A few minutes before towing can catch simple faults before they become roadside problems.
Coupling and breakaway equipment
Confirm the coupling is correctly engaged and secured. On a braked trailer, check the breakaway cable is present, undamaged and attached in the correct manner for the vehicle and trailer.
Tyres and wheels
Look for low pressure, cuts, cracking, bulges, exposed cords, obvious damage and loose or missing wheel fixings. Do not rely on tread depth alone.
Lights and plug
Check indicators, stop lamps, tail lamps, number-plate illumination and other required road lights. Make sure the cable cannot drag on the road or become trapped when turning.
Load and body
Secure the load, close doors/ramps/side panels correctly and make sure loose equipment cannot escape. Load distribution matters to stability; stay within the vehicle and trailer limits.
After the first few miles
After wheel removal or maintenance, follow the relevant wheel-fixing recheck guidance. If a hub becomes abnormally hot or the trailer starts pulling, dragging or behaving differently, stop and investigate.