Big Sky for a Big, Long Distance, Recovery

By George L. Nitti

While having dinner at Chuck E. Cheese in Midland-Odessa, Texas, Travis Turner, lead operator of family-owned and operated Big Sky Towing, was called by crane company TNT to assist in a recovery 200 miles away. 

Travis recounted: “The crane company called and said, ‘We rolled one of our cranes about six hours ago. There’s a tow company working on it. Once they get it uprighted, can you tow it in?’” 

Big Sky is used to traveling long distances for big recoveries. Travis responded in the affirmative, hoping to grab the crane the following morning. However, it was not to be. The crane company was beginning to have doubts that the company working the recovery would get it successfully overturned. 

After previewing pictures sent to him, Travis feared for the worst.  

He said, “I’ve messed with these cranes and know what it takes to get them over. The tow company had been out there six to seven hours and they still couldn’t get it flipped over.  Their booms didn’t reach far enough, their rigging didn’t look right, and their trucks were too small for the job: Two 35-ton wreckers and a 25 ton.” 

Getting ready to leave Chuck E. Cheese, Travis informed that the crane company called back, reporting the tow company “just broke some winch lines and they were packing up and leaving.”  

Travis called the Del Rio police department to notify them that they were on their way and asked B & B Wrecker Service of Pecos to assist in the recovery with their 1050 Rotator. Pulling out of their tow yard around 9 p.m., Big Sky brought their two 50-ton wreckers, a V103 Vulcan and their Century 9055. Around 3 a.m. in the morning, Big Sky rolled into town, arriving after a long night’s travel through the open Texas landscape. Nearing Del Rio, Travis said, “It’s a little two-lane road. It’s curvy and it cuts in and out through the hills and valleys. I wouldn’t call it mountains but there are rock faces on either side.” 

The crane lay toppled over on the two-lane highway, leaving little room on both sides of the road for the tow operators to maneuver their units. Travis informed, “On both sides of the road, there were dangerous 4-foot drop offs mountainside and unleveled ground. It took us 40 minutes to position our trucks and another couple of hours before we were able to get it up.” 

Ideally it would have been best if the units were T-boned against the crane, informed Travis. He said, “We were set up in a kind of sling shot. We were trying to do a reverse roll on the crane, but you really need to be in a T-bone position for that.” 

As they lifted the crane, Travis said their booms were pushed to the limits and that the rotator started to float. He said, “My boom was being forced to the left and his was booming out to the right. It was causing the rotator to float and if you are past your limitation and you keep going, you could flip." Making the recovery more difficult was that the crane would not come over as the dollies were holding it down. But thankfully, the tow operators finally got it up. After cleaning the scene, Travis informed that he was hooked to the crane at 11 a.m and ready to head back to Midland-Odessa. On their way, they would treat themselves to a Dairy Queen and joke when they saw another TNT crane going back to Del Rio. "I guess they are going to try it again."

Show Yours @ TIW

Do you have a recovery to share with TIW readers? Send some pics and info to our Field Editor George L. Nitti at georgenitti@gmail.com; your story may even be selected for print in American Towman Magazine!