Costs of commercial wrecker to tow a M939 series?

[LCA078]

I bought a parts M925 truck at an auction and planned to tow it home with my good M923. Of course, my job just blew up the day after I paid for the truck and I'm now not able to spend the time to tow the parts truck out of the auction yard within the next week or so- and that means I'll be paying penalties until it's gone. I'm thinking about having a medium/heavy wrecker service just tow the truck to either a local storage lot or even the 150 miles to the house so I don't have to deal with it. I'm also factoring in that I don't have a tow bar which will be a ~$400 purchase if I do it myself. Any idea what towing a M939 series 150 miles will cost? The truck is in south Texas if location has any effect on costs.

 

[simp5782]

I bought a parts M925 truck at an auction and planned to tow it home with my good M923. Of course, my job just blew up the day after I paid for the truck and I'm now not able to spend the time to tow the parts truck out of the auction yard within the next week or so- and that means I'll be paying penalties until it's gone. I'm thinking about having a medium/heavy wrecker service just tow the truck to either a local storage lot or even the 150 miles to the house so I don't have to deal with it. I'm also factoring in that I don't have a tow bar which will be a ~$400 purchase if I do it myself. Any idea what towing a M939 series 150 miles will cost? The truck is in south Texas if location has any effect on costs.

Call a wrecker company with a landall trailer. It's a low tilt deck trailer. Most heavy companies have it and it will charge less than a normal wheel lift class III wrecker. Plus the risk of blown out tires along the way. Expect around 80 to 110$ an hour from shop to destination to you.

 

[LCA078]

To use a trailer, I thought the vehicle must be under it's own power to drive itself up the ramp. A trailer/hotshot service would be much easier...just not sure of the how to get it up on the trailer.

 

[porkysplace]

To use a trailer, I thought the vehicle must be under it's own power to drive itself up the ramp. A trailer/hotshot service would be much easier...just not sure of the how to get it up on the trailer.

Get one with winch. Most Landoll trailers have winches.
http://landoll.com/home/products/trailers/traveling-axle-trailers/model-425/

 

[CMPPhil]

Hi

The low bed hauler, which I've used, was winch equipped, vehicle needed to roll free, so when you call around ask.

Just an aside, when I got into this hobby I was advised to develop a relationship with local tow company, I followed that advice and over the years have used him several times. Yes he once charged me the minimum charge ($350) for bring out his big wrecker to tow my 3 ton home 3 miles. But once there he saw he could not get my truck in to my shop, he when back to his shop and came back with a small wrecker to push my truck into my shop no aditional charge.

Cheers Phil

 

[simp5782]

To use a trailer, I thought the vehicle must be under it's own power to drive itself up the ramp. A trailer/hotshot service would be much easier...just not sure of the how to get it up on the trailer.

They will have a winch on it. Landall trailers are used to recover semi trucks and other equipment that can not be picked up and hauled in by a normal wrecker due to damage or other things. plus it allows a cheaper alternative of hauling for the tow company as well. A day cab semi and a landall is alot cheaper option to pay off than a big rotator

 

[mkcoen]

I had to have an emergency tow with my M1078. I pulled the rear axle shafts but didn’t cage the brakes since I assumed he’d be able to hook into the glad hands and use them. Turns out he couldn’t get it to work so charged me an additional $25 to cage them after all. For about 180 miles it was $850. But that was a commercial, front lift wrecker. If you have time to plan go with Simp’s advice. Fortunately for me mine was covered 100% by my insurance.

 

[davidhdale]

If you use a wrecker yard with Landon they will know how to cage and release the brakes

 

[mkcoen]

If you use a wrecker yard with Landon they will know how to cage and release the brakes

I knew how to cage the brakes but thought he'd plumb in through the glad hands so he could use my brakes. For some reason, whether him hooking it up wrong or something wrong with my truck, that didn't work so he then caged the brakes. If I'd known they needed caged I could have done it in the hour and a half waiting for him to show up (after I pulled the rear axle shafts).

 

[98G]

I've used tiw places to pick up and store 939series trucks multiple times. Typically $350 gets it picked up and stored for a month.

If this is Killeen TX I have used and recommend Goode Towing.

 

[airbornebandsman]

Where in south Texas is it located?

 

[LCA078]

Mik-

Truck is located outside of Kingsville, TX and I need to drag it back to San Antonio.

 

[LCA078]

I put a listing on uship to get bids for trailering the M925 the ~155 miles to San Antonio. Highest bid was $1900 (more than I paid for the truck) and low bids are hovering around $1100. I'm surprised the low bids really aren't that low as they figure out to just under $7/mile. I hoped there would be a backhaul bid but then again, the posting has only been up for 3 days. I'll give it a few more days and see what happens.

 

[LCA078]

A question I forgot to ask in my first post: I assume these transmission have no locks. In other words, whether it was shut down in N or any gear, the truck can still be winched onto a trailer without busting a pinion lock or such? I know I have to cage the brakes...just asking about the tranny. For long tows, I assume removing a drive shaft or two is still a must.

 

[simp5782]

A question I forgot to ask in my first post: I assume these transmission have no locks. In other words, whether it was shut down in N or any gear, the truck can still be winched onto a trailer without busting a pinion lock or such? I know I have to cage the brakes...just asking about the tranny. For long tows, I assume removing a drive shaft or two is still a must.

Just put the transfer case into neutral. Itll roll easier. There is no lock on the transmission. On a long tow with the transfer case in high range it can do some damage to a transmission

 

[LCA078]

Just put the transfer case into neutral. Itll roll easier. There is no lock on the transmission. On a long tow with the transfer case in high range it can do some damage to a transmission

Simp- Thanks. I'm still learning about these beasts. When the transfer case is in neutral, it disconnects the drivetrain from the tranny/engine, correct? And thus no need to pull a driveshaft when towing long distance?

 

[simp5782]

Simp- Thanks. I'm still learning about these beasts. When the transfer case is in neutral, it disconnects the drivetrain from the tranny/engine, correct? And thus no need to pull a driveshaft when towing long distance?

Yes.

 

[charlesmann]

I've used tiw places to pick up and store 939series trucks multiple times. Typically $350 gets it picked up and stored for a month.

If this is Killeen TX I have used and recommend Goode Towing.

@98G I know this an old thread, but we aint in south texas. I used Goode once for a roll back a d was exceptionally happy with their service.

For others in the future with similar questions. When i purchased both my 936A2s, the tow company i bought them from loaded the non operational one onto a landall and towed it to my house and used a med duty wheel lift to back it in to my yard.