WreckMaster Blog - WreckMaster Challenge

[JustinCruse]

While traveling down the interstate a driver of a full size dually 4x4 pick up pulling an enclosed 24-foot cargo trailer hit a piece of debris in the road, causing their right front steer tire to blow out and pull the pickup and trailer into the right-side ditch.

The ditch is soft from rain that has occurred in the area over the last week. The driver was able to check the vehicle upright during the accident.

The State Patrol arrives on the scene to handle the incident. The Trooper on scene requests a tow truck to be dispatched to the scene to recover the unit from the ditch, advising the tow company the truck has a flat right-front tire that will need to be replaced or the unit will need to be transported from the scene.

Upon your arrival on the scene, you advise the trooper you will survey the scene then report back them your plan to recover the causality. You are dispatched to the scene in a medium wrecker equipped with a winch brake with a front axle weight of 5,890 lbs. The rear axle weighs 19,740 lbs. The medium wrecker has a wheelbase of 205 inches. This recovery unit is equipped with 1/2 wire rope with a working load limit of 5,900 lbs.

During your walk around you discover the front axle weighs 4,480 lbs with the right front tire flat. The rear axle has a weight of 7,122 lbs. The trailer has a curb weight of 3,426 lbs. The driver shows you an invoice that there are 6,276 lbs of flooring tile inside the trailer with an assortment of tools used to install the tile.

While performing your walk around, you notice the path to bring the units out of the ditch is extremely soft without any type of incline. The trucks front axle is mired to tire depth. The rear axle on the truck is mired to body depth. The trailer axles are on a soft surface with trailer axles sitting on the ground.

After doing the calculations for the resistance to perform the recovery, what is the total resistance needed to overcome?

If the tow truck on the scene is able to perform the recovery, how many lines to the load would be required?

Is the tow truck on scene able to anchor effectively?

If the truck is able to perform the recovery, will the tow truck be able to transport the units from the scene and maintain tow capacity with an overhang of 90 inches?

If able to stay withing tow capacity, will the tow truck have enough braking capacity?

Add your answers in the comments and watch for the answers next month!

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