Tow Truck "W" Endorsement
Tow Truck - ANS-A motor vehicle that tows or carries a disabled, illegally parked or
abandoned vehicle.
GVWR - ANS-Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
GCVR - ANS-Gross Combination weight rating. The GVWR plus the GVWR of the
vehicle being towed equals the GCVR.
Light duty - ANS-GVWR of 8,600 to 10,000 pounds
Medium Duty - ANS-GVWR of 10,001 to 26,000
Heavy duty - ANS-GVWR over 26,000 pounds
Car carrier - ANS-A vehicle designed to transport 1 to 3 motor vehicles. Car carriers use
a platform that is used to facilitate the operation of towing one or many vehicles. They
are known also as flatbeds, Slideback, equipment transporters and rollbacks.
Overloading - ANS-Overloading can cause undetected damage, weaken the equipment
significantly and cause equipment failure which can result in injury or death.
GAWR - ANS-Gross Axle Weight Rating which is used to describe the weight of a single
axle or a combination of axles is designed to carry.
Overhang - ANS-Overhang is measured from the center of the lift point to the center of
the rear axle of the tow trucks. The safe towing capacity decreases when overhang
increases.
STC - ANS-Safe towing capacity - Defined as the amount of weight or load that does
not cause more than a 50% loss of original unloaded front axle weight.
Wheelbase - ANS-The distance from the centerline of the front axle to the centerline of
the rear axle.
The breaking strength rating - ANS-TBSR is established by the manufacturer as the
maximum weight or load that new, unused equipment can bear under ideal laboratory
conditions.
Tow Truck - ANS-A motor vehicle that tows or carries a disabled, illegally parked or
abandoned vehicle.
GVWR - ANS-Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
GCVR - ANS-Gross Combination weight rating. The GVWR plus the GVWR of the
vehicle being towed equals the GCVR.
Light duty - ANS-GVWR of 8,600 to 10,000 pounds
Medium Duty - ANS-GVWR of 10,001 to 26,000
Heavy duty - ANS-GVWR over 26,000 pounds
Car carrier - ANS-A vehicle designed to transport 1 to 3 motor vehicles. Car carriers use
a platform that is used to facilitate the operation of towing one or many vehicles. They
are known also as flatbeds, Slideback, equipment transporters and rollbacks.
Overloading - ANS-Overloading can cause undetected damage, weaken the equipment
significantly and cause equipment failure which can result in injury or death.
GAWR - ANS-Gross Axle Weight Rating which is used to describe the weight of a single
axle or a combination of axles is designed to carry.
Overhang - ANS-Overhang is measured from the center of the lift point to the center of
the rear axle of the tow trucks. The safe towing capacity decreases when overhang
increases.
STC - ANS-Safe towing capacity - Defined as the amount of weight or load that does
not cause more than a 50% loss of original unloaded front axle weight.
Wheelbase - ANS-The distance from the centerline of the front axle to the centerline of
the rear axle.
The breaking strength rating - ANS-TBSR is established by the manufacturer as the
maximum weight or load that new, unused equipment can bear under ideal laboratory
conditions.
