Ever been caught in a ditch?  Don’t worry – you’re not alone.  Numerous vehicle owners have had the frustrating experience of having their cars become stuck in a snow bank or ditch.  Worse part is:  most vehicles aren’t equipped to drive out of these types of situations.  These are the times you wish you had access to a winch.

Winching is among the most common and easiest ways of retrieving a stuck vehicle.  Well-equipped towing and recovery companies such as A1 Tow Truck of Omaha should be able to provide reliable and prompt roadside assistance equipped with solid winch capabilities whenever you need it.

But what is winching exactly, and when do you need it? The following is a short overview of winching, including what is involved, when you might need it, and whether it is safe for your car or not.

What is a winch? 

Winching might be necessary if other roadside assistance and vehicle recovery services are unsafe or fail.  A majority of wrecker services try using conventional towing methods prior to resorting to winch a vehicle from a dangerous situation.  Whenever a vehicle gets stuck on a step incline or a dangerous situation like having suffered serious damage or flood, it might be easier and safer to attach a two cable to the vehicle and winch it to safety instead of driving or towing it out of the situation.

Winching is an effective and safe vehicle recovery method that is offered by a majority of roadside assistance services.  Professional roadside assistance staff have the necessary skill, expertise and training to use winching to retrieve your vehicle without damaging your vehicle or its undercarriage.  In some situations, winching is safer and easier that traditional recovery or towing methods.

When is it necessary to use one?

Almost exclusively, winching is used to remove vehicles from ditches or snow banks. So, here in Texas, really just the former.Winch and Recovery

Why is winching the superior method to remove a vehicle from a ditch?

First, it’s easier to hook a cable that is running horizontally to the bottom of a vehicle than it is a tow chain that is running vertically.

Just think about it…

A car stuck in a roadside ditch will be at an awkward angle. Though, its front or rear wheels will be able to gain traction and roll out once they are tugged out of the stuck position or once momentum is on their side. Therefore, pulling the vehicle horizontally will be aided by the wheels once they gain traction. This makes for a quick and easy solution.

The traditional towing method would pull the vehicle upward and would not be aided by the wheels. The car would come straight up, creating a challenge for the tow operators to flatten it back onto the ground. It can be done; however, with more complexity than winching.

Is winching safe?

On that same note, winching puts less pressure on the vehicle than does traditional towing. Again, because it is helped in part by the wheels. Less pressure and less force mean more damage control. It’s a basic towing method, really—very difficult to screw up. At the hands of our professional towers, we can guarantee every vehicle will be removed from a ditch with no harm (besides the harm done by driving it into the ditch).

If the part of the vehicle that the chain is hooked to is secure and sturdy, there should be no issues completing a successful winch and recovery