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Published On: Mon, Mar 18th, 2019

Why Professional Towing Solutions are Your Smartest Choice

A friend breaks down on the highway and calls you for help. They want you to tow their car away using your own vehicle, so they can get it repaired without paying a professional tow-truck driver on top of the mechanic’s fees.

What do you do?

While it’s tempting to help your friend out, especially if you owe them a favor, trying to tow their car with your vehicle could be a bad idea.

In fact, it could even be a terrible idea.

photo/ Gerhard Gellinger

Calling a towing firm to transport a car in any situation is always the safest, most efficient option. Let’s find out why.

Your Vehicle May Not Be Strong Enough

Every vehicle can pull a specific weight safely, but anything exceeding this can cause real problems. And, not just tiny ones either: we’re talking substantial issues that could cost a whole lot of money to put right.

All vehicles are assigned their own ratings, and every driver should check theirs just to be sure you don’t overload it. Trying to tow a car beyond your rating could cause your transmission to overheat, your suspension to break, your tires to blow and — perhaps most dangerous of all — your brakes to fail.

Don’t chance it. You never know just how badly you could harm your vehicle.

Lack of Essential Equipment Compromises Safety

Professional tow truck drivers make a living from transporting vehicles of different sizes, shapes and weights. They’re well-equipped to handle almost any situation they come across when called to the scene of a breakdown or accident.

They may have flatbed trucks, winches for recovering cars run off the road, chains for extra security and more. All this ensures they can keep any vehicles being towed safe while in transit and reduce the risk to other drivers on the road.

Attempting to tow a car with your own vehicle is nowhere near as dependable or safe. Using an old rope or tow cable is a massive mistake, no matter how secure it might seem to you. Let an expert take responsibility instead.

Getting the Tongue Weight Right

If you’re new to the prospect of towing a vehicle, you may not know about tongue weights. This basically refers to the weight the tow ball bears, and taking on too much of it can compromise your steering capabilities.

Sadly, though, too little tongue weight could cause your car to sway from side to side. Not only is this dangerous for yourself and your passengers, but fellow motorists could be vulnerable too.

Towing firms typically make sure all drivers they work with are highly trained and experienced. As a result, they understand how best to secure vehicles before transporting them, and know what considerations they have to make regarding weight.

Legal Issues Must be Considered

Laws and regulations surrounding towing vehicles differ from one state to another, but ignorance is no excuse. Local law enforcement won’t accept a lack of awareness as your reason for potentially putting other people and their property in danger.

Safety chains are a fairly standard requirement across the States, but other rules may apply. Legal issues just aren’t worth the apparent ease of towing a car yourself.

Conclusion

Never try to tow a car with your own vehicle. Even though it may seem simple enough on the surface, towing safely and effectively is much more complex than you perhaps realize. It demands in-depth training, knowledge and preparation to reduce dangers on the road.

Always leave the job to a professional. Local towing firms usually operate 24 hours a day and offer a range of towing services to suit drivers facing all manner of difficult situations.

Author: Colin Steinway

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