What should you keep in mind when calling a car tow truck?
A car breakdown that requires the driver to call for help is a situation that forces the driver to call for help. Pay attention to the following to make the rescue process go more smoothly.
Understanding basic vehicle information
Over the phone, the rescuer will ask you to provide basic information about the vehicle such as: brand, name, year. This information will help the rescuer be more proactive in preparing technical tools as well as necessary spare parts.
If you are the owner of the car, things are quite simple. However, if it is a car borrowed from relatives, friends or rented from a third party, there will be some obstacles. Therefore, you should know the basic information about the car before entering the cockpit.
Detailed description of the problem
The rescue staff will ask you a lot of questions to get a general idea of the problems that the car is having. Thanks to that, they can recognize the current condition of the car as well as plan and prepare the necessary tools.
What you need to do is describe accurately and in detail as required by the rescue team for the process to go smoothly.
Understanding basic vehicle symbols
Each icon on a car is actually a visual illustration of a problem with a feature on the car.
The rescue team can learn about the situation and even suggest self-help options, so reading and understanding these symbols is very important and will be extremely helpful.
Ask for details about repair costs
Nowadays, insurance and tow services come with clauses that require you to reconfirm the cost of repairs before allowing them to perform towage work.
However, you should still proactively ask about the cost of vehicle repairs in advance, both to prepare mentally when holding the bill and to ensure that no unnecessary problems or complications occur after the repair process.
Choose the right towing/hauling option
If the problems on the vehicle cannot be fixed on the spot, the rescue team will be forced to transport your vehicle to a service workshop for repair and replacement of components. At this point, the importance of knowing information about the vehicle will come into play, directly affecting the choice of towing or transporting.
More specifically, choosing to tow or carry depends on the drive system of the vehicle that needs to be rescued. Currently, there are 3 main types of drive systems on cars, along with appropriate rescue options:
Front wheel drive vehicles: can be used for both towing and hauling, but towing is often used by rescue centers.
Rear wheel drive vehicles: These vehicles are often used by rescue centers for towing and pushing.
Four-wheel drive (4WD): rescue centers usually prefer to transport the vehicle. If towing is required, rescue workers will need specialized equipment (rollers) to support the remaining two wheels.
Warn other vehicles on the road when the vehicle has a problem
When your vehicle breaks down on the road, you must always use your hazard lights, whether or not you have pulled over. This will help other vehicles to quickly detect obstacles and control their speed when approaching your vehicle, avoiding unfortunate collisions.
In addition, you should also prepare warning signs, placed about 100 meters in front and behind the vehicle to ensure traffic safety for yourself and other road users on that road.
