---
title: "Glossary — TowingDad"
canonical: https://towingdad.shop/glossary/
lang: en
---

# Glossary
**[GVWR](/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](/glossary/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](/glossary/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](/glossary/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](/glossary/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](/glossary/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](/glossary/wll/)**Breaking strength divided by a safety factor, commonly 4:1 or 5:1. Side-loading a shackle drastically reduces it.**[Kinetic recovery strap](/glossary/kinetic-recovery-strap/)**A strap engineered to stretch 20–30% so it absorbs snatch energy. Not interchangeable with a low-stretch tow strap.