• Checking if your Tires have Expired Dates

    Published By Chicago ToWing Team

    According to the United States Department of Transportation, car owners should buy new tires every 5-6 years to stay safe – since the maximum lifespan of a tire is 10 years. This rule applies to every sort of vehicle, from sedans, vans, and trucks to farming equipment and busses. However, for those who have owned their vehicles for a while, it can be difficult to remember exactly how old their tires are. Here’s a guide to checking the expiration dates of your tires according to DOT date codes, as prepared by the car towing experts here at Chicago Towing.

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  • Common Misconceptions about Towing

    Published By Chicago ToWing Team

    Since people don’t get their cars towed or receive expert roadside assistance service every day, there’s many common misconceptions regarding the towing industry. This is likely due to people’s frustration over getting towed when they illegally park. However, towing services should be considered guardian angels rather than nuisances, and they provide a range of services that can truly be life – and wallet – saving. Here’s a guide from Chicago Towing regarding some of the most common misconceptions about towing out there.

    Towing is Overpriced

    Towing services are rarely overpriced, especially those provided by a truly professional towing service. Towing fees are used to cover the cost of expensive tow truck operation and maintenance. The cost is accounted for the amount of distance that will be traveled during the tow, as well as how difficult the vehicle recovery is, measured by risk.

    Towing Companies only Offer Towing

    Towing companies offer a ton of other helpful services that can help vehicle drivers – not just towing services. These services include, but are not limited to: changing tires, jump starting vehicles, and vehicle lockout services. Roadside assistance can mean many different things, just as there’s many different causes for cars or other vehicles getting stranded in the first place.

    You Can’t Get Towed in a Rural Area

    People sometimes think that if they are in a rural or middle of nowhere area that they can’t get towing service if they need it. However, a licensed expert towing team like that at Chicago Towing will be happy to travel directly to your location to provide you with easy and convenient solutions for your towing predicament from the very second you contact us.

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  • Heavy Equipment Towing Tips

    Published By Chicago ToWing Team

    Heavy duty towing is a job that needs to be performed by experts with the proper experience and equipment, like the heavy duty towing team here at Chicago Towing. Amateur attempts at heavy duty towing can cause serious accidents or injuries. Here’s a valuable guide describing some important heavy duty towing tips necessary for any safe heavy duty towing operation.

    Ensuring the Proper Equipment is Used

    A non-negotiable point in heavy duty towing, the proper equipment MUST ALWAYS be used. If the proper equipment is not used, any sort of sharp stop or sudden turn can cause tons and tons of material to come crashing down, which can cause devastating damage.

    • Ensure that you have all the proper equipment for the heavy duty towing job before you start it. Make sure you are totally familiar with the configuration and type of all items to be moved, as well as their physical dimensions and weight. Make 100% sure that the towing vehicle you want to use has the proper gross weight rating to complete the job.
    • Figure out if you will need oversized permits to move the equipment.
    • Make sure you have all necessary tie downs and special equipment – and check all tie downs and equipment for damage or degradation before starting the job.

    Always Secure Equipment Before Towing

    • Use chains to tie down heavy equipment.
    • Make sure the load is placed correctly in order to eliminate or limit potential movement as much as possible.
    • Never allow equipment to come into contact with the hydraulic lines or brakes of the towing vehicle.
    • Always fully pad all edges of the towing bed in order to ensure that tie downs don’t get damaged from friction or weight during operation.
    • If the load to be towed has wheels, use wedges or chocks to prevent them from turning during the towing operation.
    • Make sure to check that all tie downs are tight and that the load is fully secure before moving the towing vehicle. We recommend periodically rechecking during the towing operation to make sure that the load has not slipped at all, and that tie downs are still perfectly securing the load to the truck.
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  • What to Do when Waiting for a Tow Truck

    Published By Chicago ToWing Team

    We know that nobody plans or schedules roadside breakdowns. While they are never eagerly expected, these mechanical mishaps are simply a fact of driving a vehicle – it just happens sometimes. However, it pays off to be prepared, and it’s important that everyone understands the safety essentials of waiting for a tow truck. Here’s a guide on exactly what to do when you’re waiting for a tow truck, as prepared by the roadside assistance experts here at Chicago Towing.

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