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Casters for Towlines Education

Your Towline Depends on the Right Casters

Towlines, also known as tugger cart systems, are a series of carts pulled by a motorized vehicle to move materials efficiently throughout a facility. They play a critical role in manufacturing and distribution operations, keeping production flowing and reducing reliance on forklifts.

At the center of every towline system are the carts, and at the base of those carts are the casters that carry the load and keep everything moving. When casters are not properly matched to the application, it can lead to increased maintenance, downtime, and operational inefficiencies.

Because of this, it is essential to select casters that are built to handle the specific demands of towline applications. When evaluating options, there are four key factors to consider.

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Your Towline Depends on the Right Casters

1) LOAD RATING ("THE RULE OF 3") IN TOWLINES

Our clients need to know precisely how much weight each caster can hold. We rate each of our casters and conveniently post the ratings per caster in our catalog and online, which are all rated a 3mph, or “walking speed.” However, speed plays a huge role in towlines because the load capacity of your casters decreases, the faster the cart moves. The load rating decreases due to the heat build-up with the increased speed and the revolutions per minute.

Your cart may also use only 3 wheels on uneven surfaces at various times during transport. For these reasons, we use the “rule of 3” to calculate your load capacity. The rule of 3 says that when you calculate initial weight capacity, you only calculate weight capacity for 3 of your wheels, not 4 because we need to build in a safety factor due to uneven floors, inclines, and declines. This is a fast way of calculating required load capacity per caster. Here is the basic formula, but see in section 2 for the effect of speed on load rating.

C = (L+W) ÷ 3

C = Required Load Capacity of Each Caster

L = Maximum Cart Load

W = Cart Weight

For example, consider a 300-pound cart with an 1,800-pound load on it. This would be a 2,100 lbs. divided by 3. Each caster would have to support/be rated for 700 pounds or more for this load.

700 = (1,800 + 300) ÷ 3

2) SPEED IN TOWLINES

SPEED'S EFFECT ON LOAD

Speed plays a huge role in calculating load rating. Now that we have determined the initial load rating of a caster with the rule of 3, we need to consider the speed factor in order to properly determine the load rating to ensure the wheel tread does not fail.

For example, take our cart above that weighs a total of 2,100 lbs. We have determined the dolly travels at 5 mph for an ANSI duty cycle of 2 minutes on and 4 minutes off. Due to the increase in speed to 5 mph, the caster polyurethane tread loses 20% of the catalog rating, so we need to add 20% to the load rating of our caster. That means that the 700-pound caster rating ACTUALLY needs to be 840 lbs. minimum to be successful.

Dividing the total load by 4 (rule of 3) and not adding 20% (speed factor) could create a disastrous result!

SPEED AND DUTY CYCLE

Towline casters have to be able to handle the extra speed of towlines. You may have a caster that is excellent for ergonomics, but there is no guarantee that this caster will work for towlines. In fact, many times an extremely good ergonomic caster will not work for towlines at all. In other cases, you get the versatility of having a caster that performs well in both applications. Make sure you take into consideration the speed of the towline when selecting casters.

Duty cycle is an often-overlooked consideration with towline casters. Whenever you have casters moving within a towline, heat is generated on the wheels and rig. This heat is released at its greatest form right after the caster stops its motion. Your casters must remain at rest for a bit of time until they have eventually cooled to the point that you can begin the cycle again. This is the duty cycle. Stronger and smoother bearings as well as aluminum cores will aid in heat dissipation and allow you to spend less time waiting for your wheels to cool.

As you can see, speed and duty cycle are huge factors in towlines. We help our clients calculate their load capacities for their towlines. In this way, we make sure we have accounted for this speed to eliminate tread failure while also ensure that you have the proper wheel to handle the duty cycle you need to adhere to.

3) TREAD AND BEARING TYPE FOR TOWLINES

TREAD

Because of the combination of weight and speed, you have to choose your tread wisely. We recommend towing treads on the shore-A durometer scale because we need the compression of the tread for traction. Our standard recommended material for towlines is polyurethane because polyurethane grips the ground, absorbs shock, resists tearing, and repels debris.

Towlines that use hard wheels on the shore-D scale create a major sliding hazard as well as tremendous noise and floor damage. Examples of materials that are found on this scale are nylon, steel, and phenolic. These hard wheels are extremely dangerous in towlines, especially when tuggers are making 90-degree turns. The inertia of the rear cart(s) will cause these dollies to slide hurting employees and damaging equipment.

Make sure you choose the right tread!

BEARINGS

The bearings found in your caster wheel are hugely important as well. Many clients have casters that use caged roller bearings. This is a mistake since these bearings will not hold up under the constant speed and high rotation of caster wheels in towlines. We use precision ball bearings, which are many times larger and are therefore much more durable under the rigors of a towline.

Make sure that you have the correct tread and bearing type for your casters so that you avoid potentially huge problems in the future.

4) SWIVEL FORK AND RACEWAY TYPE

SWIVEL FORK

When our clients design carts for their towlines, we help them select the right swivel fork and raceway.

The swivel fork is an easy one. You need your fork to be an extended lead so that you don’t get any flutter in your caster wheel as you move at higher speeds. Flutter–you’ve probably experienced it in the supermarket–is when your wheel flutters back and forth as you move the cart. When you extend your caster’s lead, this gets rid of the flutter because you are giving the caster room to trail properly.

CASTER RACEWAY

Your raceway is extremely important in towline casters. First, you need a rig that is durable enough to handle the constant motion and turning of the towline. The design of the rig raceway will determine whether or not your rig can handle the stress of being in a towline. For example, a kingpin rig with its kingpin and ball bearings cannot handle the stress and rigors of towing speeds and forces. The kingpin will stretch and/or snap, causing the swivel raceway to fail. When your caster raceway fails while you transport products in a towline, you risk injury to employees, damage to goods, and downtime in general.

To remove this failure point of the standard kingpin, we recommend using a kingpinless raceway (we remove the pin so we remove the failure) or a forged kingpin raceway. Simply put, there are towline rigs and there are not towline rigs. Kingpinless and forged kingpin caster rigs are your options here. We highly recommend that you not use a standard kingpin caster for towlines. You may save a few bucks upfront, but you will spend MUCH MORE in repair cost, downtime, and maintenance labor. You’ll also happen to prevent injuries if you’re also pushing or pulling your dolly by hand, but we’re focusing on towlines here.

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Disassembled Kingpinless Raceway w Bearings

Towline Caster Solutions

Selecting the right caster for a towline system depends on load, speed, duty cycle, and how your carts move throughout the facility. Some casters are built to handle a wide range of applications, while others are designed specifically for super heavy-duty use with more demanding conditions.

Below are the primary caster solutions used in towlines, starting with the most versatile options and moving into solutions built for more taxing applications.

Standard Towline Caster Solutions

These caster lines cover the majority of towline applications and provide a strong balance of durability, load capacity, and maneuverability.

CC APEX

CC Apex is our most versatile caster, designed to perform in both powered towing and manual push/pull applications. Its polyurethane donut tread provides excellent grip, shock absorption, and debris resistance. It also helps lower decibel levels by minimizing noise output, making it well suited for almost any manufacturing or distribution environment.

The aluminum core helps dissipate heat away from the wheel, helping extend wheel life in high-cycle towline systems.

CC Apex can be paired with an extended lead kingpinless rig (CC Alpha) or a maintenance-free forged kingpin rig (CC Peak). Both options provide smooth, reliable movement in towlines and manual applications, allowing you to match the caster setup to your specific operation.

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CC APEX HD

CC Apex HD builds on the performance of CC Apex with larger sizes and higher load capacities, allowing you to move more weight in a single trip. Its wider polyurethane donut tread helps reduce noise and absorb impact, making it a strong option for heavier towline applications while still supporting ergonomic performance.

CC Apex HD can be paired with a maintenance-free forged kingpin rig (CC Peak), a kingpinless rig (CC Alpha), or the heavier-duty CC Armor kingpinless rig for larger wheel sizes.

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CC STARK

CC Stark is designed for towline applications that prioritize speed and durability in fast-paced environments. Its slightly crowned tread reduces rolling resistance and limits compression, allowing heavier loads to move more efficiently through the system.

Unlike CC Apex and CC Apex HD, which use a donut tread for versatility and debris handling, CC Stark is more specialized. It trades some versatility for increased efficiency in dedicated towline applications.

CC Stark is paired with a forged kingpin rig, providing exceptional strength and long-term durability under constant movement and heavy use. The design is built to handle long duty cycles with minimal maintenance.

CC Stark is backed by a 4-year warranty, helping reduce replacement frequency and downtime.

Shop CC Stark Casters

Super Heavy-Duty Caster Solutions

For applications involving extreme weight or high-impact conditions, these super heavy-duty solutions provide the additional strength and durability required to maintain uptime and prevent failure.

CC DYNAMO 95A

CC Dynamo 95A is a super heavy-duty polyurethane on cast iron wheel designed for towline, AGV, and tugger applications. It provides a balance of strength and shock absorption, helping reduce vibration and protect equipment during transport.

Available in 6", 8", 10", and 12" diameters, it supports load capacities ranging from 2,500 to 7,000 lbs per wheel, making it well suited for high-weight, controlled movement in demanding industrial environments.

Its 95A polyurethane tread allows for a small amount of compression, making it a strong choice for applications where floor protection and reduced vibration are important alongside high load capacity.

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CC DYNAMO 70D

CC Dynamo 70D is the harder alternative to the 95A version, built for maximum strength in towline, AGV, and tugger applications. Its ultra-hard polyurethane tread minimizes deflection under load, allowing it to carry extreme weights with stability.

Available in 6", 8", 10", and 12" diameters, it supports load capacities from 2,500 to 7,000 lbs per wheel, making it a strong choice for applications that demand maximum durability and minimal deflection.

This makes it ideal for slow-speed towing and applications where load support and durability take priority over vibration reduction.

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CC BRAWN

CC Brawn is a super heavy-duty kingpinless rig built for demanding towline systems. Its kingpinless design eliminates a common failure point, allowing it to withstand constant motion, shock, and side loading.

CC Brawn is a super heavy-duty kingpinless rig built for towline, AGV, and extreme industrial applications where durability and maximum load capacity are critical. Its kingpinless design eliminates traditional failure points, allowing it to withstand constant motion, repeated impact, and heavy loads without loosening or degrading over time.

With a load capacity of up to 10,000 lbs per rig, CC Brawn is designed to support the demands of heavy-duty industrial towing, tugger carts, and automated material handling. The heavy-gauge steel top plate is built to withstand continuous torque and high stress, making it a dependable choice in environments where standard rigs fail.

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CC FORGE

CC Forge is a super heavy-duty forged kingpin rig designed for applications where extreme weight and repeated impact are present. Its forged steel kingpin provides far greater strength and fatigue resistance than traditional kingpin designs.

With a load capacity of up to 10,000 lbs per rig, CC Forge is engineered to support massive loads under harsh conditions. The sturdy forged kingpin helps reinforce the rig, allowing it to withstand continuous stress and shock without compromising performance.

CC Forge is ideal for powered and automated applications where durability and load support take priority, especially in heavy manufacturing, tool and die handling, and other environments where failure is not an option.

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