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Avoid Accidents with These Semi-Truck Winter Driving Tips

Avoid Accidents with These Semi-Truck Winter Driving Tips

by | Oct 18, 2023 | Ice Road, Recovery, Recovery Blog, Semi-Truck Accidents, Semi-Truck Towing, Semi-Truck Winter Driving Tips, Truck Accident

When you take your fleet out on the road over the winter months, you could face several different road conditions. In the Pacific Northwest, this unpredictable weather includes wet and heavy snowfalls that can decrease visibility, especially at night. Understanding how to navigate these roads will help you avoid semi-truck accidents, like this semi that found itself wrapped around a tree.

With winter on its way, here we share some essential semi-truck winter driving tips to help keep your drivers safe and trucks on the road.

Monitor Your Tire Pressure

In the winter and colder months, you must monitor your tire pressure. When the temperatures initially drop, your tires can lose a significant amount of pressure. Low tire pressure is a culprit for semi-truck accidents and poor fuel economy.

Slow Down

Driving slowly and carefully should go without saying. But whether you’re dealing with icy, slick roads, wet slush or low visibility due to heavy snowfall (or all of the above), do your best to drive slowly — that means slower than you usually would. Driving slowly and cautiously when going around corners in winter weather is especially important. Also, remember to give yourself more time to get to your destination. This way, you won’t feel as inclined to push the limits in winter driving conditions.

Leave More Space

One of the best semi-truck winter driving tips is to leave more space between you and other drivers when the roads aren’t good. If possible, double or triple the space you normally leave. Adding space between you and the vehicles ahead can be especially helpful if you don’t know the area you’re driving in. When you can anticipate a deep curve or a hill that might be coming up, it will help you prepare for it and avoid accidents.

Furthermore, if you’re in a passenger vehicle, give those semi-trucks lots of room! They take more time to slow down, turn, and accelerate – especially in winter driving conditions. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Call Team Pro-Tow 24/7

If you ever find yourself in an accident, your truck has fallen into a ditch, or you’re stuck in the snow, call Team Pro-Tow! As our name suggests, we’re the pros for hauling big rigs out of tricky situations. We can use a variety of special heavy-duty equipment, as well as highly-trained operators, to help you out!

Give us a call – we are available for emergency towing services 24 hours a day.

Throwback: Overturned Truck Recovery in Auburn, WA

Throwback: Overturned Truck Recovery in Auburn, WA

by | Oct 4, 2023 | Recovery, Recovery Blog, Truck Accident Recovery, Truck Recovery In Auburn, Truck Recovery In Spokane, Truck Towing

In this incident on January 28, 2017, a Hino box truck completely overturned on SR167 in Auburn, WA. This truck recovery in Auburn required the expert help of Team Pro-Tow. We arrived at the accident with our rigging equipment and assessed the scene. We decided the safest, quickest and best approach to rig the box truck to prevent further damage and open the roadway back up to traffic.

First, we rigged the bottom of the truck to pull it forward and place the vehicle back on its wheels. Once done, we loaded it onto the tow truck, safely transported it away from the scene and called this truck accident recovery complete!

Check out the video below to see how we did it!

Box Truck Loading Safety

When loading a box truck, it’s essential to distribute the load’s weight throughout the cargo box evenly. In addition, you must properly strapped down and secure the load within the box. Doing so avoids the risk of the weight shifting while driving and causing an imbalance. A sudden weight shift risks the truck tipping over when taking a turn and can cause an incident like the truck recovery in Auburn we mentioned above.

Drive Safely

How you drive also plays a significant role in preventing turnovers and accidents. Don’t take turns too sharply or quickly. Doing so can damage the wheel axles or the tires and compromise the box truck’s driving.

Likewise, drive extra slowly if the roads are slick from rain or ice. Whether the box truck is full or empty, a slippery road is a sure combination to cause an accident needing a truck accident recovery in Auburn.

When In Trouble, Call the Pros

Call the pros if you have a load shift problem, overturned truck, or damaged axles. Team Pro-Tow has the team, equipment and knowledge to help with any truck accident recovery. We can provide onsite or on-road repairs and tow your vehicle to our Motorplex shops in Auburn or Spokane.

 

Throwback: Overturned Truck Recovery in Auburn, WA

Revisited: Fully Loaded End Dump Truck Recovery

by | Sep 20, 2023 | Accident Recovery, Crane Lift, Crane Lift Recovery, Crane Lift Service, Crane Service, Dump Truck Recovery, Emergency Towing, Emergency Towing Service, Heavy Towing In Kirkland, Recovery Blog

In this incident on December 5th, 2016, an end dump truck weighing nearly 90,000 pounds and carrying wood debris rolled over on Interstate 405 North of Bellevue. Team Pro-Tow came to help with this dump truck recovery.

We arrived at the scene and immediately set up pylons around the accident to keep traffic and our team safe. We then assessed the situation and brought in our two heavy-duty trucks for the dump truck recovery. We placed straps around the vehicle and the axles and carefully began pulling upright again.

Once the truck’s body was up, we carefully straightened the dump truck’s end until it was positioned correctly again. Then we could haul it away, providing a quality service for heavy towing in Kirkland.

What is an End Dump Truck?

An end dump truck, such as the one involved in this accident, is a specific type of dumping trailer. It unloads by lifting its dump box, the large carrier it carries, and dumping from the rear of that box. You can identify an end dump with higher sides than its main body, which gives them a great capacity to handle larger loads or rough materials. In this case, the end dump truck was hauling wood debris.

How Much Can a Loaded Dump Truck Weigh?

The weight of a dump truck depends on what it is carrying and the dump truck itself. An aluminum end dump truck can carry anywhere from 23 to 28 tons but can also carry up to 30 tons.

Just as with any vehicle carrying a weight, end dump trucks can be overloaded and cause wear and tear to its components. That can lead to accidents, breakdowns and other risks. If that happens, call Pro-Tow for dump truck recovery.

Let Pro-Tow Do the Heavy Lifting

When you need help with heavy loads, heavy towing in Kirkland or any area or accident recovery support, call Pro-Tow. We have the equipment, skills, trained operators, and knowledge to get you and your heavy equipment out of sticky situations.

For emergency heavy truck recovery and other towing needs, call us!

We have locations in Maple Valley, Auburn, Spokane, and North Bend, WA. If you need emergency towing, crane lift services, or accident recovery, give us a call.

Be sure to check out our other incident reports on our Recovery Blog!

Flexing Our Muscles: How Much Can a Heavy-Duty Crane Style Wrecker Lift?

Flexing Our Muscles: How Much Can a Heavy-Duty Crane Style Wrecker Lift?

by | Sep 6, 2023 | Crane Lift, Crane Lift Recovery, Crane Lift Service, Crane Lift Services, Crane Service, Heavy-Duty Wrecker, Recovery Blog, Washington

If you follow our blog and social media, you’ve seen many photos of Team Pro-Tow lifting some pretty heavy trucks and equipment out of sticky situations! We operate heavy-duty crane-style wreckers for accident recoveries, equipment recoveries and crane lift services.

Ever wonder how much one of those bad boys can lift? Well, it depends on several factors. For example, it depends on the heavy-duty wrecker, the manufacturer and how they’ve configured the crane. However, it’s no doubt that wreckers can lift substantial weights.

Lifting Against 180,000 Pounds

Back in 2016, Team Pro-Tow worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers to rescue an escavator out of deep mud in unfavorable terrain. Four heavy-duty wreckers worked with dump trucks, loaders, bulldozers, and excavators to complete this recovery. We estimate that we used about 200 tons of tow truck capacity to get that out. We also estimate that we were pulling against 180,000 pounds.

You can read about that recovery here: Towing Against 180,000lbs of Resistance.

90,000 Pounds of Cargo

Okay, so that was what four heavy-duty wreckers could lift. How about just one? Depending on the equipment, we can raise over 75,000 lbs. Often, we provide crane lift services during accident recoveries when a truck has tipped its trailer over.

In this incident in 2015, we lifted a trailer loaded with 90,000 lbs of beer-battered onion rings! Fortunately, we did it quickly and supplied a backup generator to keep the cargo cool during the recovery. It was a heavy load and a tasty one too!

You can read about that recovery here: Semi-Truck Accident Recovery on a Busy Interchange, Northbend, WA.

What Factors to Consider

It’s important to note that various factors impact the actual lifting capacity of a wrecker. For example, the length of the boom, the angle it lifts the load, and the condition of the crane’s components. The operator’s skill and experience also play a crucial role in safely and effectively using the wrecker to lift heavy loads.

If you need crane lift services from Team Pro-Tow and our fleet of heavy-duty wreckers, call us. We offer 24-hour emergency services and can get your heavy vehicles and equipment out of whatever jam they’re in!

If you want crane services in Washington State, call on Pro-Tow. Whether it’s for a truck accident recovery or moving something heavy and awkward, we are up for it! We have locations in Auburn, Spokane, North Bend, and Maple Valley, serving all of Washington State.

With our commitment to safety, quality, and customer service, you can trust us to do the job right. Learn more about our crane lift services in Washington.

 

Safe Accident Recovery When Working Near Powerlines

Safe Accident Recovery When Working Near Powerlines

by | Aug 16, 2023 | Accident Recovery, Box Truck, Box Truck Accident, Powerline Safety, Recovery, Recovery Blog, Semi-Truck Accident

On August 6, 2019, Team Pro-Tow responded to an accident recovery call for a box truck that had hit a power pole on Highway 169 near Maple Valley, WA. Unfortunately, the truck was completely lodged into the power pole.

Powerline safety is critical when dealing with an accident with or near power equipment. In this case, we contacted the local utilities. They ensured the power pole was safe and that our accident recovery would not interfere with the line.

Once we got the go-ahead, we cut off the damaged cargo box and rigged up the truck. Then, we could lift the truck from the power pole and ditch using a three-point rigging system and our heavy-duty crane-style wrecker.

Read more about that box truck accident recovery.

Powerline Safety: What to Do If you Hit Power Equipment in Maple Valley?

Thankfully, this accident didn’t cause significant damage to the power pole or lines, so we safely extracted the vehicle from the scene. However, that is not always the case.
If you come across a vehicle accident that has struck power equipment or you see downed power lines, do the following:

  • Call 911 or the utility serving the location. In Maple Valley, that is Puget Sound Energy. Utility professionals and emergency personnel will handle the situation if it is deemed unsafe.
  • If you’re in the vehicle that has contacted the power equipment or have lines on your vehicle, stay in the vehicle. Do not exit until you know for sure the lines are de-energized.
    • If you MUST exit the vehicle, jump away from the vehicle, do not touch it, and land with both feet together. Touching the vehicle while stepping onto the ground can cause electrocution.
  • If you’re not in a vehicle, keep your distance. Stay at least 35 feet away and call for help.
  • If you’re driving by an accident, do not drive over or under downed power lines.
  • If you’re trying to move away from the accident on foot, shuffle away with your feet together, taking small shuffling steps until you are 35 feet away. Large steps can create a path for electricity to run through you.

If you have questions or want more information about powerline safety regarding motor vehicle accidents, contact your local electricity provider for resources.

Why You Should Not Attempt a DIY Tow

Why You Should Not Attempt a DIY Tow

by | Aug 2, 2023 | 24-Hour Towing Company, Emergency Towing, Emergency Towing Company, Emergency Towing Service, Recovery Blog, Towing Services

Have you ever considered a DIY tow if your car has broken down? Or even just a brief tow to move your fleet vehicle across the yard? Although it may seem like a cheap and easy solution, it’s not worth the risk it brings. Self-towing invites the risk of causing more damage and higher costs for repairs than calling a 24-hour towing company.

DIY Towing is Unsafe

DIY towing brings the risk of causing damage to car components to even the potential of causing an accident. It can also bring personal risk by causing bodily strain or injury. When your car needs a tow, it’s best to leave it to a 24-hour towing company with the operators and equipment to help. They’ll be able to provide the assistance required to keep you and your car safe without causing further damage.

Professionals Can Handle Any Scenario

An emergency towing company is equipped to handle any situation. They can ensure safety in any emergency situation with the right equipment and knowledge. Hiring a reputable company like Pro-Tow can make all the difference in a stressful situation. Most importantly, you will have peace of mind knowing your car or fleet vehicle is in the right hands. Pro-Tow is also a company you can rely on time and again for emergency towing and heavy fleet services.

It’s More Cost-Effective

While DIY may seem like a cost-effective way to save money, it’s not worth the overall risk. While hiring a company may seem like a higher cost, it saves more in the long run. A 24-hour towing company like Pro-Tow will tow your car without causing any more damage. They can also handle any repairs after towing, which will pay off in the long run with a vehicle that won’t break down.

When you need an emergency towing company, trust Pro-Tow to help.