Trailer Swaying Trouble Shooting Tips

When you are hauling a trailer, the last thing you want it to do is sway. Not only can a semi-hinged or unsecured trailer pose hazards to surrounding drivers, pedestrians, and structures, it can also put your cargo at risk of being damaged. So, if you’ve experienced problems with trailer swaying in the past, it is important to review some of the top trailer towing safety tips before hitting the road again.

To operate at your safest, you must know how to both prevent and stop trailer swaying. Continue reading get started.

Indianapolis 24 hour Towing 317-247-8484
Indianapolis 24 hour Towing 317-247-8484

Trailer Swaying Prevention

In order to prevent your trailer from becoming a sway hazard, there are strategies to implement both before you hit the road and while you’re on it. First, you must check with your towing vehicle’s owners’ manual for information about proper towing capacity, recommended towing gear, and related towing specifications. When you are hauling too much weight for your particular make and model vehicle, you risk damaging your vehicle, the trailer, and everything its hauling. Furthermore, you are a much higher risk for trailer swaying.

Another vital preparation to make in order to prevent trailer swaying is to have your tires serviced. Be sure both your towing vehicle tires and trailer tires have proper inflation. Also be sure your spare is in good condition and properly inflated. To prevent trailer swaying, always load your trailer evenly. Proper weight distribution is key to maintaining full control over your trailer.

If you have too much weight on one side, your trailer can sway, shift, or ride lopsided, all of which can pose several dangers to others. Another effective safety precaution to prevent trailer swaying is to avoid driving in bad weather. Rain, snow, ice, storms, and especially heavy winds can cause trailer swaying no matter how many additional precautions you’ve taken. Avoid using your trailer during times of inclement weather.

When on the road, there is also a lot you can do to prevent trailer swaying. First, do not come to any sudden stops. Give yourself plenty of time to brake slowly and stop in full control. Most importantly, do not speed. In fact, slow down a bit, and drive at a speed just below what you would normally drive at. This will give you more reaction time and control.

How to Stop Trailer Swaying

You never want to look in your rearview mirror and witness your trailer fishtailing, or worse, detaching. If this does happen, there are some maneuvers you can do to help gain back control and prevent any accidents. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommendations, if your trailer starts to sway while you are driving, you should immediately activate the manual brake control override by hand.

DO NOT APPLY THE AUTOMATIC FOOT BRAKES! Using your foot brakes to stop a swaying trailer is like trying to put out a fire with gasoline. Unless you are in imminent risk of colliding with something or someone, do not use your brakes to stop a swaying trailer. Other times, if a vehicle passes you on the road too closely, or you get hit with sudden crosswinds, it can cause a bit of swaying. When this happens, just keep a firm foot on your accelerator and tight grip on your wheel until the swaying is finished.

24 Hour Towing Service in Indianapolis

Call Zore’s Inc. at 317-247-8484 for affordable Indianapolis towing and recovery services in you can trust. Our licensed and insured wrecker operators provide punctual and prompt tow truck services throughout all of Central Indiana, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week! We also provide a wide range of municipal services, roadside wrecker and recovery services, and much more. Request a free estimate, anytime.

Tips for Shipping Your Car Long Distance

Your vehicle is an important asset, so when it comes time to ship it long distance, it is necessary to take the proper precautions to ensure a safe and efficient journey. If you must ship your vehicle soon, whether within or across state lines, it is strongly encouraged by automotive professionals to educate yourself on the best practices before sending it off. This means trying your best to avoid the common mistakes car owners make when transporting their vehicles.

Continue reading to learn some vital tips about shipping vehicles long distances, and then apply these tips to your own car shipping endeavors.

Heavy Equipment Transport 317-247-8484
Heavy Equipment Transport 317-247-8484

Getting Started

First, your most important priority is to choose a qualified and experienced long distance towing company to provide your service. Tow truck companies are plentiful, but only a select few are true industry professionals that perform large-scale and intricate towing, transportation, and recovery services. Skip over the “Kevin’s” and “Bob’s” tow truck businesses, and instead, choose an official and established company like Zore’s Towing of Indianapolis.

Checklist for Car Shipping

Once you have a long-distance towing company you wish to hire, contact them to set up your service. From there, all you have to do is make all the necessary preparations before your scheduled pickup day. Here is a checklist of all the tasks you should complete ahead of shipping your vehicle long distance:

☑ Service Your Car

Take your car into a local auto shop and have it serviced from top to bottom. This includes filling up all your automotive fluids, tending to your tires, replacing brake pads, and more. Doing so will ensure your vehicle can withstand the shipping process and arrive in a ready-to-drive condition.

☑ Clean Your Car

Give your car a good cleansing, inside and out, before shipping it off. Not only will this be nice for you or whoever is receiving the vehicle when it arrives after shipping, it will reduce the accumulation of dirt and grime that occurs during long distance road trips, and therefore, reduce wear and tear. Take out all your personal belongings and make the car as light as possible.

☑ Record Any Damages

Take out your pen and notepad, as well as a camera, and record all current damages on your vehicle’s exterior. Do this for the interior as well. This evidence will serve as protection in the case that any damages are incurred during transportation on behalf of the towing company.

☑ Empty Your Gas Tank

Before shipping a car long distance, you want to virtually empty the contents of your gas tank. Leave the tank about a quarter full. This way, your vehicle does not have any added weight that can slow down travel efficiency. Furthermore, you might want to disarm any alarm systems.

☑ Check Your Policy

Contact your insurance company to check your automotive coverage during transportation. If you are not covered, you might want to consider some supplementary insurance just in case anything happens on the road. However, most car insurance policies cover car shipping.

Long Distance Towing Services in Indiana

Call Zore’s Inc. at 317-247-8484 for heavy equipment transport service in Indianapolis, Indiana. We are a family owned and operated company with more than 75 years in business here in Indiana! In addition to towing, we offer a wide range of services for Hoosiers, including roadside assistance, scrap metal recycling, cash for junk cars, towing and recovery, storm damage, traffic clearance, and much more.