Long haul truckers and heavy load drivers know the dangers of piloting a big rig through the American Midwest. In the summer season, freak storms can bring gale-force winds that rock a semi-trailer violently on the road. In the winter, snow and ice make for numerous dangerous road hazards. All of these things have the potential of ending dramatically: with a semi-truck on its side.
If you’ve ever seen a semi-truck on its side, you may have wondered to yourself how the professionals get it right-side up again for towing in Williston, ND. It’s not like a car, which can be pulled back onto its wheels by a tow truck! Semi-trucks and other Class 8 vehicles are much bigger, weigh much more and have hugely different proportions, making them harder to set right before the tow truck comes.
The solution to getting a truck back on its wheels is called “air bag recovery.” This process has nothing to do with the air bags that are a safety feature in your cabin—rather, it involves inflating a huge air bag under a semi-truck to help force it back up!
How it works
The concept behind air bag recovery is simple: it’s all about leverage. If a semi falls onto its side or into a ditch, a huge inflatable balloon is threaded below it, between the truck and the ground. Using compressed air to inflate the balloon, the pressure slowly forces the truck onto an angle. The more air pushed in, the more the angle of the truck rises, until it hits the point where it’s able to gently tip back onto its wheels.
Now, you might ask, why not just brace the fallen truck, loop a rope around it and haul it up with a few good engine revs? Well, for starters, this has a number of dangerous prospects. Too much force can create momentum when raising a fallen semi, causing it to rock and tip over the other way! It can also damage the frame of a truck while it’s being raised. Simply put, a slow, gentle leverage flip is best.
Versatility for any situation
Another great thing about air beg recovery is the versatility it affords towing in Williston, ND. Whether a truck is flat on its side, partially in a ditch, stranded at an odd angle or completely flipped, air bag recovery is effective at putting it back upright. Because the air bag can be inflated as much or as little as demanded by the situation, it’s a one-size-fits-all solution for most delicate semi recoveries.
If you’re ever wondering how a downed semi is able to get back upright for safe towing, remember the power a little leverage can have. This tactical, delicate approach is far more effective than rigging up a chain and pulling, and can be applied to virtually any semi for maximum effect. It’s why Chaney Total Auto & Exhaust Repair is so effective when it comes to semi-truck recovery and towing in Williston, ND!