We see semi trailers on the roads every day. When they’re in working condition, moving them from A to B isn’t a complicated exercise. Once they’ve been in a major accident, safely transporting them on a tow truck becomes a more challenging exercise.
In the case of this trailer, there weren’t many functional parts left for us to work with. Still, nothing our team couldn’t handle.
What happened?
We arrived in Boonah to collect the wrecked trailer and transport it to the new location in South McLean. After arriving on site, it was clear this was going to be anything but a straightforward tow.
The trailer was facing the wrong way on a tight, dirt driveway that was only really fit for a 4WD. Having been dropped here after a serious crash, the landing gear was sheared off and the trailer had been on fire which also destroyed the tires.
With the nose of the trailer resting in the dirt, facing the wrong direction with no tyres, this was going to be slow going.
Getting the job done
To get this one done properly, we had a heavy wrecker, dual cab tow truck and support ute all arrive on the scene. We had a complicated job and, of course, a tough deadline to meet.First, we used our dual cab tow truck to lift the end of the trailer where the landing gear should have been. That gave us room to attach the dolly to the fifth wheel so at least one part of the trailer could roll.
The heavy wrecker’s crane was then used to lift the other end of the trailer, where the wheels should have been. Once it was up high enough, the heavy wrecker slid its towing arm underneath to lift the trailer up at the axles.
We now had both ends of the trailer secured and able to be moved. The problem was, the trailer was still facing the wrong way. Cue a slow, careful 3 point turn in a tight space with a truck and trailer measuring over 35m in length.
Once the trailer had been re-oriented, the final obstacle was getting the heavy wrecker and damaged trailer through the 200m of rough, heavily-rutted driveway to the main road.
After hours of coordination, teamwork and careful manoeuvring, the trailer was delivered safely to its new home in North Maclean. This process had to be completed again at the delivery point, totalling 10 hours from start to finish.
Hardly the type of towing job we see every day!