Preventative Measures Archives - Ontario Towing Service

Safety Tips For Towing A Trailer

As summer ends, more and more Canadians are towing their trailers back from their camping sights. That means the roads are more crowded and there are more dangers and chances of being in an accident. Whether you are towing a camper or a boat for a little vacation or are towing a trailer, safety should always be of top priority. The use of correct towing trucks, hauling tools, and the right techniques are key to a safe towing process. Substandard equipment and unskilled tow drivers can lead to more accidents and property damage. However, strict adherence to law and safety guidelines will lead you to a hassle-free towing experience. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to tow a trailer, the following tips will help you and make the job easier.

Take Your Time

Speed thrills but kills. Speed is one of the leading causes of road accidents. When you have a trailer on your back, you need to slow down more than your normal driving speed. Overspeeding can make your trailer sway and whip. Slow down if you find that the trailer is swaying, but never apply your brakes suddenly. If you are driving down a slope, lower your gear and minimize your speed. Similarly, when going uphill lower the gear and switch on your flashers, and keep moving slowly. These cautious driving practices will minimize the chance of you getting into an accident.

Stay Within Capacity

Each vehicle has a specific towing capacity, never exceed your vehicle’s towing limit and the load restrictions of your trailer hitch. Exceeding these limits can cause various problems including;

Handling difficulties
Brake performance
Damage to the engine
Damage to the drive-train and suspension

To avoid any problems, make sure to include any extra cargo or passengers you are carrying when calculating the load.

Distribute The Load

Distribution of your cargo weight is as important for safety as staying within your maximum towing capacity. Unequal cargo distribution can pull your trailer or vehicle to a particular side and make steering difficult. This can also damage your vehicle and trailer hitch. Make sure to pack your trailer in a way that the weight is equally distributed on both sides of the trailer. The general rule is to place 60% of weight in the front half of the trailer and tongue weight should not be more than 10-15%.

Inspect Your Trailer

Be sure to inspect your trailer before towing. Check your trailer’s lights, make sure it is tied correctly to the tow vehicle, check the connections manually. Ask someone to assist you in inspecting running lights, brake lights, hazard lights, and turn signals.

Maintain Your Trailer And Vehicle

Before hitting the road, make sure to inspect both your trailer and your vehicle and ensure they are performing correctly. Transmission, steering, front-line alignment, and your suspension all should be in proper working order. Moreover, check your tires for cold pressure and ensure that all your wheels are set at the correct pressure. It is advisable to increase the pressure of the rear tires of some tow vehicles, but don’t exceed the limit stamped on the tires.

Get The Right Equipment

If your vehicle doesn’t come with a built-in tow hitch, talk to a tow professional and get a hitch that is attached to the vehicle’s frame and not to the bumper. Make sure the hitch ball you buy is the same size as the couple on your trailer. Use strong safety chains to connect the trailer to the hitch. This will ensure that your hitch won’t dig into the pavement if your trailer becomes unhitched and causes significant damage.

Consider Two Mirrors

Trailer towing can significantly increase a vehicle’s blind spots. Making it difficult for drivers even in ideal situations. Adding two mirrors farther apart can provide a clear view of the entire length of the vehicle. This helps drivers to overcome any blind spots and decreases the chances of collision. These mirrors also make sure that you can see other vehicles and obstacles on the road. Therefore, the use of two mirrors should be the top consideration of every driver, towing a trailer.

About Us

Ontario Towing is a premium towing and roadside assistance company, providing services in Ottawa, Orleans, Kanata, Gloucester, and surrounding areas. Our exceptional services have enabled us to establish a satisfied customer base. If you are looking for a towing company that can tow your car, trailer or boat safely, or for any roadside assistance service, contact us. Ontario Towing, stationed in Ottawa, provides exemplary towing, car lockout, and roadside services. Their diverse suite, including mobile tire aid, gas delivery, and extensive towing options, supports Ottawa and its adjacent areas seamlessly.

What Is An Accident Recovery Towing Service?

We have all witnessed a regular tow operation at least once in our life. However, most of us have neither come across special recovery towing services nor do we know what they are. Any incident where a vehicle ends up in a collision or has gone off the road will require specialized tools and trained individuals for its recovery. Usually, large vehicles such as trucks and buses require this service. Not knowing whom to ask for help can leave you frustrated and possibly at risk, especially if you are facing an unprecedented situation at night or in the middle of a highway. Contacting a towing company for help might be your only saving grace. Vehicle recovery or recovery towing requires specialized tools and equipment to move the affected vehicles back to safety. In this post, we will discuss the different types of accident recovery towing and when you might need them.

Light Vehicle Recovery

Standard vehicles such as cars and minivans require this type of vehicle recovery towing to remove them from the accident location. Rescuing a car that went off-road into a ditch, is stuck in the mud, or slid into a ravine or mountain pathway requires proper knowledge and specialized tools for an effective process. Recovery towing experts are capable of handling and removing any material or object present at the incident location that can be dangerous. You might require light vehicle towing when you face:

A flat tire or a tire blowout.
Car breakdown due to engine failure or a dead battery.
Off road accidents.
Terrain blocks or dangerous roads causing a car to spin or slide off the road.

Heavy-Duty Recovery

Heavy-duty recovery and light-duty recovery primarily differ in terms of the vehicle’s weight that needs to be recovered. Large vehicles sometimes gain a lot of momentum on the road. This eventually causes the driver to lose control and the vehicle to swerve. This leads to the truck or trailer rolling over or sliding off the road entirely. It becomes extremely difficult to haul them from the accident location due to their heavy mass and thus require specialized towing capabilities to be moved back to safety. Heavier vehicles such as heavily-loaded buses, trailers, RVs, or tractors cannot be recovered using a typical tow truck. Special tools, proper training, and the right experience are necessary to safely recover heavy-duty vehicles, especially if they are far off the main road or are overturned. Heavy-duty recovery can be challenging as it involves the careful execution of many aspects such as ensuring everyone’s safety and the vehicle’s effective recovery. A reliable towing company has the right equipment and expertise to handle heavy-duty recovery. Heavy-duty recovery services typically include:

Machinery recovery
Semi-trucks recovery
Tractor-Trailer recovery

When Do You Need It

In some incident recovery situations, traditional or standard towing is not sufficient to safely recover a vehicle. You need an accident recovery service that uses specialized equipment in case your car has to be removed from a ditch or recovered from an off-road location. Typically, heavy-duty or large vehicles like trucks, trailers, and buses need recovery towing services because they often get inverted due to their high momentum or slide off the road if the driver loses control. Standard passenger cars might also require vehicle recovery towing services as these types of vehicles can swerve off-road or get stuck in a ditch as well, especially while it’s raining and the roads are slippery. You might also face a similar situation when you are driving on mountain pathways, unpaved roads, or ravines. In such situations, the driver should contact off road recovery services for vehicle recovery to get their vehicle back on the road.

About Ontario Towing

At Ontario Towing, we offer reliable and expert roadside assistance services to our customers in Ottawa, Kanata, Orleans, Gloucester, Barrhaven, and surrounding areas. Contact us today for more information on our services. In Ottawa, Ontario Towing provides unmatched towing, efficient car lockout, and expert roadside services. Their portfolio, encompassing mobile tire support to far-reaching towing, ensures comprehensive assistance for the region and its neighboring areas.

6 Types Of Roadside Assistance You Can Get

When you hear the term roadside assistance, you may wonder what it is all about. Most people associate roadside assistance with that of a professional towing company’s services to tow a vehicle to its nearest workshop. Roadside assistance is a broader term that includes many types of services a client can get benefit from.

Flat Tire Change

What if you don’t have a spare tire and get a flat tire on the road. You might not change the tire on your own due to a lack of expertise or an injury. In any of these scenarios, you need the help of an expert to change the tire for you. Professional towing companies offer a complete set of services to anyone who needs help in desperate situations. The experts will ensure that you reach your destination quicker than you would expect after replacing your flat tire.

Fuel Top-ups

Running out of fuel can be possible if you are traveling long distances or did not have time to prepare for the journey. Whatever the reason may be, your nearby towing company offers fuel top-up services to help you get you back on the road. Running out of fuel is not the end of the world especially if you have a professional towing company near you. All you need to have is the contact details of a nearby tow truck company.

Vehicle Jumpstarts

If your vehicle does not start despite your efforts, you need jumpstarting services. The experts can start your car with the help of jump start cables and a portable power source. They ensure you don’t remain stranded on the road for an extended time.

Dead Battery Repair/Replacement

Towing experts have the battery replacement and repair resources available to repair your dead battery problems. When your battery completely fails on you, you need the help of professionals. You can’t afford to stay on the road for long and not do anything to solve the problem. Professional towing experts will have all the necessary tools and equipment to get your car going again.

Flatbed Towing

When you compare flatbeds to typical tow trucks, flatbeds are better and safer for your vehicle. Flatbed towing is more likely to keep your car safe and protect it against any possible damage during the towing process. If you don’t want the towing experts to drag your car behind their traditional tow trucks, you can go for a flatbed towing service. In this way, you can have peace of mind knowing that your vehicle is not at risk during transportation.

Car Lockouts

You may leave your car keys in your car and get locked out. You don’t need to panic when you have nearby professional towing experts with a full range of services. The towing experts will know how to get you in your car without damaging and scratching your vehicle. The towing experts will have the right equipment and tools to execute the job efficiently and effectively. Ontario Towing offers a complete range of towing and roadside assistance services to clients in Ottawa, Ontario. To get in touch with us, click here. Ontario Towing, based in Ottawa, delivers exceptional, cost-effective towing and roadside services. From flatbed to long-distance towing, we emphasize secure vehicle handling and complete customer satisfaction in the nation’s capital.

Tips For Choosing The Right Towing Company In Ottawa

Anyone can face car issues anytime, anywhere. Many of us have witnessed or gone through some sort of vehicle trouble at least once in our lives. The key is not to overstress; instead, call a reliable tow truck service provider near you when facing a roadside emergency. When your automobile stops functioning correctly in Ottawa, it’s natural that you would want to contact a towing company you can trust to ensure your vehicle’s safety. Your car’s trouble is far from an ideal situation; however, you can make it even worse if you do not select the right towing service. Therefore, it’s best to do some research into the best tow truck company in your area so that you can call them whenever and wherever an emergency does arise. It would help if you looked out for certain things when choosing a towing company, which we will talk about here.

Essential Things To Look For

When searching for a suitable towing company in Ottawa, look for the following vital things in your potential towing specialist:

Long Distance Towing: First, you have to find a towing company that operates in your city and surrounding areas. You might not be near your home or even in your neighborhood when you need a tow truck service. That’s why you should take the places you frequently travel into consideration when choosing the right vehicle recovery service provider.
24/7 Towing Service: You don’t know when you’ll need the assistance of a tow truck driver, so make sure the company you select works around the clock. This will help you avail their towing service whenever you need it.
Instant Service Delivery: Even if you don’t have an appointment or a meeting you need to get to, you won’t want to hang out on the highway for long. Therefore, look for a company that offers instant towing services.
Roadside Assistance Services: You might need vehicle recovery services when you’re stuck in the middle of the road. That’s why it’s best to choose a tow truck company that offers specialized roadside assistance facilities. These services may include flat tire change, fuel top-ups, vehicle jumpstarts, dead battery repairs or replacements, flatbed towing, car lockouts, and more.
Reasonable Pricing: Ensure that your towing expert provides you with the price quotes and payment method in advance. This way, you will know how much money you need to pay them when using their services.

Experience Matters

When selecting an appropriate tow truck company, choose a service provider with several years of towing knowledge and experience. Highly experienced tow truck firms will have an extensive understanding of how to take care of various roadside emergencies without causing vehicle damage. They will also know how to get the job done quickly, reliably, and efficiently. A local roadside assistance company will know everything about the area to ensure fast and dependable service delivery.

Licensing And Insurance Concerns

When looking for a reputable tow truck company, ensure that they are fully licensed and insured. A professional tow truck service provider operating in Ottawa and nearby areas must be registered and possess a valid license number. Suppose a flatbed towing company is operating without a license in Ottawa. In that case, you should stay away from them, as you wouldn’t want to be held liable for any accident or vehicle damage during the towing process.

References And Customer Service

Last but not least, look for online reviews on your towing expert’s official website to learn about the quality of service they offer their clients. Checking these online testimonials will help you understand what you can expect from your prospective roadside assistance provider. Besides good references, towing professionals must also offer 24/7 customer service to fulfill their clients’ queries and provide instant assistance.

How Ontario Towing Service Can Help

Ontario Towing provides efficient and reliable towing services to its clients, like roadside assistance, vehicle recovery, flatbed towing, long-distance towing, and more in Ottawa and surrounding areas. Visit our website for more information or contact us for personalized service. In Ottawa’s core, Ontario Towing extends top-grade, economical towing and roadside services. With expertise in flatbed dispatches to distant recoveries, our mission is unyielding vehicle safeguarding and sterling client gratification across the capital’s breadth.