When Your Tow Truck Arrives, Stand Clear Of The Vehicle, Don’t Put It In Neutral, Don’t Touch Equipment And Be As Prepared As You Can Be.

Towing vehicles can be dangerous business.  With intense traffic and operating equipment properly to care for the sensitive issue afflicting your car, a tow driver needs to stay focused and safe.  Their first priority is to make sure you stay safe before and during their arrival so there are a few things that you can do to help make the situation go much more smoothly.

Stand Clear – While you should stay inside your vehicle with the doors locked until help comes, when your tow driver arrives on scene, it’s best to stand clear of the vehicle.  Standing too close to the equipment or your car as the tow driver is working can be a huge safety risk.  You should definitely NOT be inside of the car while the tow driver attempts to work.  If they need anything from you, they will ask.  For your safety and to make sure the tow driver stays focused on getting your vehicle properly secured, stand back a safe distance until it is all finished.

Nope To Neutral – Somewhere along the line, it became a rumor that you should shift your car into neutral for the tow driver.  This is NOT true at all.  Your tow driver is a trained professional who can handle the situation.  If they do need to change gears or anything of that nature, they strive to keep your car clean and in the best condition while they handle it themselves.

Let Equipment Be – It can be tempting to touch all of the knobs and levers that come on a tow truck.  That is one of the worst things you can do.  Not only can you potentially break something but you could move the wrong thing and gravely injure yourself, the tow driver and other pedestrians or vehicles on/near roadways.  You aren’t trained on the equipment and shouldn’t be messing with it.

Even if you were an ex-tow driver, that rig belongs to someone else.  They have everything set the way they like or how it needs to be.  It’s akin to coming to your job and messing with your computers, phones, eating your food, etc.  Play it safe and keep your hands off the truck.

Be Responsive & Helpful – Keep your phone on you so the tow driver can contact you if they need better directions or have run into traffic and are a few minutes behind.  They need a clear line of communication with you so they can find you quickly and keep the situation safe.  Remember that the more information a tow truck driver has to find you, the quicker they can.  If you don’t see street names, look for landmarks and describe what you see around you.  If possible, retrace your drive – how did you get where you are?

For your vehicle, describe exactly what’s wrong with it.  Any noises or irregularities can help tremendously in getting your vehicle the proper attention it needs.

Proper Preparation – Before the tow truck driver comes, this is a great time to prep your car.  If you are having engine problems, flip your hood up so the tow driver can spot you quickly.  If you’re waiting for a tire change, clean out the trunk or area the spare is located so the tow driver can easily access it.  Just a few seconds to make it easier to find you or get the proper equipment ready can help the situation get resolved quicker.

If you are in an unsafe area or feel at risk leaving your car to clean out the trunk, forget doing it.  Your safety comes first.

Thanks to our Chicago Z.A.T. Cash For Junk Cars towing service for providing us with such valuable information!

Whether it’s a breakdown or an accident that has left your car completely undriveable, call the Z.A.T. Cash For Junk Cars specialists at 773.908.2622 today and get back your peace of mind!