Roads were constructed for driving whilst vehicles such as trucks were made to be driven on roads. As time went on, people have been diligent enough to guarantee that travelers get the most wonderful driving experience imaginable, but sometimes one encounters unlucky instances where one’s most treasured vehicle gets stuck in a puddle of mud. Be it pulling off the roadway to go camp out or parking in an unpaved area at a shopping mall or if you are an off-roader, chances are that at some point, you’re vehicle has to drive through some dirt or mud. Navigate through enough of it, and most likely you are going to sadly, get your truck stuck. Picture this, mud swooping, wheels spinning and your acceleration ceased, then you might be in a situation where you’ll be asking how you could get your truck unstuck from the mud. When this kind of situation happens, it is crucial to be acquainted with what to do, because your means of addressing it could mark the difference between taking off from mud in a few minutes and waiting for a number of hours for a towing service and you don’t want it especially when camping.
Without a doubt, there are several alternatives on how to address the aforementioned problem. As said, one has the option to call a tow truck to pull out the vehicle, though this could be heavy in the pocket. A friend or a relative could be contacted to ask assistance in using their car to drag yours without shelling out any money with the use of a long durable chain or a tow strap. Or one could be so fortunate to get the attention of passersby who could pose as good Samaritans who’d willingly help using their vehicle. Most of the time, one of these options will turn out well. But if ever you encounter this unusual situation where not one of these desirable alternatives is possible, here are a few things that are not only useful but also could be a lifesaver in releasing your truck from the mud the traditional way:
Not panic and remain calm and composed.
At times, panicking brings about negative results and hasty decisions and will not help you think rationally on how to go about the situation. One could heavily step on the gas leading you to a much deeper furrow, both figuratively and literally. Thereby, if you feel panicky, take a deep breath and collect yourself first, then get out of the truck so you could inspect the situation and so thereafter you would discern what course of action to take.
Try the easy escape option. Accelerate and Shake.
As discussed earlier, stepping on the accelerator is the least that you would want to do. Rather, attempt to gradually pick up speed out of the furrow, probably shaking the truck slightly as you would accelerate. If you are fortunate, you might be freed from the muck and one would not have to take any other action as a problem would then be resolved.
Next, is to seek help.
However, if there is no success in doing this, the succeeding step to do is to ask for assistance from either your passenger or a helpful passerby. Advise them to position themselves at whichever part of the car points contrary to the route of the escape. Perform the same technique of gradually accelerating and shaking, but this time with others helping out in putting force to assist you in escaping the muck. To reiterate, one must be cautious in not speeding up to hard, as this will also splatter dirt unto the ones helping you get unstuck.
Lastly, create a traction.
The foremost cause why tires get stuck in the mud is most often than not, a result of an absence of traction. If there is a possibility of making some tread around the tires that got stuck, there is a good chance of getting free from the muck. One could probably make use of leaves or tree trunks if these are available in the area as these could be used as tread for the tires. Other things that could possibly serve as useful traction are car mats, blankets, pieces of clothing, a piece of board, wood or even rocks would make excellent treads. Make use of any tool that is readily available to dig up all the evacuated matters from around your truck tires.
After attempting all the abovementioned steps, and your truck is still stuck in the mud, then one could just simply raise the white flag and declare defeat. Contact a towing service, or seek assistance from a friend and most importantly, bear in mind, to just practically steer clear from the muddy area to avoid getting stuck again in the future are the best things to do.
Now you know how to get your truck unstuck from mud. But did you think about the protection of truck bed from bad weather? Whether it’s rain, snow, or hail, putting a retractable tonneau cover on your truck bed will keeps your cargo dry and out of the elements. So get ready for the full protection before heading out to off road traveling.