When a 40-ton semi-truck overturns on I-880 or a tour bus breaks down in downtown San Francisco, standard towing equipment simply won't do the job. Heavy duty recovery requires specialized equipment, trained operators, and experience handling the Bay Area's most challenging recovery scenarios.
What Is Heavy Duty Recovery?
Heavy duty recovery goes beyond towing. It's the specialized process of recovering, uprighting, and transporting vehicles that exceed 26,000 lbs GVWR—semi-trucks, buses, construction equipment, and other large commercial vehicles that require serious equipment and expertise.
- Semi-trucks and tractor-trailers (loaded and empty)
- Charter buses, school buses, and transit vehicles
- Excavators, cranes, and construction equipment
- Shipping containers and heavy cargo
Equipment We Use
Rotator Cranes
75-ton capacity with 360° rotation for complex recoveries
Heavy Wreckers
50-ton integrated boom trucks for standard heavy towing
Air Cushion Systems
For lifting overturned vehicles without causing further damage
Landoll Trailers
50-ton capacity for equipment transport
What We Can Do Today
- Recover overturned semi-trucks
- Extract vehicles from water/ditches
- Handle hazmat cargo situations
- Coordinate multi-vehicle incidents
- Provide 24/7 emergency response
What We Cannot Do
- ✗Recover sunken vessels
- ✗Handle nuclear/radioactive materials
- ✗Provide crane service for construction (towing only)
Common Recovery Scenarios
Recovery Types We Handle
- Jackknifed tractor-trailers on highways
- Overturned semi-trucks and buses
- Vehicles in ditches, embankments, or water
- Bridge and overpass incidents
- Multi-vehicle commercial accidents
- Construction equipment breakdowns
The Recovery Process
Scene Assessment
Our team evaluates vehicle position, weight, cargo, and environmental factors.
Safety Setup
Traffic control, stabilization, and hazard mitigation before recovery begins.
Recovery Execution
Using appropriate equipment to safely upright and extract the vehicle.
Site Cleanup
Debris removal, fluid cleanup, and road surface inspection.
Transport
Moving the vehicle to repair facility or designated location.