Not long after Henry Ford made the automobile affordable for the masses, the first tow truck was invented to help drivers sidelined by accidents and breakdowns. Discount Towing & Recovery, the premier roadside assistance service in Mountain Home, AR, offers a brief history of the tow truck in the following sections. Although technologies have changed over the past century, their reliable trucks and friendly, courteous drivers still provide the prompt service stranded motorists need.

The First Tow Truck

In 1916, a Chattanooga, TN, mechanic named Ernest Holmes received word that his old professor had driven into a creek bed and upended his Model T. He responded, but the job took half a dozen men a full workday to move the vehicle. However, the situation inspired Holmes to outfit his Cadillac with outriggers and a crane-and-pulley system powerful enough to haul other vehicles up and out of ditches. He patented the idea in 1917.  

Other Tow Truck Improvements

Holmes spent the rest of his life, nearly 30 years, inventing towing improvements and developing related equipment such as car creepers, jacks, and vehicle lifts. He also built a successful business manufacturing wrecker vehicles for sale to other mechanics as a way to draw more business. As years passed, other developments—including flatbed trucks and winch systems—gave operators greater flexibility and made hauling vehicles out of ditches, mud flats, and snow drifts more practical. 

International Towing Museum

The International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame & Museum began as a mobile attraction, outfitted in a tractor-trailer hauled from location to location by a tow truck. In honor of Holmes' contributions, a permanent home for the collection was built in his hometown of Chattanooga in 1995. It contains a record of highlights and memorabilia from the $15 billion industry that the resourceful inventor helped found.

Discount Towing & Recovery offers 24-hour service, seven days a week. They respond quickly and get you out of trouble as rapidly as possible. Visit their website for contact info, or call (870) 425-1775 to request prompt, reliable tow truck service.