what is the PTO ??

Yes, wikipedia has it, but I wouldn't have known the meaning of the acronym "PTO" without - ahem...looking it up on google and being referred to this page. And there are other reasons we newbies appreciate the helpful good will demonstrated on this site. On a ship, as opposed to the internet, bad info is called hazing, or "f***** with the cadet (or new AB) - a vestige of bygone years (albeit only if there are strong unions, i.e., US and European flagged ships) when it was also customary and acceptable to flog AB's for insubordination in response to verbal or physical abuse by officers.

 

Yes, but I would not have known what the acronym stands for (hence I could not have looked it up on wikipedia) had I not looked it up on - ahem...google and been referred to this page. I enrolled minutes ago in your group. I'm reminded of a practice at sea called f******* with the cadet (or AB) by officers giving them disinformation when they were "learning the ropes" - a vestige of bygone years (but only bygone with respect to US and European flagged ships since they, unlike totalitarian and third world flagged vessels, have strong unions), when insubordination, as in insulting an officer in response to verbal and physical abuse by officers, was punished by flogging.

 

Tow trucks still have a PTO to power the boom. You turn that off when moving, otherwise if you sit on the boom control, the car will lower or raise and since a lot of tow truck drivers don’t strap the car or use chains as the law requires, you could actually release the car while going down the street.

I did both, repos and non-consent tows (people parking where they shouldnt).

With todays trucks, its easy to sneak in, grab the car by the tires, and haul ###, w/o getting out of the tow truck, but the law requires you secure the car with chains and straps - $300 fine in texas.

We had both gas and diesel engines. Gas are better, cuz when you’re sneakin around in the ghetto at 2 a.m. with a diesel, everybody for 3 blocks knows the repo man is here. They love to come out and greet the repo man in da hood

I worked with guys who never used straps or chains. The straps hold the tires to the boom and the chains are a backup in case the straps fail ... but if the car comes loose, im thinkin the chains will just control the ensuing crash. There will be a crash between the tow truck n the car being towed

No, i never lost a fight, even the time a guy jumped through my drivers window as i pulled away with his car. I never repo’d a car again with my window open though.

 

PTO is power take off, usually used on dumpbeds, wreckers, and other trucks with hydraulic moving parts.

 

sometimes the PTO runs a 'jackshaft' that connects to a trailer mounted winch or pump..., talk about greasing u joints!

 

Ask questions. Small or big questions. I am happy to answer them. There are no stupid questions and absolutely no reason to be sorry for asking them.

Power take off is a shaft that is connected to the engine in some manner. It literally takes power from the engine and transfer it to a device such as a exhaust blower to fill a dry bulk tanker to blow cement via a hose into a silo. Or a pump to lift a end dump. Or any number of other things. Even serve as a extermal connection so you can drive something else attached to it.

 

Lmao it's great we have the tech for steering assist and such now but taking a nap? That's funny