Turning a Box Truck Around

George L. Nitti 

What began as a routine appliance delivery turned into a long day on a dead-end road in rural Maryland after a loaded box truck became hopelessly mired while attempting to turn around. 

The delivery crew spent more than six hours trying to free the truck themselves. They jacked it up, stuffed boards and logs beneath the tires, and even rigged a come-along to a nearby tree. Instead of gaining traction, though, the repeated spinning dug the truck deeper until its fuel tank rested on the ground. 

With residents unable to access the road and the situation at a standstill, the county sheriff finally requested assistance through the police towing rotation. 

That call brought Vinny’s Towing & Recovery of Frederick, Maryland, to the scene. 

Owner and operator Vinny responded with a 2006 Peterbilt/25-ton Jerr-Dan wrecker. 

"When I got there, the first thing I noticed was the fuel tank sitting on the ground," he said. "Before I moved the truck at all, I had to get that tank lifted clear. The last thing I wanted was to rupture it and create a fuel spill." 

Rather than immediately pulling on the truck, Vinny evaluated the terrain and planned a sequence that would relieve pressure on the tank while gradually rotating the vehicle back toward the pavement. 

A large tree located directly behind the truck became a critical anchor point. Using a soft tree strap, snatch block and clevis, he redirected his winch line to the rear of the box truck. 

"It wasn't being used for extra pulling power," he explained. "It was simply a line redirection." 

The first pull gently lifted the truck out of the hole created by hours of spinning, raising the fuel tank safely off the ground. As the rear began to climb, Vinny simultaneously worked the front of the truck around, carefully easing tension on the rear line so the vehicle could pivot without dropping back into the ruts. 

To keep the truck from sinking again, additional material was placed into the deep holes left by the tires. 

Once the front had rotated far enough, Vinny repositioned his wrecker approximately 40 feet forward and attached a low line to the truck's front axle. The final pull brought the loaded box truck completely out of the ditch and back onto the asphalt. 

The truck, carrying approximately 18,000 pounds of appliances, was recovered without damage. 

The entire recovery took about an hour and a half, with another 30 minutes spent completing paperwork and payment. 

Although a larger rotator can often simplify recoveries in confined areas, Vinny said space limitations made that impractical. 

"If I can get a rotator in there, I'd rather use that than somebody's tree," he said. "But sometimes you've got to work with what the scene gives you. In a tight spot like this, the tree was the best option." 

After more than six hours of unsuccessful self-recovery attempts, the appliance truck drove away under its own power with no damage