Here is the way to tow.

[Bill Stoneberg]

I have seen many 3 car or trucks being flat towed heading to Mexico.  But this one takes the cake.

There are two motorcycles in the back of the Toyota and who knows what in front of it.

 

[Laughing Coyote]

This happens regularly on the freeways in Arizona. 

[46 woodie]

Do they inspect vehicles that are going into Mexico from the U.S.?

[Walt G]

Now if the vehicles being transported were 25 years old or older it would look like someone was heading down Rt. 78 west going to the AACA annual Eastern Division Fall meet a Hershey! The guys doing the transporting would  probably be friends I know from long island, N.J, or Ct. ! REALLY!! 😯

[Peter J.Heizmann]

I wonder what the Toyota pick-up and the box truck on the lead tow truck look like now after they hit the first encountered overpass?

[padgett]

Doesn't look like a US phone number.

[Peter J.Heizmann]

1 hour ago, padgett said:

Doesn't look like a US phone number.

 

At first glance, Padgett I somewhat agreed with you.  Surprised to find out the truck lettering reads:  Macbet Pools, Inc.,  Rancho Cucamonga, CA.  (More useless info so we can all sleep tonight...😁).   If it is actually parked in California I doubt it would go to far before the CHIP pulls it over.  Whatever the case it is funny.

[Bill Stoneberg]

3 hours ago, Peter J.Heizmann said:

 

At first glance, Padgett I somewhat agreed with you.  Surprised to find out the truck lettering reads:  Macbet Pools, Inc.,  Rancho Cucamonga, CA.  (More useless info so we can all sleep tonight...😁).   If it is actually parked in California I doubt it would go to far before the CHIP pulls it over.  Whatever the case it is funny.

This picture was taken in central Texas along I 10.  The route they take is go to I 35 then south to Laredo. We see them a lot on I 10. DPS doesn’t seem to care that they drive 50 mph in an 80 mph zone.

[30DodgePanel]

Going to Mexico you say?

 

In that case....

I wonder what's under that black tarp ? Probably a classic hard body 1986 Nissan pickup 😀

Edited June 27, 2020 by 30DodgePanel (see edit history)

[Fleek]

I sold unwanted trade ins to the Mexico wholesalers regularly in the 90's. I was always amazed on what they would buy to rebuild. They would take a vehicle I would not drive across town and use it to tow an even worse car across Guadalupe pass  in New Mexico.  They always had tools and ran in packs of several drivers so they could switch to a different cars to tow with when one would break. Looks like their setup now may be a step up from the tow bars.

 

 

 

[Marty Roth]

 

 

The real "UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED"?

 

We typically see 3-car/truck & even 4-car/truck trains on Tow-Bar, in groups of a half-dozen or more, and accompanied by the passenger van which probably brought the drivers and equipment up from Mexico.

They drive south on I-65, I-59, or I-55, and then west on I-10/I-12 across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas,

generally running 50 mph in the 70/75 mph areas.

Plastic Bumper covers are removed to facilitate bolting up the Tow-Bar,

and when one of the lead clunkers gives out,

they simply take the bar off the rear of that car,  hook it to the front of the same car, and hook the vehicle to the back end of that train.

 

When stopped by Louisiana law enforcement, the drivers at first claim "No Habla ...", but when our troopers or deputies speak Spanish, they claim ignorance, reduce the number in each "train", and continue their Conga line. 

 

What is troublesome is when they start to sway at the rear, and none of the towed vehicles can have their brakes activated as we would do with a properly set-up trailer -

or when the last one has poor taillights and they're running 25 mph slower than you in the dark !

Edited June 28, 2020 by Marty Roth (see edit history)

[padgett]

And I thought the Australian road trains were bad...

 

 

[zepher]

1 hour ago, padgett said:

And I thought the Australian road trains were bad...

 

At least the trailers all have brakes and the tires and axles are rated for the load they are carrying.

 

In the case of the original picture posted, there is no way that can be legal.

I bet they know all the routes that avoid truck scales and inspection stations.

[bill pritchett]

Marty,

At first I thought that was you doing the towing, then I realized the cars were too new.  On second thought, maybe that was you.

Bill

[DLynskey]

18 hours ago, Bill Stoneberg said:

This picture was taken in central Texas along I 10.  The route they take is go to I 35 then south to Laredo. We see them a lot on I 10. DPS doesn’t seem to care that they drive 50 mph in an 80 mph zone.

 

Better 50 than 80 mph with  that rig. I hope they don't have any long downhill stretches ahead of them. 

 

Don

[CarlLaFong]

A year and a half ago we moved from SoCal to Central Texas. We moved everything ourselves so we made 6 round trips. On I 10 we saw this many times. Usually it was one POS towing two POSs. I figured it had to be unwanted trade ins going to Mexico. Good riddance to all of them

[Frank DuVal]

Not just a southwest phenomenon. I have seen these tow chains going down I-95 here in Virginia. Just as you describe!

 

At least they are going slow in the right lane. Something most locals need to learn....😡

[jrbartlett]

You see them pull onto a side street at a McDonald's, all the men go inside and line up at the restroom, and then walk out and leave without spending a penny.

 

My son lost a nice Tahoe when one of these junk car trains got loose on an icy overpass in Oklahoma, and slammed into my son's SUV.