Towing is the act of one vehicle pulling another, most often when a truck is disabled by a breakdown or accident and can’t move under its own power. A tow truck hauls it to a repair shop or a safe location.
For a fleet, a tow is both an unplanned cost and a disruption — the truck is out of service and the load may need to be rescued or reassigned. Heavy-duty towing of a loaded tractor-trailer is specialized and expensive, which is one reason preventive maintenance matters so much.