Definition: Gross Vehicle Weight Rating

"The total weight a vehicle is designed to carry including the net weight of the vehicle itself, plus the weight of passengers, fuel, cargo and any additional accessories." 

In this case, an articulated bus.

The big MTA buses are great but a heavy hassle when they break down. How to tow them back to the shop?

The MTA uses one of the largest automotive tow trucks in the world. It has a gross vehicle wight of over 16 tons. Similar trucks are used by NASA.

It’s manufactured by the famous MACK Truck company...

...and custom fitted with the sleekest styling this side of a late model Lexus.

Including a roll bar.

The entire process, believe it or not, is handled by just one highly trained man.

With a lot of hydraulic help.

First he opens the control panel and lowers the tow bar.

Then he has to open the storage hatches and carry the loose tow parts back to the bus.

The tow bar hooks up to the front of the bus.

The truck tow arm is aligned with the bus tow bar and pinned together.

Now he adds the safety chains.

Then he gets the rubber brake lines from another hatch. He told me the bus is too heavy to be stopped by the towtruck brakes alone.

So by hooking the brake systems together, when he hits the brakes in the towtruck it activates the brakes on the bus, too.

He slides under the bus on an official MTA Blue plastic skid and hooks up the chains and brake lines.

And finally he adds a ratcheted nylon strap around the whole thing as one last safety feature.

And now he’s good to go.