7 GM technologies that make towing easier (and a lot less stressful)

At Paillé GM, towing gets simpler thanks to seven GM technologies designed for safety and peace of mind. The Transparent Trailer View system lets you virtually see through the trailer, eliminating typical blind spots.

Trailer Side Blind Zone Alert extends blind-spot detection to the trailer's full length, while Hitch View and Trailer Light Test make hitching and light checks easier without outside help.

The GM trailering app calculates your real capacity based on your load, passengers and gear. Super Cruise even remains active while towing for hands-free highway driving.

This guide details these seven GM technologies, offered depending on Chevrolet and GMC models, to help you tow with more confidence on Quebec roads.

Why towing assistance technologies change the driving experience

Imagine you are heading to the cottage on a Friday evening, boat in tow behind the truck, Route 132 packed with traffic.

Before, towing meant constant vigilance. You had to watch the blind spots stretched by the trailer, guess whether the hitch was properly aligned, hope the lights still worked. A drive that should have been relaxing often turned into a source of stress.

GM technologies change that reality. A camera rebuilds the view behind your trailer as if it were transparent. An alert system monitors blind spots extended to its length. An app calculates your actual capacity based on your load before you even leave. These are not gadgets. They are tools designed to make towing simple again so the road to the cottage is as pleasant as the destination.

The HD camera system offers better visibility all around the truck

GM's HD camera system combines multiple views to reduce blind spots around the truck. The 3D bird's-eye view shows the vehicle and its surroundings from different angles, while the perimeter view uses cameras mounted on the rearview mirrors to cover the sides of the truck.

At the back, several options help: the rear wide view provides a broader angle of cross-traffic directly behind the vehicle, and the rear top-down view offers a top-down perspective over the same area.

Bed View lets you look straight into the cargo bed. It is practical for lining up a fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch, or simply for monitoring the load without leaving the vehicle.

For towing specifically, guiding lines appear on the screen. One set follows the vehicle's path. A second helps align the hitch with the trailer. Together, these views give a complete picture of what surrounds the truck before and during every manoeuvre.

Transparent Trailer View: see "through" your trailer

This is probably the most impressive technology on the list.

A camera installed at the rear of your trailer merges its image with that of your truck to recreate, on the screen, a view of the road directly behind you as if the trailer disappeared. The result: you change lanes and pass with almost the same confidence as if you were not towing.

In practice, an accessory camera mounts at the centre of the trailer's rear and connects to the truck. Then you enter a few dimensions in the onboard system to calibrate the display. The function applies to conventional trailers with a standard hitch up to 9.7 metres in length.

It is especially useful in heavy traffic to see what is approaching behind a long boat or a trailer, or simply to regain some peace of mind on the highway.

The GM trailering app: get everything ready before you even leave

Before you head to the cottage with the boat, check your real towing capacity in the myGMC app.

The load calculator factors in the weight of your truck, your passengers and your equipment, such as ATVs, to tell you exactly how much you can still tow safely.

No more rough estimates. You leave with a precise number, not just the truck's theoretical maximum rating. It is like having a Paillé expert with you. With less jabbering.

Super Cruise with a trailer: semi-autonomous driving even while towing

On a trip from Trois-Rivières to Mont-Tremblant with a trailer, Super Cruise stays active even when you are towing, which is rare in the industry. The system automatically adjusts the following distance to account for the extra weight and takes care of steering, acceleration and braking on compatible highways.

At Paillé, we take the time to explain that this is not a self-driving truck. You must stay attentive at all times, and the Automatic Lane Change feature turns off as soon as a trailer is detected. Even so, it remains real assistance to reduce fatigue on long drives without becoming an autopilot.

Trailer Side Blind Zone Alert: your blind zones extended to your trailer

A long trailer creates a very large blind zone along the sides, well beyond that of the truck alone. The Trailer Side Blind Zone Alert system extends detection to the length of your trailer using radar sensors hidden in the vehicle's rear corners.

When a vehicle is detected in this extended zone, an amber indicator lights up in the rearview mirror on the relevant side. If you turn on your flashers in that direction, the indicator blinks to warn you not to change lanes.

The system does not act on the brakes or the steering wheel. It is an alert, not active control. You must still check your mirrors before moving, but with valuable help from this system.

Hitch View: hooking up a trailer becomes much easier

Say goodbye to 15 back-and-forths to line up the hitch. Hitch View displays a close-up directly on the hitch while you reverse, with a dynamic guiding line that runs from your truck to the trailer coupler. The line adjusts as you turn the steering wheel to help you centre the hitch ball exactly where it needs to be.

The result: you back up once, eyes on the screen rather than the rearview mirror, and the hitch lines up without having to play conductor with someone outside.

Bed View: keep an eye on your load without leaving the truck

You can confirm that your ATV is still properly strapped down without even stepping out at a rest stop. Bed View gives you a direct look into the cargo bed, accessible from the infotainment screen. It is useful to ensure nothing shifted on the way, or to guide the alignment of a fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch.

A quick glance at the screen, and you are back on the road with confidence.

Trailer Light Test: check your lights in seconds, without help

No need to yell your buddy to go to the back. Trailer Light Test makes the brake lights, flashers and other trailer lamps cycle automatically, right from the truck's screen or the myGMC app.

You can even stand behind the trailer yourself and confirm everything from your phone.

Faulty lights are not just a ticket. They are a real hazard for you and road users. This test takes a few seconds and helps you avoid unpleasant surprises.

Adaptive Cruise Control: designed to tow with confidence

A regular cruise control is not designed for towing. It can brake or accelerate too sharply when a trailer adds weight behind the truck. Adaptive Cruise Control with Trailering adjusts acceleration and braking to account for that extra mass for smoother, more predictable responses.

An icon appears on the dashboard to confirm that the trailering function is active. On long roads across Quebec, this sort of detail can make the difference between a tense trip and a pleasant one.

Which towing technologies are offered across GMC and Chevrolet models?

Availability varies by model and trim.

Transparent Trailer View is found on the Sierra 1500, Sierra Heavy Duty and certain Yukon models.

Trailer Light Test is offered on the Silverado and Sierra 1500, as well as HD 2500/3500 trucks.

Trailer Side Blind Zone Alert extends even to the Colorado and Canyon, while Super Cruise is appearing on more and more models, including the Sierra, Yukon and Acadia.

Because equipment differs from one model and trim to another, the best way to know what is fitted to the vehicle you are considering is to check with our team at Paillé.

Come try these technologies for yourself at Paillé GM

These technologies truly change the towing experience, but nothing beats trying them yourself.

Come see Transparent Trailer View in action. Try Hitch View while backing up to a trailer, or simply bring your questions to our team.

At Paillé GM, we know these systems as well as the trucks that carry them, and we get straight to the point to help you choose the one that will truly simplify your routes. Come see us. Your cottage adventures, your boat trips and your next long drive are waiting.