Rolling Steel and Rising Temperatures: Copper Spill Recovery in Gastonia

By George L. Nitti 

When a tractor-trailer loaded with loose copper shavings overturned while attempting to beat a red light on Highway 321 in Gastonia, NC, Michael Bridges and his team at Stanley Truck & Auto stepped in to handle what became a grueling, daylong recovery operation under extreme heat. 

Bridges described the wreck as a high-heat, high-stakes challenge. The trailer’s unsecured load had shifted, compromising its thin aluminum sidewalls. To avoid further damage and ensure the load’s salvageability for the shipper and insurer, the entire cargo had to be offloaded before the vehicle could be uprighted. 

“We brought in 2 roll-off containers just to preserve the load,” Bridges said. “Everything had to be carefully removed and secured.” 

With temperatures soaring past 100 degrees—and the heat index pushing above 110—the team worked for more than eight hours on site. Alongside a full hazmat response team, Stanley Truck & Auto deployed an impressive lineup of equipment: a 50-ton rotator, a second 50-ton heavy-duty wrecker with side-pull capability, a 16-ton medium-duty unit, two Freightliner M2 rollbacks, and skid steers equipped with brooms and bucket attachments. 

Edward Hands Jr., the company’s lead rotator operator, directed the physical recovery. Bridges, meanwhile, served as the operation’s coordinator, managing on-site logistics, maintaining communication with police, and ensuring the crew’s safety. 

“Communication is key,” Bridges emphasized. “That’s where I come in—making sure the operation runs safely and smoothly. Towing operators are great at what they do, but under pressure, we’re not always the best communicators.” 

The company’s roots stretch back to 1997, when Michael’s father, a longtime mechanic in Stanley, NC, bought his first tow truck and expanded his repair shop into a towing operation. Today, Stanley Truck & Auto runs two locations and a fleet of 16 trucks, offering everything from equipment transport to emergency recovery across Gaston County and surrounding areas. 

Deeply invested in the future of the industry, the company regularly participates in national tow shows and specialized training, including Miller’s rotator school in Chattanooga and advanced hazmat response programs. They’re active members of both the North Carolina Towing and Recovery Professionals Association and the national TRAA, advocating for stronger policy, safety, and education across the profession. 

From starting with a single truck to managing complex recoveries like this one, Stanley Truck & Auto has proven itself by serving the industry—one recovery at a time.