Hello, my name is Brian and I live in Syndey, Australia with my wife and our four kids. I have a busy day job working in an office, so at the weekends, I like to get away from it all. Last year, I took my wife and kids out for a drive into the Outback. I am a pretty experienced driver, but I still managed to get the wheels of our car stuck in some deep mud. The sun was getting low in the sky and I started to panic. Thankfully, I managed to contact the local tow truck company who sent a man out to rescue us. He even towed my car to the nearest garage and gave me some top tips about how to tow vehicles. I hope you enjoy my blog.
Towing during the day is relatively straightforward for tow truck operators. However, night towing is a different ball game, and novice operators tend to struggle. Notably, a lot is at stake if you consider the high number of motorists and pedestrians on the roads. Therefore, towing operators must observe safety measures to prevent accidents and damages. This article highlights safety tips for night towing.
360° Light Visibility
You might think that the headlights on a tow truck are enough to keep you visible to other motorists until you drive through a road section in the middle of the night. While headlights illuminate the road ahead, the vehicle you are towing remains invisible. Hence, it is easy for an overtaking vehicle to miscalculate and ram into the car being hauled. In this regard, it is vital to make your tow truck and load are visible from all angles. You can achieve 360° visibility by switching on all the high-powered LEDs on your tow truck. The bright lights are installed all around a tow truck and make you visible from a few miles away. Most importantly, it makes sure that approaching motorists can clearly see you and the vehicle being towed.
Use Tow Truck Navigation System
It is easy to rely on the navigation system that comes with a tow truck from the factory. While the devices might offer some help, they are unreliable, particularly at night. The reason is that tow trucks are unique, and you cannot just drive anywhere, especially when loaded. Therefore, tow truck operators need to learn to use custom navigation systems. For instance, standard navigation systems show all routes accessible to standard vehicles. However, some routes are not accessible to tow trucks, and you can only get such details from tow truck navigation systems. Therefore, the devices are critical for night towing when most routes are not visible in standard systems.
Maintain Communication with Dispatcher
The role of a dispatcher is to receive calls from clients and direct the nearest tow truck to the particular location. However, it does not mean that the driver should stop communicating with the dispatcher after reaching a client's location. On the contrary, it is essential to keep communicating with a dispatcher, even if it means doing so the entire way. The interaction keeps you alert during night towing and allows you to relay critical information, especially when you need immediate help.
Share12 October 2021
