Budget Rent a Car has been in operation since 1958. In 2009 they had over 800 locations throughout the United States. They rent cars, trucks and trailers for both consumer and commercial customers. A tow dolly is one solution for towing a vehicle. It works by placing the front wheels on the surface of the trailer and fastening them tightly with straps. Loading and unloading a tow dolly is a straightforward process once you understand the steps.
Connect the tow dolly's coupler to the to the towing vehicle's hitch by lowering it on. Lock it in place by lowering the latch and securing with a hitch pin. Crisscross the trailer's chains under the coupler and fasten to the hitch.
Remove the safety pins from the ratchet handle and unroll the straps. This is done by grasping the ratchet handle and pawl at the same time and pushing down. Unroll the straps so they are flat on the ground in front of the winches.
Tilt the wheel platform back for loading. This is accomplished by swinging the bottom of the locking latch toward the coupler and lifting the locking pin handle.
Drive the vehicle onto the tow dolly slowly until the front wheels rest firmly against the wheel stops.
Position the tie-down straps in the center and guide them over the tires. Tighten the straps with the winches until they are very tight. Insert the safety pin through each winch to lock it into place.
Wrap the tow dolly's safety chain around the frame of the vehicle and secure it back to the trailer. This chain does not need to be tight.
Make sure the vehicle's parking brake is in the off position.
