The Tow Dolly: Maybe Not So Jolly

               In today’s times, the ability to transport or tow a car is available to nearly everyone. Whether it is a friend with a flatbed trailer, a coworker with a tow truck, or maybe you have your own to dolly. Of course, the easiest “go-to” method is to use a towing company but many would say that option is costly and time consuming. But let’s consider the drawbacks of using the trailer or the tow dolly. That can be costly too.

While the flatbed trailer or tow dolly may be the cheaper alternative to a tow truck, the risk is much higher. One of the big benefits of using a towing company is insurance. There are federal and state laws that regulate the minimum requirements for a towing company to come to fruition and being insured is one of them. Insurance not only covers the tow truck and its driver, towing companies must have specifically policies that cover you and your disabled vehicle. This means you are protected from any damages that occur when loading or unloading as well as transporting. Having peace of mind with insurance is a big plus but so is assurance.

Car trailers and tow dollies come in many different configurations. Car trailers can be enclosed or open and have many different options for securing or anchoring the towed vehicle. Tow dollies are also rich with options like tilting ramps and a variety of anchoring methods. While the options are plentiful, they still can’t be beat when you use a towing company. The driver of a tow truck experiences a lot during his/her normal workday. They come across a multitude of towing situations and because of that, they tend to “know their stuff”. When you use a company tow truck, you can be assured that the driver has been in a situation similar to or exactly like yours before and completed it successfully. Therefore, he knows what to watch for in order to get the job done and get it done right.

Typically, the biggest complaint of using a tow company is cost. The cost may be higher that the alternatives but that cost has the potential to be eliminated altogether for a large portion of motorists. We are all familiar with auto insurance. It can be a saving grace when it is needed most. One of the reasons is because nearly all insurance policies have the option of roadside assistance. For a mere $10 or less per month, you can add it to your policy. This will eliminate the need to pay full price or even pay at all when you have to call a tow truck. Tow dollies and car trailers typically cannot be covered under the roadside assistance policies.

You may save a little money and you may have the means to avoid using a tow truck from a towing company. But consider all of the options first. Just because you can doesn’t always mean you should.