Parts of a Tow Truck – Labeled Wrecker Diagram

All 15 parts on the diagram

Show the list

Boom and winch 5

Boom Adjustable, with a winch, it recovers a vehicle from a ditch. It does the same from any place the truck cannot back up to.
Winch It winds the winch cable in and out. Some wreckers have two.
Hook The hook on the end of the winch cable. It stops against the end of the boom when the cable is wound right in.
Winch cable Steel wire rope from the winch. It runs along the boom and over the sheave at its tip.
Stabilizer Put down on solid, level ground before the boom does its work.

Cab and body 5

Cab The driver's cab. Some trucks also have wheel lift controls inside it.
Light bar A bar of warning lights, carried on posts behind the cab.
Wrecker body Carries the boom and has tool boxes built into its sides.
Tool box Tool boxes are built into the body. The lift forks and other towing accessories are kept in them.
Control levers A set on each side at the body's rear. Each lever is marked with what it moves.

Wheel lift 5

Wheel lift A yoke that fits under the front or rear wheels. It lifts that end of a vehicle, touching only the tires. Also called an underlift.
Crossbar Backed up firmly against the towed vehicle's tires.
Wheel lift arm One on each end of the crossbar. The arms cradle the wheels of the towed vehicle.
Tie-down strap A ratchet strap over the top of each lifted tire. Makers also call it a safety strap.
Safety chain A second link in case anything else lets go. Two safety chains are used on every tow.

How this list was compiled: Part names checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only when two sources use it. (1) Wikipedia, Tow truck, text only (boom with a winch, hook and chain, wheel-lift also called spectacle lift or underlift, a yoke that cradles the wheels and touches only the tires, arms that clamp on to the wheels, flatbed or rollback, the cabin). (2) A wrecker maker's owner's manual for a wrecker with a wheel lift (installation, operation, maintenance and parts), https://www.millerind.com/images/uploads/parts/century_820_iiit-parts-0500724-021997.pdf (boom, winch, winch cable, hook, sheave, wheel lift, crossbars, safety strap over the tire, safety chains, control levers and control handles at the rear of the body, light bar, tool box, body, stabilizers and rear spades, cab). (3) A transit authority's specification for a wheel-lift wrecker, full text at https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-6007478 (boom, winch, wire rope cable, hooks, underlift, cross bar, tie down straps, safety chains, light bar, tool boxes, body, rear jack stabilizers and spades, controls). (4) A car maker's wrecker towing manual, full text at https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-12945 (wheel lift, crossbar, flatbed, winch, cable, safety chains, tie-down). (5) A second wrecker maker's tire lift user manual, full text at https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-5892185 (boom, under lift, crossbar, arm, tie-down strap, safety chains). Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry, a composite of no one maker or model. Licence: own work

How it works

A tow truck, or wrecker, moves vehicles that cannot be driven. This one has a boom with a winch for recovery and a wheel lift for towing. The drawing names the parts; it does not teach towing.

Read the full guide

Two drawings

Row 1 is a wrecker from the side, cab to the left: the boom with its winch, cable and hook above, and the wheel lift folded out behind. Row 2 is the wheel lift close up, with the front wheel of a towed car resting on it. The car is a dashed outline.

Boom, wheel lift or flatbed

The boom and winch pull a vehicle out of a ditch. The wheel lift raises one end of it by the tires for the tow. A flatbed truck, not drawn here, tilts and slides its bed back to the ground and carries the whole vehicle.

Tow truck, wrecker, breakdown truck and recovery vehicle are names for the same truck.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a tow truck called?

On a wrecker: the boom, its winch, the winch cable and hook, and at the back the wheel lift with its crossbar and arms. Tie-down straps and safety chains hold the towed vehicle. The control levers are at the body's rear.

What is the arm on the back of a tow truck called?

The arm that reaches up and back is the boom. The low one that slides out under the towed vehicle is the wheel lift, also called an underlift, or a spectacle lift in the UK.

What is a wheel lift on a tow truck?

A metal yoke that fits under the front or rear wheels and cradles them, touching only the tires. It lifts that end of the vehicle clear of the ground so that it can be towed.

What are the types of tow truck?

Boom trucks recover vehicles with a boom and winch. Wheel-lift trucks raise one end by its tires. Integrated trucks combine the two in one unit. A flatbed, also called a rollback, carries the whole vehicle on a bed that tilts and slides back.