4 Important Things You Need to Know About Offering Roadside Assistance

About Me
Rainy days and curvy roads

I love living in the country, but the rainy weather and curvy roads are a bad combination for drivers. My kids have both run their cars off the road more than once, as well as having all sorts of roadside car issues. I make sure that the kids always have their phone charged up and with them in the car, and that they always have the numbers of the local towing services with them in case they only have limited phone service and can't get online to search. This blog is all about being a parent of kids that often need a tow!

4 Important Things You Need to Know About Offering Roadside Assistance

4 April 2016
 Categories: , Blog

There is nothing as annoying and frustrating as a car breakdown. It not only sets you back financially, but it also wastes a lot of your time. Maybe you have just had enough breakdowns on the road and have decided to save similar victims from this problem by starting your own roadside assistance services. Perhaps, you have never even towed a car before. Well, no need to worry. There is a first time for everything. Before you can even take on any professional training, here are a few things you should know about roadside assistance.

What It Entails

Roadside assistance is not all about getting to a breakdown site, attaching a chain, and pulling a car away. It comes with other duties too. Apart from towing, you should be able to offer jump start services, refill gasoline in case of engine failure due to low fuel, and also perform tire replacements. Learn how to do all of these, and you'll be the most complete roadside assistance service provider out there.

Towing Capacity

Since towing is going to be among your services, it is really essential to know about towing capacity. This is the amount of weight that your tow truck can pull. The last thing you want to do is assume that your truck can handle every car. Remember, pulling heavier loads than recommended by the manufacturer could overwork your levers and engine, thus damaging your tow vehicle and ultimately ruining your business. Therefore, always check the weight of the car before towing it.

How to Tow

There are many ways to get the job done, depending on the type of tow truck you have. For example, there is the pulling method whereby you simply attach a tow bar to the under parts of the broken down car and tow it, while all its tires are on the ground. Instead of a tow bar, you can simply lift the front part of the car with a tow dolly and pull it.  Other than that, you could also use a flatbed trailer onto which the spoilt vehicle is loaded and carried away.

Things You Will Need

First of all, you will need at least two vehicles. One to do your towing and another for fast transportation when tending to other emergency roadside problems. You are also going to need an air compressor for filling flat tires. In addition, you will need extra car batteries that you can offer clients upon emergency breakdowns, necessary spanners, and car jack. Having an assistant could also do you some good.