Tag Archives: Chicago Towing

Common Towing Mistakes

Published March 3, 2016 By Chicago Towing

Hitching a trailer to your truck and hauling out all your belongings on the open road sounds exhilarating for many people – but if you’re not skilled with long heavy tows it can be an incredibly complex process. There’s 8 major mistakes that people usually make when they’re towing. If you want to avoid paying extreme fees for mistakes, educate yourself on this list of potential mishaps before you embark.

Having the Wrong Weight Distribution Bars

The weight distribution bars between your vehicle and trailer have to be set up correctly; otherwise, the vehicle and the trailer will be bouncing away from each other – causing a bumpy ride, and potential damage to the trailer’s frame and hitch. The size of the weight distribution bar shouldn’t matter – many tunable chained bars come in many different levels of strength or weight – if you use the right bar size, it will be completely parallel to the frame of the trailer.

Heavy Duty Towing Safety Tips

Published February 23, 2016 By Chicago Towing

There’s variable reasons that cause a car to need to get towed. Whether you suffer an unfortunate accident in your vehicle, or if it breaks down on the highway, you should know the proper safety measures that both you and any towing specialist you may contact should take on the road, to protect your safety.

Driver Safety Tips

If you’re in the middle of driving and need to pull over to get towed, it’s absolutely necessary to follow these safety tips. First of all, move your car as far away from other cars as possible. If there’s a shoulder to the road, move onto it as soon as possible, as close to the edge as you can. Additionally, leave your hazard lights on – this is particularly important at night – so other drivers driving can see you, and also so the towing company can have an easier time recognizing you. If you have an emergency roadside kit in your car, place reflectors around the perimeter of your vehicle.

As you’re waiting for the tow company to get there, take anything that you might need (like license information, insurance records, registration, etc…) out of the car before it’s towed. It might be a few days before you see your car and you’re going to need to provide this information to the towing service during the process. While you’re waiting for the towing company to get there, make sure to wait inside the car, so you don’t put yourself at risk for the passing cars or any weather that might be occurring.

The Heavy Duty Towing Truck Safety Tips

Not only does the initial driver of the vehicle need to take safety measures to ensure the protection of their being and their vehicle’s being in the event where a towing is necessitated, but the driver of the tow truck that will transport your vehicle absolutely needs to follow safety measures. One of their initial steps is to increase the visibility of your stranded vehicle, by placing cones and flags around the area. This is to protect both you and them from oncoming traffic.

Tow truck drivers are also required to check whether their cable lines are intact, and not damaged. They need to make certain that their truck is capable of hauling your stranded vehicle safely. This information will be verified over the phone upon your first contact. Drivers additionally have training to never unwind the towing cables all the way when they’re loading a vehicle, and to make sure that the wheel-lift is extended far enough after the loading that they can safely and easily make turns. Drivers are also trained to avoid any electrical lines, and ensure that bystanders stand a safe distance during the entire towing process. All these safety measures are completely necessary – the operation of towing requires a great deal of safety attention, and drivers for the right company are thoroughly trained in all these measures to protect both their own neck, but yours, and that of your vehicle.

21 Essential Road Trip Tips

Published February 17, 2016 By Chicago Towing

If you’re planning on traveling through the United States on a road trip, driving without stopping has advantages – you’ll save money on hotels, have more time once you get to your destination – not to mention the sense of exhilaration you get on a nonstop drive. However, in order to stay safe and energetic, it’s integral to follow these tips to make sure your ride goes smooth.

Get a good night’s sleep before the journey

Scientific studies have shown that missing a few hours of sleep can impair your driving to a comparable level to being intoxicated with alcohol. Don’t let this happen by making sure that you get a lot of sleep the night before you leave.

Wear Sunscreen

This is a very underrated tip. If your skin is in direct sunlight for hours at a time, your skin is going to be exposed to harmful UVA rays. You’re going to need sunscreen to protect your exposed skins from getting burns. Apply liberally, and repeat when necessary.

Eat Nutritiously

Don’t just eat roadside fastfood. Instead of stopping at a drive through, stop at a supermarket, and get salad, fruit, or a hearty sandwich – rather than fried food that won’t give you the nutrition you need through your journey.

Avoid Staying at Rest Stops

Pulling over and sleeping in your car can be dangerous – and it’s illegal in some states. We don’t recommend it. Use rest stops to stretch your legs, get a snack, or go to the bathroom. Then get back on the road.

Common Car Towing Questions

Published February 1, 2016 By Chicago Towing

Can tow trucks tow the car backwards?

Most tow trucks can hook themselves up to the front or the back of the vehicle that’s being towed. This is actually the ideal (and most widely used) method for vehicles with rear wheel drive, although front or all-wheel drive vehicles can also be towed from the back if the car’s front can be lifted with a pulley or dolly.

Can your car get towed if you’re touching it?

Absolutely not. In order to complete the towing job safely, the tow truck driver will need you to stand away from your vehicle. If you’re physically blocking the car from getting towed, If your car is being towed due to legal injunction, and you’re physically blocking it from getting towed, the driver might contact the police to escort you away – which may result in a fine or civil charges of obstruction.

How can I prevent my car from being able to get towed by a roll-back or flatbed tow truck?

These trucks get their name from their flatbed that tilts backwards so that vehicles can get rolled on to it for transporting. These trucks usually transport strangely shaped, damaged, or large vehicles – but also commonly tow regular cars. Since the flatbed’s driver needs to position the truck directly in line with the car so that it can be winched up, you can prevent one of these trucks from being able to tow you by parking somewhere there the flatbed truck can’t reach the front or back of the car.

Tips for Driving in Heavy Fog Chicago

Published January 20, 2016 By Chicago Towing

Driving in fog can be incredibly dangerous – not only does the moisture make vehicles more likely to skid, but your visibility is drastically reduced. If you find yourself having to make an automobile trip in heavy fog, try sticking to these tips – they are great safety boosters.

Use your low-beam headlights

While the seemingly obvious thing to do is use high beam headlights, this isn’t actually the best safety method, as the high beams simply illuminate the fog in front of you, making it harder to see traffic. Using your low beams light on your vehicle is a more effective way of spotting traffic.

Use the line in the pavement as a safety guide.

If the fog is exceptionally thick, try using the white line on the right side of the road as a navigation guide. Don’t look at the center pavement line, as doing so will lead you to be closer to oncoming traffic then leaning to the non-highway side.

Use your Fog Lights

If your car has specialty fog lights, you can illuminate the road in front of you, as well as making you and your car more easily spotted by other drivers. Rear fog lights can be effective in helping motorists behind you spot your vehicle’s course.

Drive Slow!

This is an essential tip. If you’re having problems seeing the road in front of you, don’t drive fast under any circumstances. Monitor your speedometer in order to regulate how fast you’re going, as thick fog that obscures the landscape around your car makes it more difficult to determine your vehicle’s velocity by sight alone.

Don’t stop – for any reason!

If you can’t see where you’re going, you may be inclined to stop on the road until the fog clears. If you need to stop, you need to find a spot far away from traffic, and make sure your lights are turned off. If you leave your lights on, it might make other motorists think that where you’re sitting is the direction of traffic, which could cause an accident.

Emergency Roadside Services

Chicago Towing Service is designed to assist you in an emergency when the vehicle you are either driving or riding and your vehicle becomes disabled in any weather conditions in Chicago, IL.

Five Most Common Tow Truck Types

Published January 7, 2016 By Chicago Towing

There’s five kinds of tow trucks in general usage. In this short blog post, I’ll detail the different ones, and how they operate. At Chicago Towing we focus on the 2 main types wheel-lift and flat bed towing

Flatbed Tow Trucks

Flatbed tow trucks are also known as “slides” or “rollbacks.” The entire rear area of the truck is attached with a bed that can be hydraulically inclined and shifted to a ground level, allowing the vehicle that’s getting towed to be pulled onto it easily.

Booms Tow Trucks

These tow trucks use adjustable boom winches to rescue vehicles from any area that’s hard to reach for a vehicle. Booms are used to recover vehicles from ditches, craters, or natural embankments. Some booms are fixed to the truck, while others have pivoting A-frames, or pneumatically fueled telescopic tubes.

Wheel-Lifts Tow Trucks

Otherwise known as “spectacle” lifts due to their resemblance to square eyeglasses, this method of towing involves a metal yoke that’s placed under the front or back wheels of a car to hold them, dragging an end of the car up off the ground with a pneumatic or hydraulic hoist so that it can be towed. Usually, these devices lift the drive wheels of the vehicle, only touching the tires.

Integrated / Repo Trucks

This method of towing involves a wheel-lift and a boom synthesized into a single unit. Commonly used in light duty towing in order to quickly move illegally parked, or repossessed vehicles, many of these trucks have the towing controls inside the truck’s cab, to make the pickup as easy as possible – there’s no need to even exist the vehicle. Industrial grade heavy duty trucks are made with integrated lift options. Similar to integrated trucks, some specialty flatbed units carry wheel-lifts, and some wheel-lifts offer combined booms and slings.

Rural, Suburban, and Urban Towing Chicago

Published January 3, 2016 By Chicago Towing

Towing is affected by Terrain

Towing is a technically complicated process. Tons of variables exist which can affect the speed and quality of any trip. Rural Towing involves traveling greater distances, and may involve travel over rocky or unpaved terrain. Sometimes special equipment is needed to travel throughout rural environments. Cell phone reception may be limited when traveling through particular terrains and climates, specifically mountains and deserts. Sometimes, for 4×4 off-road vehicles that need to be towed in rough environments full of mud or rocks, special vehicles or gear is required. Extra gear is never thought of as an optional excess – rather it’s a necessary tool to protect your vehicle, so it doesn’t incur any extra damage.

Smooth Sailing in Urban Chicago

Urban towing is, by its very nature, more common than rural towing. Due to transportation infrastructure, the trips are often much faster. However, due to urban population saturation, there’s much more traffic in cities than in suburban areas. This is why our customers benefit from our servicemen’s experience with navigating the busy Chicago streets. They’re aware of all the traffic flows, patterns of commuting, and the spots that tend to get congested. Essentially, the city is their turf, and they know exactly how to get through it, as quickly as possible.

Experienced Navigators

Chicago Towing is an automotive towing company (servicing cars, vans, motorcycles, trucks, RVs, and pick-up-trucks) in the bustling city of Chicago. We serve the entire metropolitan area, from the I-90 – the Chicago Skyway, Dan Ryan Expressway that runs throughout the city of Chicago, connecting Downtown with the South Side. In this entire area, we are the premiere towing service; our experience allows us to set ourselves apart by offering the smoothest, most efficient service, regardless of if you’re in Downtown Chicago, the suburbs, the freeway, or the countryside. There’s simply nobody better equipped to handle your vehicle

Preparing Your Vehicle for Winter

Published December 21, 2015 By Chicago Towing

The harsh weather of winter can be rough on vehicles. It’s important, for your own safety, and the safety of your car, that you prepare for the icy road that lies ahead of you. The intense cold of winter can take its toll on the internal mechanics of cars. If you don’t want to be caught unprepared, it’s important to inspect and repair your vehicle before it gets as extremely cold as it normally does in the middle of winter. Here’s a list of tips you can follow to keep your vehicle prepared and ready.

Have Ice Tools Ready

Leave ice scrapers and snow brushes inside the house if an overnight storm is predicted. This will allow you to remove ice and snow without having to open your car, which, when frozen, can be quite an arduous task. By keeping window and lock de-icers inside the house, you can rest assured that you’re fully prepared to uncover your vehicle from the frost.

Make sure Windshield Wipers are Operating

Effective windshield wipers should be able to clear the windshield in three swipes. If this isn’t happening, and cleaning the blades doesn’t help, you should replace the blades. Winterized blades prevent snow from jamming within the center of the blade itself and are ideal for snowy conditions. Refill washer fluid frequently. You don’t want to wait until you’re out of fluid to notice that your windhield is caked with frozen salt. You additionally want to utilize the defroster to keep the fluid from freezing inside the cold. The inside of the windows should be kept clean to reduce the forming of surface fog, as well as speeding defogging. By using the air conditioner with the heat on, you can quickly defog windows.

Make sure that your antifreeze is really freeze proof

Engine coolant or antifreeze should also be tested to make sure that it’s protected from freezing. If it looks old or has been there for over two years, change the antifreeze to restore the working order of the car’s rust inhibitors and water pump lubricants. By performing a professional power flush, you’ll remove any dirt that may cause water pump trailer.

Change engine oil

As it gets colder, the thickness of oil becomes crucial. Oil without a “W” in it’s thickness rating (like 5W-30) could make the engine crank up too slow. By checking your car’s owner’s manual for the recommended oil thickness for cold weather you can be prepared. Automotive transmission fluid should always be full, not leaking, and should never looked singed, brown, or burnt. Transmissions are strained in the cold – make sure to change your transmission oil before it gets cold to prevent problems.

Make sure lights are in working order

High beams, brake lights, and turn signals should be working properly, and headlights should be able to be aimed correctly. For maximum visibility- and safety – keep the lights clean.

Let your Tires tread well

All tire treads should have at leas ta 2/32’’ depth in their grooves. If the tire tread is wearing differently between the edges, sides, and middle groove, check the tire pressure. If one side is wearing faster than the other, it’s time for your car’s wheels to be realigned. The deeper the grooves of the tread, the better traction you have in snow or ice. Tire chains are also recommended.

Check your brakes and exhaust system

No matter the climate, brakes should be checked at least twice a year to ensure safety. This maintenance is best done before Winter and Summer, just to avoid working in extreme temperatures. Exhaust systems should also be inspected and primed – these systems can be extremely dangerous when not working correctly – especially if one’s stuck in snow or ice. By regularly checking your car’s systems, you’re ensuring your safety, and the lasting longevity of your vehicle, no matter the weather.

Identify a Professional Towing Company Chicago

Published December 18, 2015 By Chicago Towing

All professional towing companies in Chicago, IL:

Have tow trucks with a bed that tilts down to help loading and unloading (a rollback truck) or a wheel-lift truck – as well as knowing all the potential limitations, and all the advantages of their trucks.
Has equipment for loading your vehicle that’s proper. For a rollback truck, this would include a bridle with hook to hook slots in the frame, not simply a large “J” hook. Some vehicles, if they can’t be put into neutral, might need specialized equipment known as “skates” that can help load and unload the car.
Has the equipment for safely securing videos including ratchet straps, chains, and the proper type of hooks. All vehicles should be secured with at least four points. Sometimes wheel straps are needed, usually with high end cars. All professional towers have training with – and access to information detailing the proper methods of securing various makes of cars.
Has their trucks inspected annually, with a publically displayed, dated and signed sticker showing that the inspection occurred.
Meets all federal and state regulations including the public display of DOT number, company name, and place of origin – as well as all triangles, flares, cones, amber beacons, light bars, or fire extinguishers that may need to be used during transport.
Professional Towing Company drivers who have completed medical exams, carry “med cars” and if needed, have Commercial Driver’s Licenses which point towards a high level of training.
Stop at scales, as required when carrying loads greater than 10,000 pounds.
Carries insurance that covers their own vehicle, as well as “on-hook” and “garage-keeper’s” insurance that covers your vehicle while it’s in their care.
Has contracts or agreements with motor clubs and insurance agencies for direct payment, or no questions on reimbursement.
Has all safety vests and equipment to make themselves vehicle at any scenes of disability.
Have skills, training, certification, and experience about towing, recoveries, lock-outs, jump-starts, tire changes, and winching. The certification that can be obtained from organizations like the International Institute of Towing and Recovery, the Towing & Recovery Association of America, or Wreckmaster are all great ways of insuring a towing company’s professionalism.

Why use a professional towing company in Chicago?

A truly professional tower:

Can safely secure your vehicle to prevent any damage in the event of a sudden stop or accident.
Is unlikely to damage your vehicle during loading and unloading by improperly pulling on something, or by allowing a vehicle to row away.
Can tow vehicles with collision insurance to a body shop, and get paid by the body shop, so that the collision insurance pays for the tow and repairs as a single charge. If you’re getting emergency roadside assistance, the tower should be able to directly bill AAA or insurance agencies, or if you have the proper insurance coverage, provide you with an itemized invoice that you can submit for reimbursement.
Can accept checks or credit cards.
Can provide emergency roadside assistance: including tire changes, lock-outs, jump-starts, and recoveries. The company should additionally be skilled, and experienced in providing these services, as they require an element of talent, finesse, and understanding to undertake safely.
Maintains trucks to a high standard -(you don’t want to be left stranded because of a broken tow truck.)

The question that you should ask yourself is: would you rather entrust your vehicle to a skilled professional, or someone without the training and experience to safely service your vehicle without causing damage. The answer should be obvious. Always:

Verify the Chicago Towing company’s name, place of origin, and DOT number on the side of the truck.
Verify the commercial inspection sticker near the above information.
Inquire about all certification, experience, and training.
Look for required safety light bars, reflective clothes, or any other safety gear.
Look for equipment appropriate for winching, loading, unloading, and securing your vehicle.
Expect professional, courteous, timely service over the phone and in person.
Look for a professional looking business area.
Ask about “on-hook” and “garage-keeper’s” insurance.

Look out for Unprofessional towers who:

Put more emphasis on price over service and quality.
Don’t have insurance.
Don’t follow laws requiring signage, official publically displayed certification, safety equipment, lights, gear, truck inspections, etc…
Will claim that they don’t have to check at scales.
Don’t have special equipment to safely load, unload, and secure your vehicle.
Isn’t able to provide other services associated with towing, like lock-outs or recoveries.
Don’t have contracts or agreements with insurance companies, motor clubs, or body shops to provide direct billing or easy insurance reimbursement through a professional invoice.
Isn’t on the Trooper’s list with a file with rates and insurance.
Don’t leave beacons and lights on the scene of a disabled vehicle for safety.
Can’t always answer your call or provide you service at any time.
Can’t handle credit card or check payment.

Automobile Jump Start Tips

Published December 15, 2015 By Chicago Towing

Here’s a great strategy for automobile jump start stalled vehicle in Chicago. Let’s refer to the stalled car as Car A and the running one as Car B.

Vehicle Jump-start Step One – Aligned Parking

Park Car B right in front of Car A so that they are forward facing each other. This is the absolute best parking position, as it allows cars around you to pass by, and doesn’t clog traffic. It also allows for the shortest length of cables to be used, so that you won’t have to buy extra equipment. Make sure Car B’s side battery is close to Car A so that the cables can get to the battery easily.

Auto Jump-start Step Two – Prop the Hood Open

Open the hoods of both vehicles. Make sure that the hood is secured once it’s open by placing the hood rod in it’s proper hole. If the hood is operated with a hydraulic cylinder and still doesn’t feel secure once lifted, I recommend placing a large stick or broomstick to secure it open, so it doesn’t fall down and cause damage or hurt somebody. If there’s strong weather or wind occurring, I recommend having someone there to physically hold the hood open to prevent an accident from happening.

Auto Jump-start Step Three – Starting the Charge

Get your booster cables out, and clamp the positive (red) side to its adjacent negative cable (black) of Car A. All black cables should be placed about six inches from one another. It’s important to make sure that the cables don’t touch – you don’t want the positive or negative clamps to touch each other.

Vehicle Jump-start Step Four – Completing the Circuit

Now get the other end of the booster cables and attach them to Car B. You must identify the + and – indicating Positive and Negative charges on the battery of Car B. If you can’t read the battery, try wiping it with a napkin or rag. The positive end of the battery always has more wires and attached fuse lines. The negative side is always somewhat thinner, with a cable or two ending by being bolted to the frame or body for grounding.

Automobile Jump-start Step Five – Successful Charging!!

You might see a small spark. This is good – it shows that it’s working. However if there’s strong sparking, or loud reactions, it might mean that the lights or electronic accessories in Car B are on – these have to be shut off. Everything in Car B should be off, including the ignition which by taking the key out of its slot or off. If you try again and there’s still a large or loud spark, you possibly have a short in the wires. If you don’t, continue connecting the booster cables, ensuring that all electronics and accessories in Car A are also shut off to ensure the strongest charge possible.

If these steps are performed correctly, your vehicle should begin working. Simply leave the engine on for at least three minutes before attempting to start it. If it still doesn’t work, the battery might be dead and may need to be replaced. As an additional precaution, never complete a jumpstart while Car A is not running – this will drain so much power that it might cause irreparable damage to its battery.

Get stuck with your car and need a jump. Call Chicago Towing 24 hour emergency roadside assistance in the Chicago, IL. Flat tire fix, battery boost, jump start, lockout service, fuel delivery and more