Towing is a common task in a variety of industries, but especially in the construction industry. Construction materials and equipment of various sizes and weights need to be transported from factories to construction sites. If the material mass exceeds the truck capacity, it can be disastrous for both the equipment and the vehicle. Owning multiple vehicles to share the load can be too costly, especially if the towing needs are limited.
The rental pickup trucks offered by Summit Fleet are the perfect solution if you are looking to rent a truck with a tow hitch. Without having to spend a huge amount on a new pickup purchase, you can easily ship different kinds of equipment with different pickup truck options. The type of rental truck for towing that you need depends upon the nature of the job, along with some other considerations.
Considerations for a Pickup Truck Rental
Which Fueling Option Is More Cost-Effective?
While gas costs less than diesel, the characteristics of their respective engines portray a completely different picture. Everyone knows how economical and easy-to-maintain gasoline engines are, but when it comes to long-distant shipments, diesel engines are much more fuel-efficient than gasoline engines. If your towing needs are spread across extensive routes, diesel engines will enable you to save a lot despite the higher fuel cost.
The underlying factor is the maintenance requirements of the respective engines. Gasoline engines demand frequent maintenance while diesel engines will allow you to stretch longer time periods between maintenance work, ultimately saving tons of money in maintenance costs. Summit Fleet offers various diesel pickup truck rental options if you decide that diesel is the choice for you.
What Should Be the Weight of the Pickup Truck?
The weight of the pickup truck is directly linked to your towing needs. The type of truck you want to rent depends on the load you need to tow. Three different types of pickup rentals offered by Summit Fleet include:
½ Ton Trucks
These trucks are designed to fulfill your daily towing needs, and thus, are most commonly used by firms. A ½ ton pickup rental can pull lighter loads such as other light trailers or moderately weighing boats.
¾ Ton Pickup Trucks
A ¾ pickup truck is equipped with a stronger suspension system that enables the truck to handle much heavier loads than a ½ ton truck. The overall experience offered by this pickup truck means that you can conveniently tow a medium-sized camper.
1-Ton Pickup Trucks
A 1-ton pickup truck has unmatched resilience when it comes to towing. Its truck bed alone is capable of carrying over 6,000 pounds, while the truck has the capacity to pull a 30,000-pound trailer without feeling a thing. Furthermore, full-sized trailers, horse trailers, and large equipment can be easily carried using this truck.
How Long Should the Truck Beds Be?
Another significant factor that strongly impacts the towing capabilities of the pickup truck is the bed size. Hauling both the project equipment and the crew that will be working on the project can be problematic and wasteful. Small and inconvenient truck bed sizes can result in need to make multiple trips. These extra trips back and forth mean a loss of precious resources such as time and money.
However, the most recent industry trends are characterized by shorter truck beds. SuperCrew Cabs and Mega Cabs are becoming increasingly common trucks that are distinctively used to transport crews. This has allowed truck beds to be shorter in length, which ultimately decreases the towing costs as well as increases the ease of towing. Shorter truck beds boost the ability of the trucks to tow additional material or equipment.
Moreover, maneuvering trucks has become easy with shorter truck beds, which are 8 feet or less in length. This is particularly true when the truck is not towing.
Hence, there is a trade-off between having longer or shorter truck beds. Longer, full-size bed truck rentals allow crew members to travel with the equipment, saving fuel and time, but makes towing difficult.. On the other hand, shorter beds make towing efficient but lead to higher transportation costs as crew members cannot be accommodated in a single trip.
There is no right or wrong answer to which size of bed should be used. It solely depends on your needs and business context. A firm with high-priority towing needs and fewer crew members will prefer shorter truck beds and vice versa.
Necessary Precautions for Towing
Besides the considerations mentioned above, you should be aware of the threats and dangers involved with towing. The single most challenging aspect of towing with pickup trucks is trailer sway. Drivers need to be extra vigilant and cautious, or else the towed equipment can easily sway. The most effective technique to prevent sway is to balance all the materials in the truck.
If the towed equipment is not properly balanced, the side with the greater weight distribution will create problems when the trailer picks up the pace or makes turns. To ensure equal weight distribution, drivers are advised to use truck scale stops, which are a great way to measure how well the towed materials and equipment are balanced.
Also, installing brake control systems in the towing trailer is another great strategy to prevent sway. These are additional brakes that help to stabilize the truck when pulling equipment.
Furthermore, drivers should take care of the most obvious rules, such as maintaining sufficient distance from other vehicles so that they have more time to slow down when a vehicle stops ahead of them.
Final Word
Pickup rentals offer tremendous towing packages designed to cater to all towing needs. However, there are multiple aspects that need to be considered before making a deal. The weight of pickup trucks and the length of the truck beds are directly correlated with your towing needs, so these should be the primary factors driving your decision. In addition, the type of engine in the pickup truck can influence the overall costs, so it should also be taken into account.
Summit Fleet is here every step of the way to help you find the perfect truck that fits your towing needs. Get your rate now!
