In this blog entry, the towing and vehicle recovery experts at Towing Chicago will detail the role that tongue weight plays in the technically complex – and essential – service of heavy duty (and medium duty) towing services.What is Tongue Weight
Tag Archives: towing safety
If your car breaks down, no matter where or when, you’re going to require the assistance of a professional towing company like Towing Chicago. Vehicle breakdowns can be caused by dead batteries, mechanical malfunctions, leaking fuel, or accidents. Roadside assistance is an absolute essential when you are in this situation. Here’s a brief guide to roadside assistance, as prepared by the experienced towing technicians at Towing Chicago.
If you own heavy machinery that suddenly breaks down, or requires safe transport, you will require the assistance of a professional towing service like Towing Chicago. The amateur de-installation, moving, relocation, or transportation of heavy machinery is incredibly dangerous – which is why only licensed experts at moving and towing heavy machinery should be enlisted to carry out the job. Here’s a guide to the important aspects of moving and towing heavy equipment – including columns, pressure vessels, cranes, bulldozers, tractors, and really, any machinery of massive weight and size – as prepared by the towing experts at Towing Chicago.
Now that it’s December, the towing experts at Towing Chicago are regularly fielding calls regarding our expert Windy City towing services. Countless vehicles get stuck or break down in the snow every year – and we thought it was important to share the essential safety protocols of this scenario with our loyal customers. Here’s what to do if you’re waiting for towing in the snow.
Cars break down; it’s a fact of life. Even when you take excellent care of cars, they are still likely to experience some form of mechanical problems every now and then. However, towing isn’t always a completely clean and orderly operation. Things can go wrong as you go along with it – here’s Chicago Towing’s list of the 9 most serious towing safety tips to keep in mind while one is towing a vehicle.
Dangerous Operation
Anybody involved with the towing operation should never stand on the sides of the truck, since a spontaneous turn could be incredibly dangerous for everyone involved. For maximum safety, make sure to ride along inside the truck with all doors securely locked.
Tire Safety
Make sure that any flat tires are fixed before the vehicle is hoisted up onto the truck. Make sure to change all tires in order to prevent an unstable tow load from suddenly flipping over due to unequal pressure. Just to be safe, it’s smart to check the tire pressure gauges.
Turning Suddenly
Sharp turns and steep hills should be handled very slowly, since going fast in these situations can either seriously damage your truck’s chassis or axle, as well as risk the possibility of flipping over completely.
Driving Blind
Dark or inclement weather reduces visibility – so should be handled with bright headlights, and by driving slowly.
Towing Inappropriate Vehicles
Don’t connect large vehicles to SUVs or sedans, since trailer hitches don’t work with all vehicles – only vehicles that meet towing requirements should be hitched up.
Swaying from Side to Side
Drive slowly and follow the speed limit to prevent the truck from swinging around, which can be quite dangerous especially at a high speed.
Always bring Emergency Equipment
Make sure to always carry a fully stocked emergency kit with a flashlight, red triangle lamp, spare tires, a tool set, first aid kit, water, and some food.
Never Rush
Don’t drive really fast while towing. As a ground rule, make sure to always have enough space to brake between your car and any vehicles in front or behind you.
Use the Breaks
Whenever making any turns, slowly and gradually apply the brakes for stable and safe driving. Sudden application of the breaks can be equally as dangerous on turns.
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.
