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The towing industry has very much grown in popularity over time in a big part to consumer trends. This is also due to the increasing number of vehicles on the roads; which creates a  need for rescue and recovery services or simple roadside assistance. With the growing popularity, the towing industry has become very competitive dragging along a myriad of challenges. The industry players have to be vigilant of these challenges to stay in the business. One local SF tow company , https://www.sfcitytowing.com , has seen these challenges regularly. The challenges range from the rise in the rates of insurance and increased costs of labor. These not only affect the profitability of the industry, but also the survival of the operators.

Building a profitable towing empire takes time, resilience and perseverance. It is not an industry for people who want to come in and make their money fast because lots of understanding of the consumers need to be done. It involves human capital where players in the industry grow from one truck and few operators. To some people, it takes a whole lifetime before one can achieve a sizeable towing business. While doing all these, there is constant need to be on the lookout for new competitors and changing customer needs.

Consumer trends steer the towing industry

Those who have been in the towing industry for long, have witnessed different consumer trends come and others go. With the continued advent of new vehicles with different operating systems, customers are also switching in what they need from towing companies. They expect better ways of handling their newer cars in comparison to how the previous models were handled. Towing businesses grow based on their ability to satisfy the customer needs by providing quality customer service on every call they receive. However, if companies keep doing things in the old ways that the customer no longer needs, then it becomes hard to satisfy those needs. What happens next is that they will shift to whoever can meet their growing needs.

Consistent with what is happening in many other industries, technological advancements are shifting the tide in the towing industry. New ways of doing things are emerging and the customers are becoming more inclined to those advancements. Therefore, consumer trends are becoming more and more aligned to the changing times which now forces the operators in the towing industry to adjust accordingly. Fast adapters are finding it easy to cope with the business trends in the industry and are always on the lookout of what is coming next. Another element will soon pop in; car manufacturers will want to give their buyers more value by developing services that will not only put them closer to the consumer but also protect their brand. Autonomous vehicles are now becoming common, the high-end vehicles are likely to start coming with their own roadside assistance. Where does this leave the towing companies? Food for thought.

 

Breaking down is the most universal phobia of motorists. While some common breakdowns can occur and stop your vehicle without warning, there are still warning signs that can detect mechanical weakness.

The prevention of common breakdowns involves three reflexes: the visual inspection of the elements, the attentive listening of the suspicious noises, the periodic verification of all the levels.

 

Check the oil level

Regular checking of the oil level is a wise precaution. Oil consumption varies according to three criteria:

• age;
• the type of vehicle;
• the mode of use (city, highway …).

This operation is not complicated, just follow these steps:

• pull the dipstick with the ring protruding from the tank;
• wipe with a cloth;
• put it back in the tank;
• remove it and observe where the oil level is (it must be between the ‘mini’ and ‘maxi’)
• Add oil if necessary.

Good to know: it is recommended to check the oil level every 2,000 kilometers and also before a long trip.

Caution: It is important to check the oil level on a flat and cold ground, otherwise the liquid becomes too fluid.

 

Stretch your ear

Any suspicious noise must alert you. Keep in mind that a sound that appears will never go away forever, and that it is synonymous with premature wear.

Here are different noises to take lightly and that require a visit to the garage:

• “Clac-clac” regular when driving while pointing: the gimbals, which ensure the transmission of the movement of the engine to the front wheels, are worn.
• “Clong” when passing a retarder or a bump: the suspension has a problem.
• Crunch in the gearbox when changing pace, there is a weakness
• Whistling or grunting from a wheel, a sign that one of the bearings is giving up!

Note: the bearing is a part that allows the wheel to turn freely on its axis.

 

Check the water level of the radiator to prevent a common breakdowns

Essential element to the operation of the engine, the radiator filled with water and antifreeze ensures its cooling. A simple visual check of the level, at an interval of 1000 kilometers, makes it possible to detect a possible leak.

There are two scenarios to check the level:

• The plug is located on the radiator, usually on the left. Engine cold, open it and control the level, it must be close to the brim.
• The radiator has no cap, but a jar called expansion tank acts as a reserve of coolant (be careful not to confuse it with the washer tank). In this case, the tank being transparent, one can control the level without removing the cap. It must be between the “min” mark and the “max” mark.

Caution: never use water to fill the circuit. Indeed, the limestone would quickly plug the radiator. In addition, in case of frost, the radiator will explode. Never open the hot engine plug as the circuit is under pressure.

The towing industry is increasingly growing in popularity thanks to the many numbers of vehicles on the roads. Heavy traffic essentially means higher chances of breakdowns on the roads necessitating roadside assistance, rescue, and recovery from tow trucks. While it is expected that handling such breakdowns would be very straightforward, there are numerous hitches that are encountered by these operators and the industry in general.

Every time a tow truck driver is out at work, there is always some danger that glares at them. Not only is it a hazardous work but also a niche kind of occupation where not anyone can pop in and carry out the required duties.

 

Road navigation

It is common knowledge how difficult it is to navigate on the roads pulling a trailer or towing a car. Towing requires a lot more than just driving skills to be able to effectively navigate on the roads. This danger becomes even compound when the roads are either slippery, have potholes, debris, floods or even animals. To survive, the driver will need to have a very strong sense of knowledge of situations and circumstances.

 

Bad Weather

Driving in harsh weather conditions is harsh for every motorist on the roads. Not only does it interfere with vehicle control but also it hampers vision and navigation. If it is challenging to drive under these conditions in an ordinary car, imagine how this turns out when you have to drive a tow truck with another vehicle either mounted on its flatbed or being towed behind it.

 

Poor drivers

It is already clear that driving a tow truck requires lots of skills, discipline, and alertness. While all these are elements that a tow truck driver will possess by virtue of the demand of their work; there are other road users who either don’t mind other motorists or are just careless to consider safety on the road. Quieter roads tend to be less challenging as they have less traffic, but the more the traffic the higher the chances of coming across road users who pose danger. They might either hit the truck from behind, cause the driver to swerve off the lane or even knock over the drivers when they are outside the trucks during mounting or when offering other types of assistance.

 

Fatigue

Driving a tow truck is a tiresome affair. Fatigue is definitely going to set in at some point when the drivers have had long working hours. Fatigue predisposes the driver to other hazards which include accidents or other health-related challenges.