If the front of your truck is outfitted with a winch, it’s a good idea to learn how to use it if you haven’t already. You never know when you’ll be met with a situation that demands it. Even if you don’t go off-road very often, it’s still possible to end up in a ditch or other impassable place. In these situations, good winching techniques can give your vehicle the extra support required for you to self-recover. Even heavy-duty towing services use the power of winches to recover vehicles in complicated situations. Improperly rigging a winch can get dangerous, so if you’ve never done it before, here are some basic do’s and don’t’s of successful vehicle recovery.

Do:

Keep People at a Safe Distance

Bystanders and the person holding the winch control should be at a reasonable distance from your vehicle, preferably on the side of the driver’s door. That way they’ll be safe in case your vehicle loses control, kicks up dust, or a line breaks during your self-recovery.

Wear Gloves

When unwinding line out of the winch, only grab it by the hook—avoid touching the line itself, especially if it’s steel. For extra protection while handling a winch, heavy-duty towing experts recommend wearing gloves.

Don’t:

Wrap Winch Line Around Itself

Your winch cable will potentially be under a lot of tension during your recovery, and if it wraps around itself or a second line, this will create a lot of friction and might cause breakage. If for some reason this is not possible to manage, you may need a heavy-duty towing service to recover the vehicle.

Attach the Winch Hook to a Tree Saver Strap

One common winching strategy is to use a solid tree as an anchor point, using tree saver straps. Should you use this technique, never directly attach the winch hook to the straps, as it could cause them to snap. Instead, secure your anchor point with a D-ring clevis, and attach the winch hook to that.

 

If you ever need heavy-duty towing in or around the Greater Cincinnati area, get in touch with Buckeye Riverside Towing. They’re on-call 24/7 for emergencies, and no job is too small or large. For questions or to request heavy-duty recovery services, give them a call at (513) 244-7200. More information about the 24-hour towing company is available online.