Tow truck drivers have a hard job – putting their lives on the line every day to provide assistance to broken down vehicles when drivers need it most. Towing can also be very complicated – and the entire process is always made easier when customers understand the best practices to follow when hiring professional Chicago Towing services.
Lot’s of people like to embark on Autumn road trips in order to take advantage of cheaper hotel rates and a less maddening amount of traffic. Here’s a guide to some of America’s most dangerous roads, as prepared by the highway gurus at Towing Chicago, so you can make sure that you’re extra careful in case you find yourself driving on one of the below ominous stretches of pavement.
Known as Death Road, Highway 138 stretches from the mountains of Interstate 15 through the San Gabriel Mountains to Palmdale. The majority of its stretch is on a twisting, non divided 1 lane highway with tiny narrow shoulders and huge drop offs. It’s infamous for head on collisions – leading us to recommend to use turnout areas to allow faster traveling cars to safely move past you.
Called the Million Dollar Highway and constructed during the late 19th century, this 25 mile road leads up from Ouray to the top of the San Juan Mountains Red Mountain Pass. It carries huge inclines, hairpin turns, steep drop offs, and thin nails – all with minimal guardrails or safety shoulders. Beginning in October, snow and avalanches add another level of risk to traversing this highway. We recommend using low gears when descending this steep mountainous road while continually braking your engine to keep your car moving slowly, steadily, and safely,
This may well be the USA’s most dangerous road. Moving across the east coast of Florida with beautiful views of 13 separate counties throughout the Florida Keys, U.S. Highway 1 has been home to over 1000 deaths. We stress the importance of paying close attention to the road rather than the enchantingly beautiful scenery, as by paying attention to ocean views, you’re being a distracted and dangerous driver. Instead, wait until you see an official scenic lookout areas where you can park and take in the view safely.
This country road runs from North Dakota to Iowa is pretty desolate, but still very dangerous. Since it’s usually so empty, drivers usually drive extra fast on it – and since it’s in the middle of nowhere, if there’s an accident, ambulances simply won’t arrive for quite a long time, over an hour on average actually. When driving on these visually blighted and empty highways, utilize your car’s cruise control at a safe speed and don’t let the landscape hypnotize you out of your driver’s alertness.
Driving during roadwork can be complicated and dangerous – with over 200,000 annual injuries being related to accidents in the vicinity of roadwork or construction areas. Here’s some essential tips prepared by the driving experts at Towing Chicago on how to drive safely in roadwork areas.
Tailgating is really dangerous, with rear-end crashes being the most common kind of accidents that happen in roadwork zones. When you go into an area with roadwork, slow down and keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you.
There’s a level of chaos to roadwork zones, so when you’re driving in one stay focused on your driving. This means don’t check your phone, the radio station, eat, drink, or even engage in conversation. Instead, stay vigilantly aware of brake lights in the cars in front of you, keep both of your hands on the steering wheel, and pay 100% attention to your drive.
Since roadwork areas have either rough conditions or construction workers moving through it, the only way to stay safe when driving in one is by obeying the stated speed limit. Anything higher than this is likely to not only be dangerous, but get you a traffic ticket.
Make sure to keep your headlights on so both workers passing through and other drivers have an easier time in spotting you in your vehicle.
Never try to cut the lane closure barrier line at the last minute as this is an incredibly dangerous maneuver. Keep the traffic flow moving by staying abreast of any lane changes that might be happening when you see signs posted that indicate lane closures and merging. Once you’re inside a road work area, only switch lanes when the signs or pavement markings say that it’s necessary.
Even if you’re in a rush, running late, missed your exit, or annoyed from being in a traffic jam, make sure to stay calm and drive with attention to detail and care – this way you can stay safe while driving and ensure that everyone around you stays safe too.
Here’s Towing Chicago’s expert guide on what to never, ever leave inside a hot car, and how to avoid the damage that can come with the extreme heat generated inside automobile interiors.
The greenhouse effect causes your dashboard and carpet to absorb sunlight, trapping heat inside your car and causing it to increase exponentially. Try parking in the shade, tinted windows, or shades for your front windows. As a general rule that should never be diverted from, never leave a pet or a child inside a hot car.
Whether your car uses oil, transmission, power steering, or brake fluid, your car is burning fluid to keep it cool. Make sure your car consistently has fluid topped off to its manufacturer’s specifications, so check more frequently if you’re driving in hot areas. Just make sure not to take off the radiator cap when the engine is hot.
Make sure that tires are inflated to recommended pressures, as underinflated tires are more likely to blowout and overheat.
Make sure to park your car inside an indoor garage or area that’s covered as often as possible. Frequent washing of your car can avert the bleaching that comes with the sun, pollution, and road dirt – and waxing helps provide a protective layer over the paint.
Here’s a fantastic method from the experts at Towing Chicago on how to check your tire tread using only a single penny.
Of course, you’re going to want to bring your car into an expert to get it checked out every now and then. However, there’s a few easy techniques you can utilize between visits to the mechanic to check up on your car’s status.
Check your lights out by testing low and high beams, turn signals, tail lights, dash lights, and hazard lights. Ask a gfriend to verify that your brake and reverse lights are working, or if you’re by yourself simply back on up to a wall and check out the reflection.
When the car is off and the engine is cold, remove the dipstick and wipe it clean with a rag or towel. Look at the bottom of the dipstick to find the minimum and maximum level markings. Then put the dipstick back in and pull it out. The oil should cover the stick at a point between the two marks, ideally closer to the top. If your oil is running low, top it off.
In industry tests, two Ford F150 trucks were loaded with identical amounts of gravel- one of which were additionally given a suspension stabilizer, and one only carried its default factory suspension. In an interview with the respective drivers after they completed a drive through a testing terrain, the driver who drove the truck with only the factory suspension described the drive as being somewhat “mushy” and bumpy – even inside a flat parking lot, the car and is affected by every ridge and bump, making for a much less smooth drive. The truck fitted with additional suspension stabilizers enjoyed a much smoother and more relaxed drive.
We understand how complex the maintenance of tires can be. The majority of truck drivers don’t keep daily tabs on the maintenance of their tires, since the haul of driving can be a distraction. It’s quite easy to pay no mind to your tires until somehow one of your treads drop out, or you pick up a bolt – and unfortunately, tires can be quite temperamental, and profit guzzling. Here’s how to avoid letting your tires become a drain on your profits.
The lowest legal depth of a tire is 4/32’ on the steer tires, and 2/32” on the rest. The average wearing rate of tires is somewhere around 1/32” for every 13-14,000 miles driven. To stay prepared, measure your tire treads, and mark down the projected date to replace them based on your calculations of what your average mileage is. This will help you avoid any future upsets.
Keep new tires with new tires, and used tires with used tires. Keep all tires of the same diameter together. If you don’t do this, you will end up with a tire skipping the ground or scraping it because it isn’t the same size as the others. Early tire wear is never a good thing.
If your tire keeps getting damaged, don’t just ignore it. It can be a signal to you that you need to get your tires realigned, so understanding exactly what pattern is reoccuring will help you identify exactly what you need to do. Many tire expert websites have solution charts listing the types of damages that can occur with every type of problem.
Don’t just install retreads on these axles – start fresh, from scratch, and you’ll receive a much smoother ride.
Make sure to change your tire pressure based on the climate of your area – if you’ve been driving in a warmer area and go into a much colder one, your tire’s air will contract and suddenly your truck is driving with underinflated tires – make sure to check pressure periodically throughout your drive.
The weight of the load the truck is carrying will affect how the tires operate at varying pressures. Tires that are underinflated for the weight they are bearing will accumulate damage very quickly, at an exponential rate.
Any unbalanced wheels will cause serious damage to tires – after making every trip, visually inspect your wheels to see signs of any dents or damages.
We understand how annoying flat tires can be. They simply pop up at the worst times, stranding you on the road looking for a towing service – hopefully from the experts at Chicago Towing. Sometimes, flat tires are unavoidable, however there’s many common causes that force tires to rip or pop; we’ve gathered some of these causes together, to help you better understand what causes flat tires.
There’s tons of random objects and detritus on the streets, all of which has the potential to end up in contact or even attached to a car’s tire, which can lead to punctures or holes on the tire. Objects that often cause punctures are staples, screws, and nails. Usually glass cannot cause tire holes, however sometimes it can if it’s at the right angle and density, and glass can however, cause damage to tire treads. If any sharp debris gets out of the tire after it’s been embedded inside it, it will cause a slow air leak. You will be able to tell if you have this sort of leak if you inflate your tire with air, and then it’s PSI quickly drops right after. If this is the case, contact an expert like Chicago Towing.
This sort of severe damage will cause tires to need to be fully replaced. Basically, sidewall damage severs the connection between the various layers on the sides of the tires that allow movement and flexibility. One of the major causes of sidewall damage on tires are curbs. Making a fast turn and agitating your tire onto the curb can damage the sidewall of the tire, which can in turn increase the chances of a sudden blow-out – incredibly dangerous phenomenon.
While some aspects of tire damage can be remedied and repaired, amateurs wouldn’t attempt this themselves. Leave the tire repair to the experts; this is the only way that you can guarantee that the repairs are completed in an effective fashion and that your tire will continue to operate normally. If you’re in need of repair for any form of flat tire, contact the experts at Chicago Towing. They will arrive at your location in a matter of minutes, quickly repairing any sort of damage to your tires in a matter of minutes, and all at a competitive price.
Tires are one of many absolutely essential parts of a working vehicle, and we at Chicago Towing understand that they can be costly. So we want to help our customers increase their tire’s longevity, so that they can save money by not having to replace them often. Here’s our professional tips for ensuring the continued healthy maintenance of your tires.
If you check your tire pressure regularly, you can make sure they keep working properly and prevent incurring any serious or even light damage. When your tire air pressure drops, your car’s engine has to work harder to keep your wheels moving, which will eventually cause interior damage and eventually wear your tires down even faster at an exponential level since the friction increases.
Even if you don’t own an air gauge, you can simply take your car to any local auto shop to check it. It’s the best to check air pressure once your tires are cool, as it can be somewhat risky to quickly take the inflation outside of a hot tire. Tires are prone to air loss, averaging around a pound of lost air per inch about once a month. It’s important to check air pressure every few months, and always before embarking on any long car trips on the road.
If your tires are perfectly and symmetrically aligned together, they get much less road friction, allowing your engine to run easier for every rotation of the tires. Tires often get knocked out of alignment when they hit any sort of road obstacle, or fall into a pothole. By aligning the suspension of your car, you will improve the way it drives – the toe, caster, and camber of a tire will be readjusted, rendering them properly aligned again.
Even when most people pay extra attention to keeping their cars clean, they often don’t clean the tires. By cleaning off tires with soapy water or official tire cleaner, you can make the tire’s tread last longer, and reduce any chances of getting a flat tire (as you’ll notice any rips in the process) – as well as keeping your car looking pristine. It’s smart to ask your local auto shop their opinion on which cleaner to use on your car tires, as some are much stronger than others are and can actually cause damage to the rubber of the tires.
Tires normally wear down even with normal driving habits. Based on the make of the car combined with the driving technique used, they might wear down on one side more than another. We recommend ensuring the uniform wear of tires on each side by having your tires rotated. This can be done at home, or even better, by professionals who will remove, turn around, and reconnect the tire. Certain automobile manufacturers have an official recommendation for the amount of necessary rotations per year, but we generally belief in the efficacy of having a rotation for every 6000 or 8000 miles.
For the average discerning customer, when the word “affordable” is spoken, the words “poor quality” and “cheapness” are conjured up. However, this is not, and never is the case with Chicago Towing. We pride ourselves on providing affordability to our customers, while never sacrificing quality or ideal customer service. Continue reading to see how the experts at Chicago Towing help to redefine the entire concept of affordable automobile towing.
Chicago Towing maintains a team of the most technically skilled, efficient, and expert towing fleets in all of Chicago, Illinois. With myriad tow trucks, we can satisfy multiple customer’s needs simultaneously, quickly arriving at their locations and providing optimum levels of high quality service. While you might assume this would lead to us having steep prices, you will actually learn that here at Chicago Towing, we believe in providing our loyal customers excellent service at a great value. We can do this because since we maintain such a large and efficient fleet, we can provide service to a higher amount of customers, over a larger area – allowing us to maintain a more successful business, and we pass this success onto our customers in savings.
Customer service is important to us because we all share the same community. We want to give our neighbors and fellow community members excellent service to help them get out of a jam when they need the help. Nobody is ever pleased by suddenly learning a major steep price for a necessary tow. This is the reason that providing quality and affordable towing service is so essential to us – we never want to take advantage of the members of our community when they need our help.
We also highly value the satisfaction of our customers. Whenever we provide our customers high quality service, they will think of us as soon as they need that same level of service again. Local small businesses help thrive and survive on regular or repeat customers, and we’re proud and grateful to maintain a steady clientele of fantastic customers – whose continued patronage allows us to offer them fantastic affordable prices in turn.
Affordable high quality towing is a necessary service to provide the community in our book. Since it’s important to them, it’s important to us. If you ever need help with any sort of roadside assistance or towing, simply reach out to the experts at Chicago Towing. We can help with trucks, cars, semi-trucks, RVs, and even motorcycles. Our towing service offers more than just affordability – we provide unparalleled skill and quality.
