Winching is the process of pulling a vehicle out of a ditch, mud, snow, or other off-road position using a motorized truck-mounted winch and a steel wire rope. It’s needed when a vehicle cannot extricate itself on its own power or is positioned where a tow truck operator can’t get close enough to load it for towing.
Winching is typically charged separately from the tow itself — usually as an additional flat fee or hourly rate. If you’re off-road or stuck in stuck in the mud, let the dispatcher know upfront and approximately how far your vehicle is from solid surface so they send a truck equipped for recovery.