Specialty Casters
Gate Casters
BBQ Pit & Smoker Casters
Keyed Drive Wheels
Drywall Cart Casters
Skid Wheels & Casters for RVs
Leveling Casters
Shopping Cart Wheels & Casters
Band Equipment Casters & Wheels
Low Profile Casters
Cart Wheels & Casters
Toolbox Caster Sets
Bakery & High Temperature Casters
Kitchen Prep Table Caster Sets
Wire Shelving Casters
Silent Glide Casters
Home › Industries › Towline & Tugger
Towline and tugger casters take the punishment of cart trains pulled on continuous routes, where sustained travel, floor transitions, and cornering loads shear conventional casters. The spec is shock-absorbing and kingpinless designs that absorb impact and resist kingpin failure, plus floor locks to fix carts at stations. CasterHQ stocks spring-loaded shock-absorbing casters, heavy kingpinless casters to 17,500 lb, and floor lock hardware for tow applications, all in stock and priced.
Tow trains fail at the swivel and the spring, not the tread. Every dock plate and floor joint on the route is an impact, thousands of times a shift. We spec shock-absorbing kingpinless casters so the spring soaks the hit and the raceway takes the cornering load, and we add floor locks at the stations so carts sit put during load and unload.
Bob Camp, Caster Application Specialist, 45+ years
Our team specs towline & tugger casters by load per caster, floor and environment, mount, and any compliance the application demands, then confirms fit before you order. We stock the range for same-day shipping from Mansfield, Texas, so replacements do not stall your equipment.
Tow trains hit every floor transition on the route thousands of times per shift. Spring-loaded shock-absorbing casters soak the impact, protecting the load, the caster, and the operator.
Kingpinless casters resist the shear that repeated cornering and impact loads put on a kingpin, which is the classic tow-train failure. The raceway design carries the load instead.
It depends on the cart, from a few hundred pounds to 17,500 lb per caster on heavy trains. Size to loaded weight per caster plus a shock safety factor for sustained tow.
Floor locks and brakes fix carts during load and unload, then release for the next pull. Spring-loaded floor locks also compensate for uneven floors at stations.
Yes. Speed-rated casters are validated for powered travel above walking pace, where heat and dynamic load exceed manual-cart ratings. Match the caster to the tow speed.
Yes. Spring-loaded casters keep all wheels in contact over uneven floors and expansion joints, which distributes load and reduces the jolt transmitted to the cart and load.
Standards & references: ANSI/ITSDF B56.5 driverless vehicle safety · OSHA powered industrial truck resources · ICWM caster load standard (MHI)
