Dolly Securement: Straps Required
By Randall C. Resch
If you’ve never had a transport dolly come apart while in tow at highway speed, consider yourself lucky. It’s an ugly occurrence. When unsecured dolly components drop into the path of unsuspecting motorists following too closely, the potential for serious injury or death is real. Loose dolly components can also end up jammed into the towed vehicle’s wheel well, causing significant damage.
Tow trucks are typically equipped with dollies to make towing and vehicle recovery possible. Dollies provide operators with the mechanical advantage needed to tow vehicles with flat or missing tires, locked transmissions, all-wheel drive, accident damage, or other conditions that prevent them from rolling freely.
While dollies are an operator’s best friend, loading a vehicle onto an assembled dolly is only part of the process. To be transport-ready and properly secured, dollies must be strapped to the towed vehicle, with safety chains attached.
Code Requirements
As part of daily operations, towers are responsible for ensuring that nothing comes loose or separates from their trucks during a tow. Depending on the circumstances, operators may be cited under various state vehicle codes or FMCSA regulations, including 49 CFR provisions addressing unsecured loads.
For example, violations can occur when dollies aren't properly strapped or when equipment is loaded beyond the manufacturer's safe working load limit.
California Vehicle Code Section 29003(b), addressing towing equipment, states: “The drawbar, tongue, or other connection between the towing and towed vehicles shall be securely attached and structurally adequate for the weight drawn.”
Section 29003(c) also states: “The raised end of any motor vehicle being transported by another motor vehicle using a tow dolly shall be secured to the tow dolly by two separate chains, cables, or equivalent devices adequate to prevent shifting or separation of the towed vehicle and the tow dolly.”
No Excuses
Tow dollies can collapse or separate from towed vehicles when wreckers strike potholes, curbs, or road bumps. Flat dolly tires and sudden defensive maneuvers to avoid other vehicles can also cause problems.
When dollies separate during transport and cause subsequent collisions, operators may be held responsible for the resulting incidents. Consider two examples that demonstrate why dolly components must be secured:
Example One: A wheel-lift wrecker lost a dolly rack on a crowded highway near San Jose. The Highway Patrol responded to 911 calls reporting that a van had struck a metal object dropped from a tow truck. The object, identified as a tow dolly, lodged beneath the vehicle, puncturing its fuel tank and triggering a fireball.
A reserve police officer and several assisting motorists helped rescue the driver and her young son. The woman suffered burns over more than 30 percent of her body. Imagine the potential liability and resulting lawsuit settlement.
Example Two: A Texas operator transported a 2022 BMW X5 AWD at highway speed without properly strapping the vehicle to the dollies. When the dolly assembly collapsed, the BMW dropped onto the pavement, destroying two tires, damaging a side mirror, and obliterating the AWD system. It's alleged that one of the dolly wheels ejected after its bearing failed.
This presumed maintenance issue resulted in thousands of dollars in damage. Fortunately, no one was injured.
In both examples, the damage could have been substantially reduced had the dollies been properly secured in accordance with legal requirements and industry best practices.
Make 'Em Stay
For security purposes, tow owners generally prefer trucks that store dolly components in or atop side boxes. There are several advantages: storage boxes reduce clutter on the wrecker's bed, protect dolly components from the elements and prevent sun-damaged tire sidewalls. Most importantly, they provide a more secure location that helps prevent theft.
Dolly bunks, however, can be a back injury waiting to happen. Retrieving dollies from elevated locations on a wrecker's upper deck presents similar challenges. Proper ergonomics are essential when handling tow dollies and should be addressed during periodic safety meetings.
When dollies are mounted topside on a wrecker's bed, operators should use a retention lock or pin to keep the wheels securely in their stowed positions. The retaining device must be made of materials with sufficient tensile strength to hold dolly racks firmly in place. Bungee cords aren't the right accessory if you're expecting reliable retention.
Lazy and Non-Compliant?
Although many incidents involve wreckers and equipment storage, dollies carried on flatbeds require the same attention to securement. Most tow manufacturers mount dolly components, including left- and right-side racks, somewhere atop the wrecker's deck, typically over the wheel wells or in dolly bunks beneath the bed.
Dollies can become dislodged when they aren't restrained by some form of retention device, such as a clip, lock, or carabiner. To ensure dollies remain secured during transport, tow companies should establish operating procedures that make equipment securement a routine part of every tow.
When dollies aren't strapped and come apart, the simplest conclusion is often driver error. Without a written safety policy establishing operator responsibility, it's only a matter of time before a preventable incident occurs.
Make dolly securement part of every tow. Strap the equipment, attach the safety chains, and keep everything where it belongs. It's not just good practice; it's a matter of compliance and public safety.
Operations Editor Randall C. Resch is a retired, veteran, California police officer, former tow business owner and industry advocate. As consultant and trainer, he authored and teaches tow truck operator safety courses approved by the California Highway Patrol. For 57-years, he has been involved in the towing and recovery industry. In 30-years, he has contributed more than 800-safety focused articles for American Towman Magazine, TowIndustryWeek.com and POLICE Magazine. He is a frequent seminar presenter and beauty pageant judge at tow shows. In 2014, he was inducted to the International Towing and Recovery Industry Hall of Fame, was the 3rd recipient of the industry's "Dave Jones Leadership Award," and is a member of American Towman’s Safety Committee. Email Randy at rreschran@gmail.com.
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