Construction jobs require you to carry important equipment and material. Sometimes, the material exceeds the capacity of the truck itself. You have to tow more equipment and acquiring another pickup truck to share the load can add too much to your company’s expenses.
Summit Fleet understands the predicament faced by construction companies and that is why we recommend renting a pickup truck with a tow hitch instead of purchasing a new vehicle to share the load. You get to transport a larger capacity of equipment and personnel without incurring additional costs of buying a vehicle.
Of course, it is important to remember that the truck you’re using to tow the additional equipment matters a lot.
Pickup Truck Rental Towing – Things to Remember
There are some considerations you need to keep in mind when choosing a vehicle to rent.
Weight of the Truck
One of the most important factors is the weight of the truck. Whatever you are towing behind the truck, you need to make sure you have the right truck for the job.
½ ton trucks are the most common trucks on the road. They fulfill daily driving tasks more than anything else. You can pull smaller things behind the ½ ton truck rental like medium-sized boats or light trailers.
However, ¾ ton trucks are the best when it comes to providing an all-round experience. Towing with a pickup truck rental is very convenient with ¾ ton truck rentals. It can handle heavier loads than the ½ ton pickup truck because of a stronger suspension system. A mid-sized camper is an item that this truck weight class can carry with ease.
1 ton trucks are by far the most resilient for towing. They can carry around 6,000 pounds in the truck bed alone. You can also hitch a trailer that is 30,000 pounds in the back and you will not notice a thing. These are capable of carrying proper full sized trailers, large equipment and even horse trailers in tow.
The Bed of the Truck
The bed size also creates a big difference with the performance of the pickup truck’s towing capabilities. Construction managers often send construction crews along with the equipment they are hauling for the job in the same vehicle. This saves a lot of costs since one trip can transport both the crew and the equipment.
Three is a trend of more and more Mega Cabs and Super Crew Cabs in the industry. This means that the bed of the truck has also seen a reduction in length. The length of the truck bed affects the ability of the truck to carry additional equipment in tow. It determines how much setting up the hitch costs. It also affects how simple will it will be to tow once you get things moving.
Trucks that have beds that are 8 feet or less are easier to maneuver when they are not towing. The experience of driving them is easier as well. The larger cabs make it more spacious for extra crew members. The issue is that when they are towing something in the back, there is a lower clearance and setting up the hitch on shorter length beds is more expensive.
Gasoline or Diesel
Currently, gas costs less than diesel. That is at least true for the upfront cost. Gasoline-powered engines are also a lot easier to maintain and more economical to own. That being said, over long distances, gasoline-powered engines do not offer the same fuel efficiency that diesel engines do. Diesel might be a more expensive fuel but when it comes to long haul drives with the equipment and crew members for the job, a diesel engine will save more money for you than a gasoline engine.
Diesel engines are also more resilient than gasoline engines. They require maintenance work after a longer stretch of time as compared to gasoline engines. It’s better to opt for a diesel engine truck when choosing a vehicle to fulfill the towing needs.
Precautions While Towing Trailers Behind Your Pickup Rental
Towing with a pickup truck rental is not easy and should be done with extreme caution. There are plenty of dangers with every turn and the driver needs to be ultra aware throughout the time he is driving the vehicle. The most problematic aspect of towing something behind your pickup truck is the trailer sway. Several factors can cause the towed equipment behind the pickup truck to sway but there are things you can do to prevent the vehicle from getting out of control.
Preventing Sway
The best thing a driver can do to prevent swaying while towing heavy equipment is to ensure that all the items on the trailer are balanced. Equal weight distribution allows the towed trailer to be properly balanced as the vehicle is on the move and making turns. Drivers can always make sure that they use truck scale stops to measure whether or not everything in the trailer they are towing is balanced properly.
Additionally, there are braking control systems that can assist you in stabilizing the truck when it has a trailer in tow. These brakes are installed on the truck itself but also on the trailer being towed to provide additional stability. One more thing you can do to prevent swaying is keep a farther distance from other vehicles so that you have more time to slow down your vehicle when you need to.
Final Thoughts
Renting a pickup truck for towing makes things more convenient for construction crews carrying a lot of equipment to job sites. Summit Fleet can provide you a wide range of the latest trucks that you can choose to address your needs. No need to worry about large acquisition costs when renting a truck, as you only pay monthly. The vehicle will be delivered right where you need it and it will be ready to use. Summit Fleet makes it a point to ensure all the latest safety technologies are installed in their vehicles so you won’t have to worry about the safety of your crew and equipment on the long haul trips to job sites.
Feel free to contact us at any time for additional information at 888.583-5538 or through our website at https://summitfleet.com/quick-quotes/.
