Tag Archives: Chicago Towing

December Parking Advice in Chicago

Published December 23, 2016 By Chicago Towing

With the Christmas season fully in effect, Chicago traffic can be a bit overwhelming. Between a swelling influx of tourists and Chicagoans coming home to visit family, and the hectic crowds embarking on holiday shopping expeditions, being a driver in the Windy Season can be somewhat more difficult around this time of year. Malls and parking lots are full of people; and although most people don’t know this, parking lots are actually very common settings of traffic accidents – from rear enders, to even hit and runs. Additionally, crowded distracting parking lots are perfect environments for trouble makers like pickpockets, carjackers, thieves, and other vandals. In order to keep yourself, your vehicle, and the people you love safe – follow Towing Chicago‘s official Chicago parking safety tips.

Avoid shopping (and parking) at the most busy times of day. This is usually at weekday nights and weekends.
Consider using valet parking – this way you don’t have to search for a space, and you won’t have to worry about whether your car is staying safe.
Drive slowly in parking lots, and always use your turn signal.
Never park in tight parking lots – this way you can avoid scrapes and bumps.
Park farther away from buildings to avoid the chances that shopping carts or cars backing up might dent or smack your vehicle.
While walking to your car or backing out, make sure to be aware of other cars that are backing out or in at the same time.
Always park in a highly visible area that’s brightly lit.
Roll up your car’s windows and make sure all doors are locked.
Always keep the number of a reliable service like Chicago Towing on hand.
Always have your keys on hand while you’re walking to your car – as well as your phone, just in case you need to quickly dial 911.
Never leave valuable possessions like expensive clothes or electronics in a visible area of your parked car while you’re away from it.
When you’re walking to your car, look around for any suspicious people lingering inside the area.
If you feel unsafe, ask a security guard or nearby person to escort you to your car.
Put all of your shopping bags inside the trunk, rather than conspicuously in the back seat of the car.
Lock the car doors as soon as you enter the vehicle.

Unofficial Traffic Crimes

Published December 9, 2016 By Chicago Towing

There’s traffic crimes – the type that can get one arrested or ticketed – and there’s traffic infractions, that break the collective ‘rules of the road’ and can potentially create dangerous, or minimally, annoying situations for other drivers. Here are some of Towing Chicago‘s choices for the worst offenders.

Refusing to use blinkers

There’s nothing more annoying than sitting in traffic and have somebody quickly pull in front of you, causing you to surprisingly slam on your breaks. If they used their turn signal, it wouldn’t be nearly as startling and dangerous.

Parking Spot Thievery

If someone is obviously waiting for someone to pull out so they can take their parking spot, don’t swoop in and take it – it’s straight up rude and completely inconsiderate.

Following people walking to their cars

Sometimes it’s hard to find a parking spot – we can all identify with the maddening search for an empty spot when all you want to do is get home and take your shoes off. However, it’s flat out creepy to stalk someone leaving a store carrying bags to their car, because not only is it vaguely threatening, but it rudely passively asks the person to walk faster – just circle around the block and drive slowly to look for an available spot.

Switching between bike and road rules

If you’re riding a bike, make sure to follow all the other collective rules that would apply to an automobile driver. Stop at all stop signs and lights, face the correct way, and obey all right of way laws. Just because you’re on a bike doesn’t mean you’re diplomatically immune from all the rules of the road. This goes the same to motorized wheelchairs – which should be operated on the sidewalk, where it’s much safer.

Waving Thank you

Being stuck in traffic can be aggravating. Which is why it’s such a sigh of relief when somebody finally courteously allows you to pass to get into your needed lane. If you’re being allowed to pass into a lane, be a person and wave thank you to the driver interrupting their schedule to slow down enough to allow you to merge – it will show them that their kindness and courtesy is appreciated, and will encourage them to demonstrate similar kindness to other strangers. Good deeds beget other good deeds – especially on the road.

Winter Towing

Published November 30, 2016 By Chicago Towing

Now that the weather is getting colder, many parts of Chicago are already freezing. Towing can be a very hard task to complete, and towing in icy weather is even harder – even when you’re using a truck complete with four wheel drive. Here are our tips for safe Winter towing.

Snow Chains

This is an absolute must. Tire chains provide the extra traction that’s necessary for safe driving on snow or ice, and lessen any chances of jackknifing on a cold highway. Park your truck on a flat area with 10 feet of clearance in front and behind your truck. Put a chain down next to both front tires, with studs facing down. Put the end of each chain on the front of the tire where it’s making contact with the ground. Slowly drive the truck forward until the tires are centered onto the chains. Pull each end of the chain over the top of each tire, giving a small amount of slack room. Attach the closing device to each end of the chain – and remember that some snow chains will need you to install tension cords on the chain links using hooks or nuts. Drive the truck a short amount of room within the recommended speed limit paying attention to whether you hear any jarring noises that might mean that the chains aren’t tight enough.

Attaching the Towing Chain

Back up the truck to the back of the towed vehicle – ideally the area next to the driving wheels, since that end’s axle is likely more durable. If that part of the vehicle isn’t accessible, just use the other one. Make sure the two vehicle’s bumpers aren’t any more than 3 feet away from each other, and place the tow truck in parking mode. Wrap one side of the towing chain over the top of the truck’s back axle, making sure that it’s not accidentally wrapped around any wires or hoses. Put one side of the chain over the other end, and attach the chain end hook to the link above the axle. Make sure the chain loops are as tight as possible. Do the same actions to the other end of the chain.

Towing

Make sure both vehicle’s wheels are parallel and straight – ask the driver of the stuck vehicle to place their car in neutral and stay inside the vehicle. This will help the vehicle’s physics remain in synchronization with each other. Put your truck in the lowest gear facing forward to help prevent the tires from spinning or slipping. Slowly accelerate the gas pedal to slowly increase tension on the chain, making sure your wheels are still straight. Drive straight at a steady slow pace while traction increases, and once you’re moving more smoothly, make your speed faster at a very slow pace. Just be careful, as the drivers in front of you may pose a danger – the main danger being a driver who strikes their brakes suddenly – so it’s best to keep as much distance between your truck, the vehicle you’re towing, and any other cars in front of you. Once the towed vehicle is on firm non icy ground, stop the truck in a safe place – and of course, always make sure that your brake lights are on when you’re stopping.

Tow Truck Facts you may not know

Published October 23, 2016 By Chicago Towing

Towing, if you haven’t already learned it, is the art of coupling two or more objects (usually vehicles) together so that they can be pulled or transported by a power source – which can be a human, animal, vessel, or other vehicle. IN the past, before we all relied on vehicles, animals and people did all the towing work. Nowadays boats and motorized land vehicles do it – boats are usually used in maritime or aircraft related industries – and on land, vehicles are used to tow other vehicles. Here’s some facts about tow trucks you might not know:

Tow Trucks don’t equal Motor Carriers

Tow trucks are motorized land trucks meant to transport disabled, broken, impounded, or wrongly parked vehicles. Motor carriers are different – they are trailers meant to carry cars, usually for commercial purposes – and usually for the efficient transfer of passenger vehicles.

Start of the Tow Truck

Tow trucks were invented in 1916 by SR. Ernest Holmes – who needed to improvise a way to use blocks, ropes, and manpower to pull a car out of a creek. He developed the tow truck design, which involves a flat surface behind the truck which an operate as a bed that can easily carry a car.

Evolution of Tow Trucks

At first only traditional tow trucks existed, but as the car industry grew, the tow truck evolved over times. Today, there’s over five kinds of tow trucks: notably the Boom, Wheel-Lift, Hook and Chain, Integrated, and Flatbed (the most commonly used.)

Tow Truck Museum

The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee (the hometown of Sr. Ernest Holmes) shows antique tools, wreckers, tow trucks, equipment, and photographs documenting the history of the industry created by Holmes.

Tough Regulations

The tow trucking industry is heavily regulated by Congressional laws and acts – in order to drive a tow truck, you must possess a license for it – so not everyone can just get behind the wheel from off the street and start long hauling or recovering cars.

Safest Option

Flatbed tow trucks are the most commonly used because they are the absolute safest and simplest choice. Their design gets rid of the possibility that you’ll cause extra damage to your car’s underside and transmission, and they don’t allow the car’s wheels to hang off the sides while it’s being transported.

Hiring a Professional for Heavy Hauling

Published September 1, 2016 By Chicago Towing

Some of the most common equipment that requires heavy hauling is heavy machinery or construction equipment. While many companies have their own hauling equipment, lots of others don’t, or perhaps they need to use their hauling equipment for another big project.

Regardless of the project where it’s implemented, heavy hauling is a difficult and technically complex job. The kind of equipment that requires heavy hauling is expensive and delicate, despite its extreme weight. Due to the extreme value of this equipment, and the magnitude of the job’s complexity, it’s totally necessary to hire a professional hauling company. It’s of major importance that they are trustworthy, and have the necessary experience and expertise to safely finish the haul without causing any damage to the vehicle.

Experience with Heavy Hauling

When you’re transporting extremely heavy and large equipment, the haul’s route should be determined in advance. There’s many detailed aspects to the ride that absolutely need to be considered, including the height of overpasses. Both equipment and even the overpass could be damaged, which could not only result in heavy costs but also put people’s lives at risk. There will be many potential obstacles including weight limits on roads and bridges. A truly professional hauling company will know exactly how to find and expertly navigate the best route to haul out the equipment to it’s rightful destination.

Different Kinds of Tow Trucks

Published August 23, 2016 By Chicago Towing

There’s three main kinds of tow trucks commonly used, but five common categories of equipment. The three main kinds of trucks are used for different crisis or labor scenarios like emergency towing, and determine what kind of tow truck that a service will send out. The three main kinds of tow trucks are:

Hook and Chain or Sling Trucks

Hook and chain tow trucks are rarely used today because, due to their design, damage is often sustained to the bumpers or front end of the cars. This truck works by looping a chain around the frame or axle of the vehicle, which is then wound up with a boom winch. Sometimes the sling truck is used on towing vehicles that have suffered an accident, or are missing one or both of the rear wheels, since the car can’t be securely towed by another kind of wrecker truck.

Flatbed, or slide trucks

These trucks are fit with beds that can be hydraulically positioned at an incline, and slid down to ground level – the truck is then driven onto the bed, or pulled on to it with a truck mounted winch. This is the most common and popular kind of tow truck used for emergency towing.

How to Tow a Boat

Published April 17, 2016 By Chicago Towing

Whether you’re towing a well worn dinghy or a high-end speedboat, it’s common knowledge that the kind of car you’re using to do the towing will affect the way that it handles a towed boat. Different cars yield different kinds of acceleration maneuvering, and stopping speeds. Whatever vehicle you’re using to tow your boat, here are some essential rules to follow in order to keep you (and your boat) safe and secure.

Keep Weight Balanced

While you’re loading the boat up onto whatever trailer it will be towed on, make sure that it’s weight is evenly distributed throughout – this means from both horizontal and vertical axis, from side to side, and from the entire length. You might have to shift around any other equipment inside the boat or on the trailer to find the right balance – anything can throw it off, from fuel, technical equipment, and even rations like water – make sure to stay vigilant in ensuring that the boat’s weight is evenly balanced.

Keep a flat axis

The towing vehicle and the trailer should both be exactly or just about parallel to the ground – make sure to research the trailer’s tongue weight so you can be certain that you’re not overloading the hitch with weight – the load (in this case, the boat) should weigh around 10 percent of the entire trailer’s weight.

Secure the boat tightly

Make sure the boat is securely attached to the trailer with ratchet straps, and make sure that the trailer’s winch strap is attached securely to the bow eye.

Compensate for weight when breaking

Since the trailer and towed boat adds a great deal of weight to the entire vehicle, make sure to keep this in mind while driving – your vehicle will require additional time to stop completely, so drive slow and break somewhat in advance of when you would instinctively break normally. Never make sudden starts, stops, or turns that can throw off the stability of the trailer or else the boat could fall away. When driving downhill, make sure to drive in low gear for extra traction.

Keep tools with you

You can never be too prepared. Make sure to bring a spare tire for your trailer, a lug wrench and tire gauge that fit your tires, and a grease gun for additional on the spot lubrication as needed. You don’t ever want to be caught stranded at a standstill with a boat attached to a trailer.

Be extra prudent and safe

In advance, make sure that the lights on your trailer are working properly, and just in case, make sure they are on even during the day. Before you embark, walk completely around the trailer and make sure everything looks right and that the weight seems evenly distributed. Every few miles of driving, check to make sure that no straps attaching the car has come loose – this way, even though the trip might go somewhat slower, you can be certain that you’re undertaking it with the maximum amount of safety and care.

Tire Maintenance Advice

Published April 3, 2016 By Chicago Towing

The most common cause of a call to request roadside towing is the incidence of a flat or blown out tire. If this happens to you, the skilled technicians at Chicago Towing are more than prepared to provide roadside assistance to pull you out of this situation – but of course, prevention is absolutely the best method. If you want to be proactively prepared and prevent any sort of tire failure, you need to learn a bit about proper tire maintenance.

The first step towards sustainably healthy tires is maintaining a proper inflation pressure for all four. By doing this you not only optimize your car’s performance, but also increase its safety – not to mention your monetary savings on fuel. In order to make sure that your car’s tires have correct pressure, check them periodically, about once or twice a month. Make sure that the tires feel cool to the touch – so don’t check them right after you finish driving – and use a working pressure gauge. The inflation level of your tires is specifically very important to maintain before embarking on a long car trip when your vehicle suffers slightly more wear than it usually does on a day to day level, and when you’re far from your local repair shop or even far away from anyone who can help. As a stated rule – always check your tire’s inflation before leaving on a long trip.

Depending on the manufacturer and model of your vehicle, it has a specific ideal tire pressure level – this can usually be found inside the car’s placard or inside the car’s owner manual. The single most effective way to preserve the working order of your car, it’s tires, and their tread life is to maintain a regular ideal tire pressure. Underinflation is the largest cause of tire failure – which can crack your tires, separate internal mechanisms, or even blow out the entire wheel. You don’t want that to happen when you’re on the road; no less in the middle of nowhere.

Secondly, make sure not to spin your tires in excess. The usual instinct that drivers follow when their vehicle is stranded in mud, sand, snow, or ice is to spin the tires and try to get out. This can be very harmful to your car because the centrifugal forces generated by the spinning tire could cause a sudden tire explosion – if you’re trying to get out of a pile of dirt or sand that you’re stuck in make sure not to drive above 35 mph, and use a slight back and forward rocking movement to gently free your car from its predicament.

On a regular basis check to see if your tires are worn out. Your tires should be taken out when they are worn down to 2/32’’ of tread depth left. All currently manufactured tires have indicator lines to show how far the treads are worn into – smooth lines inside the tread groove. Driving on tires with worn out treads is dangerous as the majority of rain or snow based accidents happen when a car starts skidding on worn out – or “bald” – tires. Not to mention the ease with which worn out tires can be punctured and blown out by any glass or roadside debris.

Since tires have broad contact with possible road debris, it’s essential that you check them on a monthly basis – at least – to preserve your safety. Any sorts of air loss, cracks, bulges, holes, or knots should warrant the removal of the tire and a close inspection by a professional. If you can, don’t overexert your car. The vehicle owner’s manual should have a set limit to pressure and exertion which should never be raised – as that can cause lots of problems, including affecting how your vehicle drives and how fast it eats up fuel – not to mention raising the possibility of tire failure. In some situations, exceeding your vehicle’s limits can cause serious cracking or a blowout.

In order to prevent abrasive vibration or excess tire wear, have your tires rotated on a regular basis – make sure they are properly inflated, aligned, and balanced – and replace any broken or worn out suspension mechanisms. Misalignment can cause scrubbing against the surface of the road which abrades the tire and unbalanced them – causing extreme vibration that can not only exhaust the human driver of the car, but can seriously take a toll on the suspension of the vehicle.
If you are able to change a tire, make sure that you have a spare one in your car at all times. That can save you a great deal of money and stress in situations where you get stranded. In fact, keep a tire on you even if you don’t know how to change it – so you can save some money once you contact a roadside assistance provider. We hope that the above tips will help you preserve the longevity of your vehicle’s tires – if you find yourself in a dire situation, Chicago Towing is always available to help you. Simply call us with any questions and we can be at your direct location in minutes.

Driving in Winter Conditions

Published March 23, 2016 By Chicago Towing

Advance Preparation

In the frigid winter weather, Chicago residents often encounter poor to bad driving conditions. Since most drivers never learn defensive driving techniques for bad weather, during the winter many accidents occur that otherwise never would have. Because of this, it’s absolutely essential that you prepare for driving under poor weather conditions; first of all, always keep a raincoat, umbrella, and gloves/scarf in the trunk of the car. You might have to change a tire in the middle of a snowstorm or cold downpour. Also keep a working flashlight in the trunk; as you’ll never know when you’re going to have to change a tire on a dark street or highway. Always remember to keep jumper cables in the trunk – you want to avoid being stranded in a car with a dead battery without the materials to jump start it. Keep your gas over the halfway mark as a force of habit, that absolutely reduces the chances of accidentally depleting your car’s gas. Ensure that you have a car jack, the proper tire iron for your vehicle, and a correctly blown-up spare tire. If your area gets especially cold during the winter, it couldn’t hurt to have a certified mechanic look at your car to make sure that everything is working correctly. Ideally, if there’s any problems found, you would get them taken care of before being caught driving in an unpleasant weather event, when it might really affect you. By following active awareness and preparation, you can avoid having to spend even more time, effort, or money if your vehicle suffers a breakdown.

Careful Practices

Whenever any bad weather event occurs – be it a blizzard, hail, frozen roads, or a rainstorm – one of the most important defensive driving techniques one can adopt is to drive slowly. By driving at a slower speed, you’re increasing the amount of time that you will have to react in case you come into/across some kind of accident. Also, if you’re driving slowly, and keep a large space between your car and the other vehicles that are driving, you’re going to have a much lesser chance of bumping into the back of one of them if they suddenly break. If the roads are incredibly slippery, one thing you should do is keep the brakes lightly applied while driving at a slow pace – for extra traction.

Top 7 Towing Myths DEBUNKED

Published March 17, 2016 By Chicago Towing

There’s a ton of misinformation out there being hawked by scam towing companies and blogs alike. Here’s a list of the most common towing misconceptions.

Myth One : You can increase a vehicle’s towing capacity by upgrading its hitch.

Untrue. A trailer’s hitch does not cancel out the maximum capacity rating of your vehicle – however it does maximize it. You should never tow more weight than your hitch is rated for.

Myth Two: Tongue weight makes up ten percent of the towed weight.

Untrue. The safe amount of tongue weight is somewhere between ten to fifteen percent of the trailer’s weight – depending on a range of criteria, including the load distribution and the position of the trailer’s axles. Often too much of the load is placed at the trailer’s front – which puts way too much weight on the tongue. If a heavy tongue is a concern for you, make sure to install a rated weight distribution mechanism, which can allow for more towing weight on your vehicle. The tongue prevents the trailer from swaying fast – this sort of sway can also be canceled if you increase the tongue weight, or place sway control devices on the trailer hitch.

Myth Three: All towing extensions work on truck campers.

Untrue. Hitch extensions have to have the right capacity of tongue weight for your truck – shorter extensions can handle weight better than longer ones, as a general rule.