In our preceding blog posts, we have undeniably spent a generous amount of time explaining appropriate towing techniques. Likewise, we have also helped our readers understand different types of towing, their suitability, the risks involved, and more. However, we have come to realize that simply knowing what to do is useless if you don’t know what not to do. That is, we believe a person should understand what is considered wrong before adhering to what is right.

For instance, you are aware that checking your car’s tires on a regular basis lowers the likelihood of a flat tire. Even so, you still run a larger risk of getting a flat tire if you check the tires daily and frequently drive on hard terrain purposefully. Evidently, for good practice to actually show its worth, you must first halt the bad practice.

Read Also: Beware! These Signs May Indicate Potential Tire Failure

In truth, towing can go drastically wrong due to even the most minor misstep. As a professional towing company , numerous clients have shared with us the tales of the horrendous situations unreliable towing service providers have landed them in. From minor windshield damage to fatal truck or vehicle overturns, a lot can happen if the towing technique is wrong.

Not only are such negligences and mishandlings responsible for financial losses, but they may also pose a great threat to the lives of the people involved.

In order to save you from such horrific incidents, this blog post will explore how you should not tow your vehicle.

Do Not Attempt DIY Towing

In today’s age and era, DIY techniques and self-education have become pretty popular trends. While these attempts prove highly efficient and cost-effective for some chores, they are unsuitable for technical tasks. For instance, no matter how good you are with home remedies, you simply can’t use them to treat severe illnesses like ulcers or cardiovascular problems. Clearly, you would need professional advice and assistance from a doctor.

Similarly, towing is a task that you should never attempt on your own. Although DIY videos make it sound easy, towing is not as simple as tying two vehicles using a tow strap. It mandates profound technical knowledge and pitch-perfect load-capacity comparisons.

Thus, you should only rely on professional roadside assistance or towing service providers. Otherwise, you will stand a higher chance of further damaging your precious vehicle and risk your life and that of other drivers.

Do Not Blindly Trust Makeshift Towing Equipment And Ideas

This point is an extension of the one above. The only difference is that instead of an average individual attempting a towing operation, this point relates to the experimentations of some unreliable towing companies. At times, people come up with innovative makeshift equipment ideas to combat difficult situations. While we encourage such ideas when an ordinary course of action fails in an emergency, you shouldn’t make this a habit.

Why?

Because although such techniques may work once or twice, their effectiveness and safety have not been tested officially. Resultantly, these untested makeshift ideas pose a great danger to those who undertake them and the surrounding people.

So if your prospective towing service provider suggests untested towing techniques, politely take a step back as soon as you can.

Never Tow A Rear-Wheel Vehicle With A Dolly

Now that we are done with the general ‘do nots,’ let us bring a bit of a technical twist. Towing with a dolly is an excellent short-distance towing technique. However, it is not suitable for every vehicle. Before requesting any towing services, take a moment to understand which method suits your vehicle.

In the case of a front-wheel drive, the engine’s power is diverted to the front wheels while the back wheels move freely. Therefore towing with a dolly is good for front-wheel vehicles since the front wheels are lifted.

Contrarily, towing a rear-wheel vehicle with a dolly causes weight distribution problems and damages the engine.

Never Tow A Vehicle With A Tow Truck That Can’t Handle Its Weight

As pointed out earlier, the load-bearing and width capacity of a tow truck is crucial. Although most tow trucks appear to be the same, their strength and weight endurance differ quite significantly. Thus, you must critically assess the type of towing service you require.

If your vehicle is large, you will need heavy-duty towing services rather than those normally used for smaller vehicles. Sadly, people pay little attention to the difference between various towing types. Likewise, unreliable light-duty towing companies also go with the flow to avoid losing customers. Consequently, numerous large vehicles bear substantial damages due to load-bearing capacity incompatibilities.

Do Not Let Lurkers Tow Your Vehicle

Last but not least, never trust the lurkers. Numerous truck drivers roam the roads in search of people with broken-down vehicles. While some belong to genuine tow truck firms, others turn out to be scammers. Therefore, instead of taking a chance with these strangers, request roadside assistance from a professional company on your contact list.

Read Also: Common Roadside Assistance Scams And How To Avoid Them

About AAA Towing

When reliability, safety, and satisfaction are your top requirements, no one can serve you better than our professional tow truck drivers and roadside assistance providers. Learn more about AAA Towing and our solid commitment to quality.

Need emergency towing services? Contact us now.