Safety Guidelines for Hauling
When we are hauling something, the number one priority should always be the safety aspects involved. The safety considerations involved in carrying something should always come first. Every time you drive while towing a trailer, it is imperative to keep you, your passengers, your car and trailer, as well as other drivers, safe. Here are four tips to help you when you are hauling.
Load cargo properly
This is a crucial step for hauling. If you don’t distribute cargo weight across your trailer properly, you might find your trailer or vehicle pulls precariously to one side or the other, making steering more difficult. Generally, you’ll want to ensure that 60% of your trailer’s weight is distributed in the front half of the trailer, that the left and right sides are balanced, and that your trailer tongue makes up 10-15% of the total trailer weight.
Check vehicle and trailer components
Before heading out on the road, make sure that essential functions are all working properly. This includes testing your lights (like turn signals and brake lights), making sure your tire pressure is within the acceptable range, and generally replacing any broken or worrisome parts. If you think you need them, you can also add accessories like extension mirrors, which increase your range of vision.
Know your weight limits
Make sure your trailer and whatever you’re hauling fall within the hauling or hauling capacities of your vehicle. Check the owner’s manual to find the trailer types that your vehicle can haul and the maximum weight it can pull. Use the right trailer hitch and make sure it is hitched correctly.
Distribute weight evenly
If your trailer fishtails, back off the gas and see if it stops. If it continues when you accelerate again, check to see how the weight is distributed on the trailer. It may not be distributed evenly from side to side, or else it’s too far back to place sufficient load on the hitch ball.
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