Northwest Arkansas has officially entered it’s rainy season. We see the bulk of our annual rainfall from March to September, and with all that rain...comes mud.
If you’ve ever gotten your vehicle stuck in the mud you know it can go from bad to worse pretty fast. Getting stuck in the mud can be a stressful situation but there are a few things you can try to help make your way back to solid ground.
Keep Your Cool
If you do get stuck in the mud the most important thing to remember is to keep your cool. Panic is a fools tool when trying to get tires out of the mud. Panicking and trying to accelerate your way out of the mud is only going to dig you into a deeper hole, so remain calm and try using some of these techniques.
Stop Spinning Those Wheels
The last thing you want to do is to keep hitting that gas pedal over and over, spinning your wheels deeper and deeper into the mud. It’s human nature to want to keep trying...but in this case, lay off the gas! Continued acceleration will only dig a deeper hole, sinking your vehicle further into the mud.
Traction Is Your Best Friend
Traction is the name of the game. The lack of traction is the whole reason you’re in this muddy mess. Your tires need something to grip onto in order to get momentum to move your vehicle forward.
You can almost always find something in your vehicle or close by to use to gain traction. Look for something that won’t damage your tires but will offer some grip like kitty litter, a plywood plank, a piece of cardboard, carpet, or one of your car mats—an old blanket might even work.
Whatever you find, place it in front of the tire or tires stuck in the mud in order to give your car a surface to grip to and try to accelerate out of the mud slowly.
Rocking For Momentum
If your vehicle will move forward and backwards a little you can try rocking your vehicle to gain momentum.
Make sure your tires are facing forward in as straight a line as possible. Step on the gas gently, you don’t want to start spinning your wheels here, if the car moves forward then you can put the car in reverse and go backwards.
Continue switching this forward and backwards action as long as your wheels are not spinning. The goal is to gain enough momentum to move your vehicle out of the mud. If your wheels start spinning, stop so you don’t get yourself stuck any deeper.
Shoveling Your Way Out
Shoveling your way out may actually be the most effective way to get your car unstuck in the mud. It’s also the messiest way, but hey—we gotta do what we gotta do to get the job done.
So grab a shovel, if you have one, or get ready to get down on your knees and get dirty because your hands or any other object you can find to push and pull the mud away from your tires will do.
Take inspiration from your childhood—remember building a sand or mud castle? Buckets, a piece of plastic or whatever you could find would help you craft your masterpiece—get creative, there’s gotta be something close by with some scooping, pushing, or pulling power for you to use as a tool.
Now get to work removing mud from in front of and behind your tire so that you can have a place to move forward and backward, You need enough space to gain that momentum needed to get your vehicle back on solid ground.
Use A Winch
If you drive off road a lot or live in a rural area where there are lots of dirt roads you may have a winch attached to your truck.
Using a winch is a good option if there is something extremely sturdy close by to attach to like a tree.
If another vehicle is towing you, be sure to attach the cable to the frame of your truck or a part of the vehicle that is bolted directly to the frame. Never attach the winch cable to your bumper as it will most likely be pulled right off.
When using a winch, have any passengers exit the vehicle so it’s as light as possible. It’s extremely important that any passengers are far away from the towing area for safety reasons. Winching cables and tow straps can snap and become airborne posing a big safety hazard.
Throwing a blanket or heavy coat or other weighted fabric over the cables or strap will help them to drop to the ground instead of fly through the air in the event that they snap.
It’s also important to understand the possibility of damaging your vehicle when trying to pull it out of the mud using a winch. The most reliable way to recover your vehicle without damage is to use a professional tow truck.
Towing
If all else fails and you need assistance getting your car out of the mud, Roadside Services Towing of Northwest Arkansas is here to help.
Our team of towing professionals are working around the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and have experience getting vehicles that are stuck in the mud towed out safely and back on solid ground.
Towing a stuck vehicle out of the mud is the safest, most reliable way to quickly recover your vehicle. You need someone who has the skill and knowledge to get the job done.
Give us a call—we’re here to help!