee plus a rate per km or per hour, with extras for securing the load, standing time and permits. There is no standard rate, so compare quotes on the same basis and get the total in writing before the truck is hooked up. Fleet owners often agree rates with one operator in advance. For light commercial vehicles and bakkies, see towing services.
What to include in your request
- Truck type, axles and rough mass
- Whether it is loaded and what the load is
- Exact location, direction and lane
- The fault or damage
- Destination workshop or depot
Truck Towing for different clients
- Motorists and families: an owner-driver's single rigid truck towed from the roadside to a diesel workshop
- Company fleets and rental firms: delivery rigids and courier trucks towed to the fleet workshop on agreed rates
- Truckers, buses and logistics: a long-haul truck tractor towed off a freight corridor to a dealer workshop
- Farmers and 4x4 owners: a farm truck or grain tipper towed from the lands to a workshop in town
- Dealers, panel beaters and workshops: used trucks and trade-ins moved between dealers, auctions and repair shops
- Construction, mining and plant hire: tippers and water bowsers towed off a site to the plant workshop
- Caravan, boat and bike owners: a motorhome or converted bus towed to a specialist after a breakdown on tour
- Municipalities, estates and schools: municipal refuse trucks and buses towed from routes back to the depot
Frequently asked questions
How much does truck towing cost?
Can a tow truck for trucks also take the trailer?
Who pays for truck towing after a breakdown on a national road?
Is this site a truck towing company?
Truck Towing by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg