Talking About Tow Services

How To Hook Up A Car To A Tow Truck Driver

3 February 2016

Rose Perkins

If you have to call for the help of a tow truck it is important to make sure that your vehicle is hooked up to the tow truck properly before it leaves. If a car is hooked up improperly it could cause serious damage to the body of the vehicle and potentially even become disconnected from the tow truck during transport. Here is a step-by-step guide to teach you the right way to hook up a car to a tow truck.

1 – Start by lining up both vehicles so that the front of the car is facing the rear of the tow truck head on. Both vehicles should be in alignment with one another and the tires should be in the same position.

2 – Lower the hydraulic lift on the tow truck to the car and slide the lift under the front tires. The tires should be positioned right over the lift and be centered in the lift.

3 – Around each of the tires that are on the lift and attach safety straps around each. Make sure that the straps form a Y-shape around the wheel with one strap around the upper right side, the other on the upper left side, and then one at the bottom. At the bottom of the tire tighten the safety strap until the straps are tight around the tire. The straps around the tire should not be able to be pulled loose and there should be no slack in the strap.

4 – Attach a breakaway chain to a secure section on the body of the vehicle. The chains will prevent the car from becoming dislodged from the vehicle during transportation. If the car does fall off the hydraulic lift, then the breakaway chains will prevent the car from rolling into oncoming traffic.

5 – Make sure that the vehicle being towed is shifter into neutral position and then have the tow truck lift the vehicle up into the air.

6 – Attach magnetic safety lights to the vehicle that will alert other drivers on the road when the tow truck slows down or stops while in transport.

You should never attempt to tow a vehicle on your own, and you should only allow a professional tow truck driver to tow your vehicle. The steps outlined above are meant to be used as a checklist that you can reference before your car is towed away by a professional tow truck driver. To learn more, contact a towing company like Gervais Towing & Recovery. 

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