Chapter 12: Towing a Trailer

Towing a trailer significantly changes a vehicle’s handling, acceleration, and braking capabilities, introducing new risks on the road. Understanding the specific equipment requirements and driving adjustments is crucial for safety and is a topic that can appear on the driver’s license exam. Properly loading a trailer and knowing how to respond to emergencies like trailer sway can prevent serious, life-threatening collisions.

Equipment and Loading

Before towing, a driver must ensure the vehicle and trailer are properly equipped and connected. Using the correct gear and loading the trailer correctly are the most important steps in preventing equipment failure and loss of control.

Required Equipment

• Hitch and Drawbar: The drawbar or towing connection must be strong enough to pull the full weight of the trailer. It must not be more than 15 feet long unless towing objects that cannot be easily disassembled. If a chain, rope, or cable is used as the connection, a white flag at least 12 inches square must be attached to it.
• Safety Chains: Two safety chains are required to connect the trailer to the towing vehicle. They must be strong enough to hold the trailer if the primary hitch fails. The chains should be crossed under the trailer tongue in an “X” pattern. This prevents the tongue from dropping to the pavement if it disconnects and can help maintain some steering control.
• Lights: The trailer must have its own functional lighting system that connects to the tow vehicle. This includes taillights, brake lights, and turn signals. If the trailer is over 80 inches wide, it may require additional clearance and marker lights.
• Brakes: Florida law requires a separate braking system on any trailer with a gross weight of 3,000 pounds or more. These brakes must be operable by the driver of the towing vehicle and designed to activate automatically if the trailer breaks away from the hitch.

Proper Loading (The 60/40 Rule)