Driving a vehicle with a trailer attached behind it carrying heavy loads of equipment is an altogether different experience than simply handling heavy-duty trucks. There are a few things to consider, as towing over long distances across cities can seem like a difficult task full of potential challenges. It requires proper preparation and the acquisition of the necessary expertise to carry out the task effectively. This article will provide you with some vital tips for making your long-distance towing experience more effective, safe, and hassle-free. 

Why is Trailer Towing Important?

Towing a trailer is incredibly useful for moving products, machinery, or vehicles from one location to another. The procedure of towing a trailer involves several vital steps, and omitting even one of these elements could significantly affect the safety of drivers and other road users. 

Towing a trailer, which is a specialized task, requires a driver to acquire a new set of skills and knowledge. Even seasoned drivers with a lot of experience may find it challenging, especially when maneuvering through city traffic and changing lanes quickly enough to reach the next exit safely. With the right approach and driving techniques, drivers can efficiently handle trailer towing across cities.

Tips for Intercity Trailer Towing

There are potential risks and difficulties involved in towing a trailer. As a trailer operator with a tow, you must perform certain activities to guarantee a safe and secure experience. We have compiled a list of essential tasks and suggested some tips to make the towing journey smoother and safer. 

Making your trailer ready for towing

Before starting an intercity trailer tow, ensure your trailer is properly operating by inspecting the lights, brakes, tires, and other vital parts. You must also make sure that the load’s weight is manageable for your vehicle. The primary checkpoints to make your trailer ready for the journey are as follows:

  • Check the tires: The tires may appear to have good tread depth, but they may age, resulting in dryness and cracking, especially if the trailer is kept outside and hasn’t been used for several months. Additionally, the tires on your tow vehicle may require proper inflation with the right amount of pressure to carry an extra load safely.
  • Synchronize the brakes: It is vital to check the brakes’ functionality. Poor braking may lead to accidents on the road, and the additional weight of the load would increase the threat of a collision. The majority of states require that towed vehicles have independent braking systems.
  • Check trailer lights: Many jurisdictions have laws requiring functional lights on a towed vehicle, such as turn signals, brake lights, and tail lights. The towing vehicle’s lights must be in sync with the front vehicle to ensure that both sets of brake lights glow simultaneously when you use the brakes.
  • Proper weight distribution: For safe trailer towing, the appropriate weight distribution is required. To avoid any damage or failure, check your hitch’s maximum towing capacity and the weight it is rated for pulling. Also, the front portion of the trailer should support about 60% of the weight, which enhances control and stability. 

Secure your cargo

There can be different types of cargo that you need to carry on your trailer, ranging from equipment, machines, cars, or other items. Depending on the nature of the load, you must take proper measures to secure your cargo to avoid any kind of movements or displacements during the journey, which might cause safety risks as well as damage to the cargo. Adhere to the recommended procedures for loading and securing the shipment, and perform a thorough walk-around examination before you depart for the long journey. 

Because gravitational attraction affects different loads in different ways, it is important to strap, fasten, and properly secure every load. This will help to prevent cargo damage and traffic accidents. Due to the increased number of exits, turns, and roundabouts on city roads, it’s important to consider the potential for cargo movements and shifting.

Plan your route

While preparing for towing across large distances between cities, gather maximum information about where you are going and the probable traffic and road conditions. This approach will help you plan your routes most effectively to avoid any unwanted hazards and delays throughout the journey.

  • You must keep in mind that certain specific routes are only suitable for towing a trailer within city limits.
  • Some roads may not allow trailers, while others have weight, height, and width restrictions.
  • Having a backup plan is also a good idea in case there are any unforeseen closures or delays.
  • Following a well-planned route will relieve your stress and help you complete the journey safely and efficiently.

When your drivers are out with a towed trailer, you can track their positions using GPS devices. Matrack’s PingMaster 5000 is an effective tracking tool that provides you with regular updates at a set frequency about the position, movement, and idle times of trucks and allows you to take timely decisions about rerouting the vehicles.

Understand the Challenges in Towing

Every driver becomes accustomed to the style of handling vehicles they typically drive, but it is crucial to understand that when towing, you can’t drive the vehicle in the same manner. There are certain limitations to the trailer-towing task that you need to consider.

  • While towing, it takes longer to change lanes, accelerate on ramps, and attempt to align with the flow of traffic.
  • After braking, the stopping distance and stopping time increase due to the heavier weight of the trailer.
  • A trailer will either bounce around when the load is lighter or decrease response times as the load increases. In either case, it will have an impact on your driving habits.

Drive cautiously and proactively

Prepare yourself to apply some cautious and proactive driving patterns to avoid any kind of hazards when towing through inner-city traffic. The best approach is to keep calm and avoid hasty actions while handling the automobile confidently and responsibly. Here are some tips that every driver should follow to ensure a safe and efficient trailer towing experience.

Allow for an extended stopping distance

Stopping distance will increase after applying brakes, so while reducing your speed gradually to respond to traffic patterns, try to leave space between your vehicle and the one in front of you. This can be challenging on city roads with more congestion, but if you can get into the lane of your choice early and create some space between vehicles, you can also allow other drivers to manage their movements smoothly and securely.

Make wider turns at curves

The ability to take turns is one of the most important aspects of driving when pulling a trailer. In order to ensure safe movements, the driver must always be careful to create more space for taking wide turns than usual. To advance through a turn or lane change, trailers produce a curvature that is significantly longer. Slow down and allow more room for yourself while approaching a corner to prevent the trailer from causing damage to itself and others.

Use mirrors effectively

You must ensure that your trailer has towing mirrors mounted. Keeping visibility around your vehicle and trailer requires properly set side mirrors. Always remember to frequently check your mirrors, not only to ensure safe turns but also to ensure that any objects in open trailers are not falling out and that safety chains remain fastened while driving.

Control your speed

Moving at a higher speed makes the situation riskier because of a pulled trailer’s extra weight and length. As you accelerate, the chances of the trailer swaying behind you will increase, making it more difficult to drive and stop as quickly as required. It may also cause your towed trailer to lose balance, which is dangerous. As soon as you feel any strain on the vehicle, go into lower gear. With Matrack PingMaster 5000 installed, you can monitor the vehicle’s speed remotely and guide the drivers.

Practice driving skills for towing

Attaching a tow to the trailer drastically changes the vehicle’s dynamics. Therefore, it is necessary to acquire the required skills to handle a long-distance drive with towing successfully. Spend some time learning the methods of trailer towing by practicing maneuvers and backing techniques in an empty parking lot. Before towing over long distances, you can start by traveling short distances to feel more at ease and confident. The more you practice, the more you become aware of the greater length, weight, and turning curves, which help you drive with more caution and safety.

Conclusion

Long-distance towing may initially seem tough, but with the correct planning and awareness, it can be a hassle-free experience. Always put safety first, know your route, get thorough with your trailer, and drive with more practice. You will be well on mastering intercity trailer towing by adhering to the crucial guidelines.

With the application of modern GPS-based tracking technology, as provided by Matrack PingMaster 5000, it becomes easier to track the location, arrival and departure of trucks using the geofencing facilities. You will automatically receive an alert when the tracker enters or leaves the predefined boundaries. 

Again, with each ping, you can determine the direction and speed of travel. You can also identify the stoppage duration of trailers, which helps ensure efficient and optimized operations and scheduled delivery of towed loads at customer points. Contact us to discuss the Matrack PingMaster 5000 in more detail.