Towing is both a science and an art, and truck manufacturers are doing all they can to make it easier and safer with a variety of features.
All of them build on technologies originally developed for cars, but tweaked for the unique requirements of pulling trailers. Here are some and how they work.
Adaptive Cruise Control and Emergency Braking
This type of cruise control maintains a set speed when it can, but adjusts when needed to keep its distance from any vehicle in front. Depending on the manufacturer, it may use radar, laser, or cameras to determine how far away that vehicle is.
The system’s computer module assesses speed and distance, and if necessary, applies the brakes to slow down and maintain that space.
Vehicles with emergency braking systems constantly monitor the road ahead, whether the cruise control is activated or not. If the computer determines you’re coming up too quickly to an object – more sophisticated systems can detect cyclists and pedestrians as well as other vehicles – and you’re not hitting the brakes, the system does that for you. These systems will also work when you’re towing. If the trailer is heavy enough, it will require electric brakes, which the adaptive cruise system will activate along with the truck’s brakes when slowing or stopping is required.
Blind-Spot Monitoring
This safety system uses cameras or sensors to “watch” alongside the truck – the area that drivers commonly call the “blind spot.” When a vehicle is alongside, a warning light illuminates in the mirror or front pillar. If the driver activates the turn signal, there’ll be a harsher warning: the light will flash, and/or there’ll be a chime.
Currently, the blind-spot monitoring available on Ford and Ram trucks also includes the trailer, making it easier to change lanes when towing. Ford’s system requires the driver to go into a screen in the instrument cluster and indicate the trailer’s length, up to 33 feet. Ram requires the driver to initially make a 90-degree turn. When the trailer is on an angle, the sensors determine how long it is, up to 39.5 feet.
Trailer Sway Control
Trailer sway – when the trailer starts to fishtail as you’re driving – can be caused by such things as high winds or improper loading, and it’s most likely to happen at higher speeds. It’s a dangerous situation: if the trailer sways too much, it can pull the truck off the road.
Almost all new trucks include trailer sway control, which is a function of the electronic stability control. This system uses sensors that measure wheel speed, steering angle, and the vehicle’s yaw – how far it’s pointing to the left or right in relation to its intended path. When it detects a skid, it automatically cuts back on the throttle and brakes the appropriate wheels to bring the vehicle back in a straight line.
With trailer sway control, the system can also detect if the trailer is moving erratically and adjusts the throttle and brakes, including those on the trailer, to bring truck and trailer back into a straight line. A warning message usually shows up on the dash, indicating that the system is activated and also that the driver should slow down.
Trailer Cameras
Every 2018 and newer vehicle sold in Canada must have a backup camera as standard equipment, but truck manufacturers are making more cameras available on their trucks. Through the centre touchscreen, the driver can select which camera view to show. These include at the hitch, so the driver can back up to the trailer connector; in the bed, to help line up a fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch; or side views of the trailer. Some offer trailer cameras, which are wired in to sit at the rear of the trailer for backing up, or in the trailer to keep an eye on livestock.
Ford Pro Trailer Backup Assist
Most vehicles today have electric-assist power steering, which can be activated automatically for several safety systems, including lane-keeping assist and lane-centering, which forms the basis of autonomous vehicle driving. It’s also used in conjunction with distance sensors on vehicles that can park themselves.
Ford’s trailer backup system requires the user to take some key measurements on the trailer and then attach special stickers to it (which only has to be done once for each trailer, which is then entered into the system’s memory). Sensors identify the position of these stickers from the truck’s rearview camera, which indicates the trailer’s position. Rather than use the steering wheel – which must be turned opposite to the trailer’s intended path – the driver turns a dial on the dash in the direction the trailer is supposed to go. A motor on the power steering then turns the steering wheel in the correct direction.
Trailer Tire Pressure
As the name suggests, tire pressure monitoring systems, or TPMS, constantly monitor the pressure in each tire and warn if it falls below what it should be. Most do this using internal sensors, and when they’re fitted into the trailer’s wheels behind a truck that includes trailer TPMS, they’ll send a warning if a tire is getting low.
