Hands-Free Towing? GM’s Super Cruise Makes It Possible—and Pleasant, Even
It's the first—and still only—hands-free system capable of towing. Here’s how it works.
Super Cruise isn't anything new. GM first introduced the driver assistance technology in 2017 on the Cadillac CT6 sedan (which has since been discontinued), followed by CT4, CT5, and (in 2021) the Escalade. The 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV was the first GM vehicle outside of Cadillac to be equipped with the Level 2 hands-free driving system, followed shortly by the Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Yukon, and Suburban. Today, 15 GM models around the world can be had with Super Cruise.
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When on an approved road (GM now says there are more than 450,000 miles of mapped and approved Super Cruise roads throughout the U.S. and Canada with more being added constantly) the system uses a suite of cameras, sensors, GPS, and high-definition maps to take over full control of the throttle, brakes, and steering to allow for truly hands-free driving. In 2022 Super Cruise became the first—and still only—hands-free driving system capable of towing a trailer. Here's how that works.
How Does the System Tow a Trailer?
Super Cruise can detect a trailer has been attached through either the electrical connection for the trailer brakes and lights or by sensing the trailer's presence via the short-range radar units it uses to monitor the truck's rear rearward blind spots. The vehicle then computes a rough guess at the gross combined weight (total weight of the vehicle, payload, and trailer combined) by comparing accelerator input to vehicle acceleration. This information is used to adjust the gap needed for safe braking distance when traffic is detected in front of the vehicle.
The Hands-Free Towing Experience
Wanting us to experience hands-free towing for ourselves, Chevy hitched a 24-foot enclosed utility trailer up to its 2024 Silverado High Country and invited us to give it a go. This wasn't our first time towing with Super Cruise (GMC has demonstrated the feature twice previously), but we weren't about to turn down the opportunity for more extended seat time with the feature.
Using Super Cruise with a trailer is no different than using it without one. While on an approved highway and with the adaptive cruise system enabled, a steering wheel icon will appear on the instrument panel when Super Cruise is available. Pressing the steering wheel-mounted button (with the image of a steering wheel on it) activates Super Cruise. When the indicator lights illuminate green, your hands can be removed from the steering wheel until the system requires driver intervention or the Super Cruise-capable road ends.
Super Cruise works exactly as advertised, even with a trailer in tow. Acceleration and braking events are smooth, and the additional distance the system leaves between the truck and traffic in front is enough to instill confidence that the truck and trailer would be able to adequately slow should things come to an unexpected halt. Traveling in the right-most lane brings an interesting challenge, with the system going into its "blue state" where the driver needed to retake control of steering when approaching merges from on-ramps or freeway transitions. Moving one lane over to the left alleviates this annoyance.
Without a trailer, Super Cruise tends to often bias the vehicle toward the inside of a curve, mimicking normal driver behavior. However, while towing, Super Cruise keeps the vehicle and trailer more centered in the lane. Because Super Cruise only functions on roads that have been mapped with high-definition lidar, the precise curvature of the road is known to the system, and that information is used to properly slow the vehicle before negotiating said turn. What it doesn't do, however, is adjust for traffic beside the vehicle. One of the only unsettling encounters using Super Cruise while towing is semi-truck creep. It's not unusual when towing to need adjust slightly in the lane to account for larger box trucks, buses, and semis traveling in adjacent lanes. At times, Super Cruise hesitates when these vehicles move alongside and, occasionally, into our truck's lane, leaving us with the choice of retaking full control or hoping the lane creeper moves back into its own lane.
One Super Cruise feature that isn't available while towing is the automated lane change function. Unladen, the current generation of Super Cruise is equipped with the ability to make lane changes and pass slower vehicles on its own or with a simple tap of the indicator stalk. With a trailer attached, the system's rear-facing radar is blocked, which leaves the system "blind" to faster-moving vehicles in other lanes, necessitating manual lane changes. Changing lanes with Super Cruise enabled is an easy task, though. As soon as the lane change indicator is activated the system readiness lights on the steering wheel will change from green to blue and the driver can move lanes. When the directional indicators are deactivated, Super Cruise will take over steering as soon as it is able.
What Vehicles Can Tow With Super Cruise?
Currently, all full-size body-on-frame GM vehicles equipped with Super Cruise have the ability to use the feature with a trailer in tow. This includes the 2021-present Cadillac Escalade along with the 2022-present Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe, and Suburban and the 2022-present GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL.
Is It Worth Towing With Super Cruise?
We tow thousands of miles every year and can certainly see the benefit of a feature like Super Cruise. On wide-open roads, using Super Cruise will surely result in less driver fatigue, though the jury is still out on the concept of letting go in dense traffic. For those who trailer often, the thought of letting go of control will be a bit unnerving at first. And there will be diehards who call blasphemy at the concept. But with a bit of trust and some hands-free miles behind the wheel, those who try it might not want to go back to towing the old-fashioned way.
Jason Gonderman was born and raised in sunny Southern California and grew up with subscriptions to 4-Wheel & Off-Road, Four Wheeler, and many other off-road magazines. The off-road bug bit hard after a summer building up a Baja Bug with friends to drive in the sand dunes of Glamis (Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area). After that it was over and he bought his first 4wd vehicle, a 1999 Ford Ranger that eventually transformed into a capable desert pre-runner and back-country adventurer. Jason has logged thousands of miles off-road in many different terrains and vehicles. He has raced the Baja 1000, participated in the Ultimate Adventure, and covered Top Truck Challenge, Diesel Power Challenge, Real Truck Club Challenge, and many other big name events. When not behind the computer Jason can be found fabricating truck parts, shooting short-course off-road races, riding dirt bikes with his wife, or participating in any sort of other 'extreme' activity.
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