Used Tow Trucks For Sale

Used tow trucks cover a wide range of recovery and transport work, from light-duty self-loaders handling passenger cars to medium-duty rollback carriers and heavier wreckers built for commercial recovery. Buyers usually shop this category by body style first. A rollback tow truck, also called a carrier or car carrier, is built to transport vehicles fully off the ground on a hydraulic bed. A wrecker uses a boom and wheel-lift to tow a vehicle behind the truck. Many fleets run both, because the right choice depends on damage level, vehicle type, clearance, and how often the unit will be used for recovery versus simple transport.

For light- and medium-duty towing, common chassis include Class 4 through Class 7 trucks from Ford, Chevrolet, International, and Freightliner. Typical specs in the used market include diesel power, automatic transmissions, 4x2 drivetrains, single rear axles, and GVWR ratings from around 19,500 pounds up to 26,000 pounds for non-CDL setups, with heavier tandem-axle units pushing well beyond that. Rollbacks often carry 21-foot to 22-foot steel or wood decks, 102-inch bed width, 6-ton deck ratings, 3,500-pound wheel-lifts, and 8,000-pound winches. Wreckers and self-loaders commonly feature dual drag winches, L-arms, underlift equipment, recovery booms, work lights, and light bars. On larger carrier builds, air brakes, air ride suspension, toolboxes, and hydraulic hitches become more common.

The smartest buying decision usually comes down to matching the body and chassis to your call mix. A self-loader is efficient for repossessions, parking enforcement, and fast urban hookups where speed matters. A rollback is the better fit for all-wheel-drive vehicles, low-clearance cars, damaged units, and longer-distance transport because it reduces the risk of drivetrain or suspension damage. A medium-duty carrier on an M2-106 or F-650 class chassis can also support equipment moves, small box truck recoveries, and heavier service work that a light-duty wrecker cannot handle comfortably. If the truck will spend time in tight city streets, wheelbase, cab configuration, and turning radius matter just as much as rated capacity.

On a used tow truck, the inspection should focus on both the chassis and the towing gear. Check bed pivot points, hydraulic cylinders, winch operation, cable or synthetic line condition, wheel-lift wear, boom structure, crossmembers, PTO engagement, and signs of deck twist or repaired damage. Review brake type, suspension, tire date codes, and axle ratings to confirm the truck is properly matched to the body. On carriers, look closely at bed slide function, rear stabilizers, rail condition, and scuff areas around the deck. On wreckers, inspect the underlift, tow sling components if equipped, and all safety gear. A clean service history matters, but so does evidence that the towing equipment itself has been maintained, because that is where uptime and liability are won or lost.