Winching a Truck Out of Deep Snow

If there is one thing Canadians are the most uncertain about, it’s the weather. One day it could be bright and sunny, and the next day we are hit with a big snowstorm. Most people can attest to what a blessing snow tires are when winter conditions turn ugly. From snow-covered streets to icy intersections, having snow tires greatly improves one’s control of their vehicle. Unfortunately, due to their sheer size and weight, trucks often fall prey to deep snow.

Our client, a Toronto-based tree maintenance company, had trouble getting their Freightliner M2 truck out of the snow. After finishing some landscaping work, the truck had descended down a muddy, snow covered grade from a forest down to the road. Unfortunately, during its slow descent, it lost control and ended up in a snow-covered grass ditch.

Abrams dispatched Alan Eadie to the scene. A heavy tow operator for the past 20 years, Alan’s has helped hundreds of medium and heavy trucks get out of dire situations. After arriving on scene, Alan positioned his truck in front of the M2 that needed to be winched.

Once positioned, Alan partially lowered the wrecker’s boom and pulled the wrecker’s winch cable to the stranded truck. Pulling the winch cable proved challenging due to the slippery tarmac and sheer tension of the cable. The winch cable was then attached to a recovery strap placed on the M2’s front right wheel.

The boom was then raised to provide an upward angle for the winch cable. Doing so allows the truck to be winched out without pulling too much of the impeding mud and snow. Alan then increased the winch cable’s tension and pull the M2 out slightly to change the winching angle.

Once the M2 was pulled out at the right angle, Alan removed the winch cable from the wheel and attached it to the truck’s axle instead. This provided the correct angle to winch the truck forward without pulling too much mud and snow. Alan instructed the stranded customer to steer the truck in the right direction as it was being winched. Alan winched the truck once more and successfully pulls the truck out of the mud. The winching operation was successful.

With Canada’s unpredictable weather and our dependence on heavy transportation, truck operators often depend on winch operators to get their trucks and buses out of immobile situations. That’s why Abrams provides winching services across Ontario and has offices in Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga, Oakville, Hamilton, Burlington, Markham, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Newmarket, Windsor, and Ottawa. If you require winch service, simply give us a call at (416) 398-2500 and our heavy tow operators will be happy to winch your truck out of the toughest situations, including heavy duty winch-out.