When it comes to the things you tow, do you care about your loads, or are you just doing the bare minimum’s to get by? Maybe you are in a hurry and just doing what you think is good enough to get by, and get to where you are going?
Many think that just a few straps on loads like I’ve got pictured below are adequate, but is it? What if one strap would happen to break, and if you only had two on it, then one is left to hold the load. Maybe you are the person that constantly checks your mirrors, or maybe you aren’t? What if it’s nighttime and you can’t see behind you to tell whether or not your load is still secure and good. Or maybe, you just don’t care?
So What Is Properly Strapped and Secured Loads?
These pictures below, are properly strapped a secured loads. It’s always better to have more straps than you think you may need. Don’t be the minimums person, be the one that always does more than is expected or needed.
Typically, most folks take care of other people’s stuff kinda like they take care of their own stuff. Hook and go people, or those that half do everything are the ones that drive crap vehicles and their stuff looks like total trash inside and out. Sad, but it’s true! If you don’t take care of your own stuff, then you won’t give a crap about anyone else’s either! It’s just the way it works. And, these folks are usually the ones always complaining about something or someone. These same folks are usually the ones that always have some type of problems.
What Does Hook and Go Mean?
When someone is referring to the hook and go people, this is a term used for the ones that literally hook up and go. They never check lug nuts, or tire air pressures, or check lights or anything else. They simply hook and go! These are not the kind of folks that you want towing anything of yours. Most couldn’t back a trailer into a tight spot or stay off of curbs. Yeah, these are the ones that borrow people stuff and bring it back broken and tore up, often times with messed you tires because they’ve been in and on curbs everywhere they’ve been.
What About Proper Hitches and Safety Chains?
I just witnessed a guy pulling a nice boat beside me at gas pumps today and had a small under rated Walmart hitch, along with no safety pin/clip in his coupler latch. Some folks just don’t know any better and some just don’t care, or think these things are important. We are suppose to be responsible behind the wheel and not be jacking with our phones and make sure we are using the properly rated hitches, along with safety chains and emergency brake away cable hooked up. Very few people use emergency brake away cables and most have safety chains dragging the ground.
Above is a picture showing how to properly hook your safety chains and using the emergency brake away cable, which will lock the trailer brakes in the case of your trailer coming unhooked going down the road. Keep in mind, the safety chains must have enough slack in them to allow for sharp turns, but never dragging the ground. Think about it this way. If the chains are dragging the pavement, then it causes sparks, which could cause fires! And, if your trailer was to come unhooked going down the road, without the emergency brake away cable hooked up, then your trailer is on the loose going wherever it wants. But, if the break away cable is hooked up, then this so called ripcord pulls the switch when your tow vehicle breaks away from it and locks up the trailer brakes, which will at least stop the trailer before it causes other wrecks or to much damage.
Don’t be the kind of person who just does enough to get by in life. Be the person that goes out of their way to help others. Be the person who always does more than is expected. Be the one that gives without expecting anything in return! Be responsible, be respectful of other people’s property and have integrity in everything you do! We all have responsibilities as drivers, and especially when towing things behind us. This is NOT the time for jacking with your cell phones or speeding and jumping lane to lane like most of the other lunatic drivers nowadays.
Always do your best,
-Mike Pilcher
MPE LLC
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