History of the Tow Truck Industry
Tow truck drivers are truly the unsung heroes of our nation’s highways. Most of us don’t give them much thought until we need them. They recover our vehicles after crashes, catastrophes and any other accidents we encounter while on the road. If it were not for them, modern day automobile travel would be very different, and likely very dangerous.
The history of the tow truck industry is a story of American entrepreneurship. It starts with one man, many years ago who saw a need and worked to fill it.
More than a hundred years ago in 1916, a Tin Lizzie crashed into a Chattanooga, Tennessee creek, and a man named Ernest Holmes Sr. worked to get it out.
There are some conflicting accounts of whether that Model T belonged to Holmes or to a friend. But one thing is clear: after using a slew of pulleys, men and blocks to help pull the vehicle out of the creek, Holmes and a couple of his friends went to the drawing board to design a tow truck.
The earliest attempts to create a tow truck failed, but like most successful entrepreneurs Holmes kept working. Eventually he created a successful design. He patented the equipment in 1917 and it became known as the Holmes 485.
The design was created with outriggers to support the tow vehicle while picking up the load, and the whole caboodle was attached to a 1913 Locomobile. The Holmes 485 became the first tow truck or wrecker, and its design is still apparent in today’s modern tow trucks.
Holmes’s company continued through the Great Depression. World War II brought some challenges and Holmes couldn’t find materials to manufacture his wreckers. The entrepreneur adapted and overcame by securing a government contract for his company. In this way he remained successful throughout the war by manufacturing recovery vehicles and bomb loaders.
Holmes died in 1945, but The Ernest Holmes Company remained a family business for many years. In 1973 the family sold the company to the Dover Corporation for $64 million.
Holmes’ wreckers include:
- Holmes 485: The wrecker sold for $485. It was the first successful production model. The wrecker today is worth $250,000.
- Holmes W-45: Created for the United States Army in 1942. This wrecker was used during World War II.
Not long after the Holmes family sold the company, The Towing and Recovery Association of America was formed to “be the voice of the towing Industry.” The association started in 1979 with 24 members and has grown to 35,000 members from all over the world. The organization advocates for, and protects the interests of the towing and recovery industry.
Although tow trucks have changed a lot since the Holmes 485, the tow truck industry has remained basically the same. Their mission to recover disabled vehicles and keep the country’s highways clear and safe remains current and necessary.
The tow truck industry enjoys an active and proud lineage. In fact, the industry has their own museum in Chattanooga known as The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum.
The museum was established in 1986 to “recognize outstanding individuals in the towing and recovery industry worldwide, record the industry’s history, collect and display artifacts and memorabilia in a museum setting, and provide information about the industry to the public.”
If you have been rescued by a tow truck, don’t forget to thank Mr. Ernest Holmes Sr. and that ill fated Tin Lizzie that took a dive into the Chickamauga Creek in 1916.
Related: Tow Truck Insurance