Truck driver ticketed for towing another big rig with ‘nothing more than a metal pipe,’ CHP says

A truck driver recently ran afoul of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) for an unsafe effort to tow a second semi truck in the San Francisco area.

On the morning of Tuesday, September 30, 2025, a citizen contacted CHP “about an unusual vehicle combination traveling on a San Francisco freeway.”

Troopers located and stopped the semi trucks.

“We typically see people tow vehicles using a tow truck, but this big rig driver elected to tow another big rig tractor using nothing more than a metal pipe,” CHP’s Golden Gate Division said.

CHP troopers say they “were shocked to learn that in addition to the improvised towing rig, the truck’s brake chambers were dragging on the ground; a clear indication that they weren’t working.”

The truck driver was cited and both of the semi trucks were towed away from the scene.

“We know not everyone is an expert in tow truck operations, but the alert citizen was right to warn us about this rolling hazard. Towing another vehicle with a pipe and some chain is NOT legal or safe!” CHP said. “A big thank you to the alert driver who picked up the phone and called 9-1-1 so that we could remove this dangerous vehicle from the road before anything bad could happen.”