Why DIY Amateur Towing Shouldn’t be Attempted

When automotive breakdowns happen, many people are eager to get the car to the repair shop as soon as possible; and this fully makes sense. However, DIY attempts at towing almost always prove to be foolish – and even dangerous – especially when compared to the consistent, safe, and reliable towing services provided by towing experts like us here at Chicago Towing. In this brief blog entry, the experts here at Chicago Towing will detail the reasons that DIY Towing shouldn’t be attempted.

Potential Damage

DIY towing can actually cause a ton of damage to vehicles. While many people think that DIY towing generally has the same success rate as professional towing services, it’s important to remember that professional towing experts have the necessary professional tools to carry out their jobs safely and precisely – not to mention years of necessary field experience and knowledge. However, DIY towing involves individuals with probably zero experience with vehicle towing – which causes great danger to not only your vehicle, potentially risking physical damage, as well as you or anybody else on the road around you. 

Going Over Maximum Towing Capacity

Tow trucks are made to haul vehicles using equipment including uniquely designed engines, frames, axles – all equipment that helps determine a tow truck’s maximum, vehicle weight gross rating – the maximum weight that a truck can carry in one tow. Most typical cars or vans don’t have the strength or equipment necessary for a safe tow, so they should never be used in a DIY towing attempt. If the maximum load weight of a towing vehicle is exceeded it can damage the vehicle’s exterior – or even vital internal components like it’s engines, transmission, or brakes – leading to huge danger to both the driver as well as anybody else on the road.

Special Driving Methods

Towing requires the knowledge of specialized driving methods that differ based on the weight of the vehicle or equipment that’s being towed. Professional tow truck drivers know how to alter their typical driving methods according to the specific towing assignment that they are carrying out – including methods like wider turns to prevent damaging the curb, as well as cautious techniques for uphill or downhill driving. DIY towing attempts will likely never include these specialized driving technique adjustments – making DIY attempts foolish and quite dangerous.