In this incident, on October 28th, 2020, A tractor-trailer had overturned on the onramp to WB SR18 and needed two heavy-duty recovery wreckers to help with this emergency incident response. We sent the requested equipment to the scene and then reported to the incident command post for further scene evaluation. We found that motor vehicle fluid was leaking onto the roadway and under the container. Once we got authorization from the driver’s agent, we began our truck accident recovery work.

Pro-Enviro also came to the scene with special equipment to handle the spill, including a flatbed tow truck, dump trailer, and compact track loader with specialized attachments. After some calculations, we needed even more specialized equipment. We called for a heavy-duty Landoll and another heavy-duty recovery wrecker to handle this recovery.

Truck Accident Recovery Process Begins

With the necessary equipment all ready, our team first disconnected the frame from the overturned container. Instead of righting the container, we decided to transport it on its side on the Landoll trailer. We carefully calculated the container’s condition, location, weight, and unknown cargo to make sure we could do the truck accident recovery safely.

Once the container was detached, we successfully righted the tractor and set it up for transport to a safe location while the emergency incident response work continued. Using a heavy-duty rotating crane style wrecker, we performed an overhead crane lift. We then prepared to load the container onto the Landoll. For added safety we installed specialty rigging to help with the limit for safe working loads.

We successfully lifted the container but a new problem arose as the refrigerator fuel tank began to steam. We immediately deployed our recovery personnel to begin safe control measures to contain the new leak. Once it was safely contained, our team finished loading the suspended container and safely secured it, finalizing our emergency incident response. While our team moved the container and tractor to our secure storage yard, Pro-Enviro continued the roadway’s extensive cleanup work.

Measures to Save The Cargo

Even at the storage yard, there was more work to do to complete the job. During the set-up for a safe unload and righting of the container, it began to bulge on one side and make noises immediately deemed unsafe. To prevent the risk of bursting, we left the container until morning when our team could have better light to revaluate the final steps of the truck accident recovery.

Crawford and Co., the insurance company, requested extraordinary measures to save the cargo inside the container. With authorization, we did a temperature test and visual inspection. We found the cargo was still frozen, so there was still a chance to save it. Our skilled team safely lifted the container without further damage. The customer supplied the necessary chassis with a power unit to power the refrigerated unit once again. A service tech handled the installation for us and continued to do service calls to ensure everything remained frozen.

Despite being a much more involved job, our team handled it safely and thoroughly. A successful truck accident recovery complete, with the cargo saved too!

If you require truck accident recovery, give Pro-tow 24-Hour Towing a call.

In this incident, on September 6th, 2020, Pro-Tow responded to an emergency dispatch for a truck and trailer overturned into a ditch in Sumner, WA. The fully loaded truck was leaking oil and diesel fuel and was blocking the roadway. We had to get there with Pro-Enviro Motor Vehicle Spill Response as soon as possible.

We sent in our HD rotating crane style wrecker and heavy-duty recovery wrecker for the job. Once on-site, we talked with the incident command post to assess the situation. Two immediate risks were a running, fish-bearing stream on the other side of the roadway and a storm drain within 100 feet. Contaminations of either of these would be hazardous, so we moved quickly on this truck accident recovery.

An assessment of the trailer found diesel fuel, coolant, and hydraulic oil dribbling from the tank. The spill recovery required was extensive.

The trailer itself was also carrying various cargo, including what appeared to be 31 tons of salt like substance. The heavily damaged trailer had become stuck in the embankment, alongside trees and the ditch. We called for additional equipment, including a compact track loader, flatbed tow truck, major incident special equipment support vehicle, and extra hands.

Truck Accident Recovery

Our Pro-Tow team worked with the Sumner Police Department and City of Sumner Public Works to authorize our recovery plan. Once given the authorization, we began our work.

Using rigging, we dislodged the trailer’s rear from the muddy embankment and then emptied the trailer load. The emptying process continued with the help of our rotator. Then, using recovery wreckers, we began the safe process of rightening the truck. This process was extra complicated as the roadway barely had a shoulder and a very narrow hairpin turn. The road began to fail during the process, so we installed additional ground bearing to increase the truck accident recovery process’s safety. This action helped to further damage to the roadway.

With our attention to safety, the truck was successfully rightened and ready to prepare for heavy-duty towing to the storage yard. All necessary equipment was reconditioned and returned to the original locations, prepared for the next call.

Team Pro-Enviro then handled spill recovery cleaning for the roadway of the spilled fuel, oil, and cargo products. They also tackled the extensive cleanup of the ditch spill, which had leaked during the truck recovery.

All Nighter

Our qualified professionals continued to work tirelessly, continuing the work with a 4-hour calling process to coordinate with various people and companies. It turns out the salt-like substance that spilled from the trailer was livestock feed. We got a good-faith estimate from the truck owner and found a local dairy farmer willing to take a substantial amount of the animal feed for their lucky cows. We then obtained the necessary soil samples for testing and continued to work through the next morning until we finished the cleanup. Our team finalized all the required paperwork, reconditioned any final equipment, and got the all-clear call.

Team Pro-Tow and Team Pro-Enviro complete another heavy-duty towing and spill recovery job successfully!

If you require truck accident recovery, give Pro-tow 24-Hour Towing a call.