What Happens if Tow a Truck the Wrong Way

What happens if you tow a truck the wrong way? The key is to avoid such a situation. Towing a truck involves two very valuable possessions due to their monetary value and purpose. A professional tow truck operator will usually only commit the error of towing a truck with too much weight. Unless untrained, the driver should be able to routinely perform all other variables well. A tow truck operator knows that when he is towing someone's truck, there is another truck owner depending on his skill to tow his valued vehicle from point A to point B. Not only that, but the operator's very life is also at stake when towing such a load on the back of his tow truck. Those he is around while transporting have their possessions and lives at stake as well.

The mistake of a tow truck operator having an overload can have consequences, and you can read on to find out what those may be. If you must tow an extremely heavy load, this is what can happen to you.

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   The weight of every truck is in every truck owner's manual

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   The capacity of a tow truck for loads is also given in that manual. A trained tow truck driver is accustomed to successfully towing his load, simply because he connects and carries it properly. The temptation is to tackle a load that exceeds the towing capacity, should that assignment come along. A number of dire consequences can occur:

    

   1. For example, what if your speed as a tow truck driver is below the speed limit, and you must hit the air brakes due to a child darting in front of your vehicle ?
   2. Your tow truck has a maximum capacity due to testing its limits. Due to your excessive load weight, your braking system is ill equipped to stop in the expected distance in time.
   3. The momentum of the truck you are towing, due to its weight multiplied by the velocity, will throw your truck into the child, and there is nothing more that you can do than stand on those brakes.
   4. With the overload, even if you somehow could buy time to swerve, you cannot get around the child. Furthermore, you will fishtail, and possibly topple your rig and the truck you are towing.
   5. Even if you grip the steering wheel, and hold it in place, with that much weight at the rear of your truck it may sway from side to side. That can create many more problems if the truck sways outside of its lane.
   6. If your truck suddenly hits a slick spot from oil, snow or ice, you are jeopardizing both trucks, you, and any objects or people around.

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   There are also mechanical breakdowns that can happen from the overload

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   1. The tow truck's transmission must work harder than usual. This builds excessive heat, which will break down your transmission fluid faster than it should, and the transmission fluid will no longer lubricate the transmission's moving components. The transmission will become damaged and can lock up either en route, or during another trip.
   2. Although you should simply not tow an overly heavy load, you can help keep your transmission running smoothly by equipping it with a heavy duty transmission oil cooler. It goes in front of your truck's radiator to relieve stress on your hard working transmission. The transmission fluid will circulate through your extra cooler before entering the transmission. The lower transmission fluid temperature will lubricate the transmission, and keep it running smoothly for this and all tows.

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