Yes, You Can Tow Quite Well With Super Cruise

There has been a lot of discussion in the last several years about hands-free, automated, or self-driving vehicles. Amidst all the drama and controversy about “robo-taxis,” leave it to GM to determine the wisest place for hands-free driving is on the open highway. Access to road entry is limited; there are few pedestrians, infrequent, if any, cross traffic, and almost none of the constant random hazards in urban driving that can confuse the most sophisticated algorithm. Not only is there far less to process, but that very lack of processing can make long-distance driving tedious, where you wouldn’t mind the vehicle taking over for a while.

That was surely the thinking behind GM’s award-winning Super Cruise system, which has mapped out over 400,000 miles for potential hands-free driving. If you do most of your long-distance driving towing a trailer, Krusen Motors assures you that Super Cruise still works. Motor1 was curious to know how well it worked and tested it for themselves.

The Super Cruise Trailering System

Not all models equipped with Super Cruise also have Super Cruise Trailering. You will find it on the upper-level grades of model lines frequently used for towing, such as the Suburban, Yukon XL, Tahoe, Yukon, Silverado, Sierra 1500, and HD models. The system will be compatible with each model’s maximum towing capacity. Motor1.com secured a 2024 Silverado 1500 High Country for their test and hooked it up with an enclosed 22-foot trailer weighing about 3,500 pounds. While the most common use for the Super Cruise Trailering is on the open highway, Motor1 chose to challenge the system by running on the Los Angeles 105 freeway. This busy road runs right alongside Los Angeles International Airport. It includes three freeway interchanges in close proximity, as well as shifting carpool lanes, occasional lane closures, and, of course, congestion. The verdict in their words: “The Silverado came through it without a single hiccup.”

Using Super Cruise

Engaging Super Cruise is not complicated, but it has a process. Upon entering a highway that GM has mapped, a gray steering wheel icon will appear on the instrument cluster. Pressing the Super Cruise button on the steering wheel will turn that light and a line of LEDs on the top of the steering wheel a blue color while the system prepares to engage. When it is ready, both the dash and steering wheel lights turn green. After that, you are free to remove your hands from the wheel and your right foot from the pedal. The process works the same when a trailer is in tow, but there are some subsequent differences. 

Super Cruise Trailering includes sensors to detect the trailer's weight, which is considered when maintaining a proper brake-safe distance from a vehicle ahead. Unlike standard Super Cruise, Super Cruise Trailering will not automatically change lanes to pass a slower vehicle after you engage the turn signal. Instead, when you use the turn signal, models with the surround-view camera (which is often on the same spec as a model with Super Cruise Trailering) will display a blind spot view of the appropriate lane on the center screen and overlay a red area on the lane representing the length of both the truck and trailer. This helps you know when it is safe to enter the lane. 

When Super Cruise Will Not Work

The system works for speeds up to 85 mpg, which is an appropriate top speed when towing. The driver is still expected to pay attention, and the system will prompt the driver to take over when needed. This can be when current or recent construction creates confused lane markings, poorly lit lane markings at night, or, in the case of the Motor1.com test, when a driver abruptly cuts in front of the vehicle. Heavy rain, snow, snow-covered roads, or anything else that obscures lane markings will also have the system defer to the driver. 

So, if you were wondering if Super Cruise can work when towing, the answer is yes if the model has the Super Cruise Trailering system. Visit Krusen Motorsandask one of our sales professionals to show you the models with the Super Cruise Trailering system. And may all your Cruising be Super!