One of the best things about living in the country is having a four-wheel-drive diesel in the winter. If you live in an area where it snows, chances are, you and your truck are on active vehicle recovery duty every time you drive somewhere. After all, your diesel is already making more horsepower and torque than the average tow truck.
And we're not talking city streets here, where a plow truck will find you sooner or later on one of its rounds. We're talking county-line roads that easily drift shut, rarely see a good plow all winter long, and are usually inaccessible for the average tow truck. So, when a typical tow truck isn't an option, your diesel truck becomes the primary tool for getting someone out of a ditch, field, hillside, driveway, or wherever else the white stuff has trapped them. Obviously, common sense plays a major role in pulling vehicles out of ditches, but it's easy to get carried away and try to just get the job done. The most important thing to remember is to take your time. Hook to something solid, start pulling gradually, and resort to yanking and jerking only when absolutely necessary.
What To Use: Tow Straps VS. Chains
In a worst-case scenario, you're going to have to hook bumper-to-bumper with the vehicle you're trying to pull out. And, while simply hooking on and slowly creeping forward can work, most of the time a little to a lot of yanking will be involved. So, don't use chains if you can help it. Oftentimes you don't know how worn-out and brittle a chain might be. Snapping a chain usually means dented tailgates and bumpers, or even broken windshields, grilles, or windows. Nylon tow straps are safer, lighter, and are actually stronger.
What You Need To Be Prepared
If you plan on recovering a lot of vehicles, having spare tools never hurts. Having two receiver shackles, hitch pins, or even a clevis hook or keeper would be worth it, as you may need to hook up receiver-to-receiver, and the other driver might not have one. If you want to be prepared to pull out compact, front-wheel-drive cars, a T-hook would also be a good investment. Choose a rot-resistant tow strap with a minimum weight rating of 15,000 pounds, 4-inches in width, and at least 20-feet in length. Depending on the type of angle, or how much pulling room you have to work with in a given situation, having two tow straps, varying in length, is a good idea. Of course, having two of anything is a good idea if something breaks. Most importantly, be prepared now-don't wait for the next snow storm or blizzard to invest in a couple tow straps. In an emergency, everyone thinks the same, and there won't be any left to buy.
Tire size and extra weight in the bed can also make a huge difference. Narrow tires will dig in easier than wider, oversized tires will, and will find traction easier. Sandbags, tractor weights, or anything with substantial weight placed over the rear axles will aid with traction as well. In addition to having recovery hardware, make sure you are physically prepared to battle the winter elements. Recovering a stuck vehicle buried in the snow is no easy or simple task. Keep a pair of spare gloves, boots, a coat, and even overalls in your cab, as you're more than likely going to have to dig out an opening in the snow to gain access to the stuck vehicle's underbody. In addition, keeping a reliable flashlight with you will help while recovering vehicles at night, and will ensure you hook to something durable that will withstand the stress of the pull.
 Going big doesn't hurt, getting...  Going big doesn't hurt, getting a 36,000-pound, 4-inch-thick strap would probably yield several winters of use. Even buying a 55,000-pound 6-inch-thick strap (Tractor Supply Company item number 3040114) would almost certainly never let you down, and would hold up well when yanking. We've seen these 6-inch straps being used to pull out big agricultural equipment, so they should be plenty strong for your purposes. |  This type of situation is...  This type of situation is ideal. Being able to hook receiver-to-receiver with the Chevy allowed the Ford to pull forward and have plenty of room to resort to yanking. Of course, it's also ideal for a diesel to pull out a 1/2-ton gas truck. |  If you notice a fray or split...  If you notice a fray or split in your tow strap, it's time to invest in a new one. Frayed straps only get worse, and this one could let us down at some point if we were to rely on it. USA nylon is rated at 10,000 pounds per inch of width, so a 4-inch strap rated at 36,000 pounds is a little conservative. |