Glossary
- GVWR
- The maximum a single vehicle may weigh fully loaded, defined at 49 CFR § 571.3. It is a limit on that vehicle alone, not on vehicle plus trailer.
- GCWR
- The maximum combined weight of the tow vehicle and everything it tows. Towing capacity is this number minus the fully loaded tow vehicle.
- Drop fee
- A reduced charge for releasing a vehicle already hooked but not yet moved. Only about 18 states require one to be offered.
- Non-consensual tow
- A tow you did not request — police-ordered or from private property. It is the only category whose price a state or city may regulate.
- Lien sale
- The process by which a storage lot sells an unclaimed vehicle to recover unpaid charges, on a timeline set by state law.
- SAE J2807
- The recommended practice behind modern published tow ratings, including a Davis Dam grade test and defined acceleration and braking criteria.
- Working load limit
- Breaking strength divided by a safety factor, commonly 4:1 or 5:1. Side-loading a shackle drastically reduces it.
- Kinetic recovery strap
- A strap engineered to stretch 20–30% so it absorbs snatch energy. Not interchangeable with a low-stretch tow strap.