How To Brake While Towing

We hate to admit it but sometimes we lose our attention on the road and when that happens we can find ourselves slamming hard on the brake pedal. A lot of near misses happen this way and with regular vehicles it's usually not a problem. But if you were a tow truck driver carrying five thousand pounds of trailer weight behind you, the outcome could be disastrous. Braking while towing a trailer is a lot different than braking in a regular vehicle. The difference is all that added weight from a trailer which makes it a lot more difficult to shift speed and slow down.

1. Don't hurry and drive slowly. This is very vital in towing. Halting distances are very much reduced when you are carrying thousands or even hundreds of pounds of trailer weight in your vehicle. Grant yourself ample stopping distance, far more than necessary. You'll lessen the chances of getting yourself in a dangerous situation. A panic halt while towing a trailer, may cause jackknifing or much worse.
2. Focus 100% on the road ahead. The driver should know that he has to adhere to the towing safety principles which involve being alert and giving himself as much space as possible between his automobile and the vehicle in front of it. If the driver remains focused, he can effortlessly keep a good distance which is necessary in bringing the vehicle and the trailer to a harmless halt, regardless of how the other the drivers on the road behave.
3. Slow down on the long stretch ahead of the bend or curve. Do this instead of braking during turns. This accurate braking is a skill and another crucial action to avoid a towing accident called jackknifing.
4. Towing with a vehicle that has a manual transmission provides you a supplemental alternative. If possible, you may prefer to downshift before applying the brakes. As an additional advantage, if you slow down in this manner, the brakes are less likely to overheat and malfunction. But still, you'll need that ample gap between you and the vehicle on your lead to have the appropriate timing and distance to respond properly.

Being alert, driving slowly and keeping a good sense of timing in braking are all necessary when you're towing a load behind your vehicle. Your control only extends as far as the vehicle you're driving. The trailer that's being towed behind it can only react to the changes in speed and direction of your vehicle. As much as possible perform these changes as smoothly as possible and avoid sudden maneuvers. When towing, you're essentially driving a bigger vehicle with only half of it in direct control.