Tow Trucks: Tips For Keeping Money In Your Pocket
While it's true you may genuinely enjoy driving your tow truck around and helping others, the truth is most people work to make money. If you own your own truck or towing business, this is even more important. Yet little habits can actually bleed your money away. Sure, some advice is the same for everyone – pack a lunch and don't stop for expensive coffee. However, some tweaks you make to your towing habits can also affect how much green you're able to keep in your pocket.
Heed Your Tires
People who drive for a living are slaves to their tires, and this is true of tow truck drivers as well. Tires for your rig are expensive, so outfitting your truck more often than necessary can be a large financial burden. Get in the habit of inspecting your tires at least once a month. If you see specific patterns of wear, you probably need an alignment. Likewise, service the kingpins and bearings regularly to increase the life of your tires. When you do get new tires, pair new with new, and ensure the diameters are the same to avoid skipping and scraping.
Avoid Damaging Vehicles when Backing Up
If you work in an urban area, backing up with a vehicle in tow can be a tricky business. Additionally, it's more likely to be necessary in populated areas. While backing up in tight spots, make small corrections. If you see the towed vehicle is drifting, turn the steering wheel into the drift. It may even be necessary to stop, pull forward and start over. Take your time in this situation so you don't damage the towed vehicle, parked cars or your own tow truck, which means spending money on repairs and even increased insurance premiums.
Be a Savvy Equipment Shopper
Be aware that the specs of the rig you want can boost the price, as can the necessity of a quick turnaround. Tow Times recommends both giving yourself plenty of time to buy and selecting a popular, available rig to save money.
Consider a Smart Charger
Older trucks often have flooded lead-acid batteries. The old-style roll-around battery chargers were fine for charging this batteries. However, valve-regulated lead-acid batteries require a different kind of charge. The new-style smart chargers can sense the type of battery and its state of charge. These chargers can correct as necessary. In fact, it's even safe to leave them hooked up indefinitely without over-charging.
Don't let simple mistakes like an inefficient battery charger and damaged vehicles eat up your tow truck profits. For more information, contact a towing company like Full Tilt Towing & Transport Ltd Manitoba.
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