How Our Crew Uprighted an Overturned Semi on the Highway Shoulder

Job story · I-40 near mile marker 63

When a big truck goes over, it's a bad day for everybody: the driver, the company waiting on the load, and every car backed up on the highway. On this call, our crew was sent out to a red semi tractor lying on its side in the ditch next to the shoulder of I-40, near mile marker 63. Here's how the job went, start to finish, and what goes into a rollover recovery like this one.

First, make the scene safe

Before anybody touches a cable, the scene has to be safe. Traffic cones went out along the road, and the Sheriff's Department was on scene to help keep things safe. On a shoulder like this one, traffic keeps moving right next to you, so everyone working the job has to know where they're standing and where the cables will run.

Look before you lift

Next, the crew takes a good look at the truck: how it's lying, what the ground under it is like, and whether there's a load, fuel or fluids to deal with. On this one, the trailer was loaded with produce, so the crew had that extra weight to plan around too. Soft dirt and grass in a ditch can shift under the weight, so the plan has to account for that. Rushing this part is how a truck gets damaged a second time.

Rigging

With a plan in place, our two heavy wreckers set up on the road side of the truck and run winch lines down to it. On this job, we used two 35-ton wreckers to upright the truck. The lines are attached at strong points on the frame so the pull is spread out and controlled. In the video you can see the booms up and the cables running down to the tractor.

Uprighting, slow and steady

Then comes the part everyone wants to watch. The wreckers pull together, a little at a time, while a crew member on the ground keeps an eye on the truck and signals the operators. The truck rolls up off its side gradually until it settles back on its wheels. Slow is the whole point: a controlled lift keeps the cab, frame and anything inside from taking more damage.

Towing it off

Once the truck was back on its wheels, it was hooked up and brought up onto the road.

Why a heavy-recovery crew matters

A loaded semi can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Uprighting one isn't a job for a regular tow truck. It takes heavy wreckers, the right rigging, and operators who've done it before and know how a truck will move when it starts to come up. Done right, the truck often goes home in better shape and the road opens sooner. A&A Towing has been doing towing and recovery around Gallup and along I-40 since 1997.

What to do if your truck rolls over

• Get safe first. If you can get out safely, move well away from the truck and traffic.
• Call 911 if anyone is hurt, or if fuel or cargo is spilling.
• Call for heavy recovery: A&A Towing, (505) 862-7114, 24/7.
• Tell dispatch where you are (highway, mile marker or nearest exit), what you're driving, whether you're loaded and with what, and whether police are already there.
• Call your company or dispatcher and your insurance.
• Take photos of the scene if it's safe to do so.
• Don't try to move or unload the truck yourself. Let the crew assess it.