Semi in a ditch

[George]

I just came on these pictures from last fall. One of the employees ( a real good hand ) tried to save about 2 miles by taking a side road. When the right trailer wheels dropped in the ditch the weight ( about 96,000# ) lifted the left drive axels off the ground.

My son and daughter in law were not happy as the trailer was less than 30 days old and looked to be totaled.

They called a local wrecker company who told them they would need 3 semi rotator wreckers to get it out at $350.00 per hour each with a 2 hour minimum each and they would not be available for about 6 hours.

I had them hold an 8" X8" cedar post up to the steel frame and ran 3/4" retriever chains around the frame, under the post ( to keep the chain off the aluminum frame ) and back to my bucket. That way the chains lifted the post up to the steel frame and then lifted the trailer.

I had the driver put the truck in neutral and I lifted and pulled slowly and put him back on the road.

The trailer straightened completely, you could never tell it had been in a twist.

All the bystanders told me I could never lift that much and I will tell you the 980 Cat weighs 66,000# and the rear end kept lifting as I applied power but there was no damage and no wrecker bill!

In the second picture I'm in the blue uniform, my son is in the white t shirt and the driver is in the red sleveless shirt.

 

[Faster horses]

I hope they bought you supper for that good deed, George.

 

[tenbach79]

So the guy that puts the trailer in the ditch, stands around with his hands in his pocket and watches everyone else fix his problem. Looks like to me it wasn't a very wide intersection.

Are they still using the trailer?

 

[George]

Yes it is a very narrow intersection and yes the trailer got used the rest of fall and will go back in service soon I hope!

 

[Doug Thorson]

There are times it fits

"I have done so much for so long with so little that I can do practically anything with almost nothing"

 

[Silver]

It's good when a plan works and money is saved. Common sense, a little thinking outside the box, with a little ingenuity thrown in can go a long ways.

 

[NUFFIELD]

that is some loader. what does it lift, guess about 10 ton

 

[floyd]

Looks like one of those which end do I put in the ditch intersections.

 

[George]

I have two 980 Cats and a full bucket of "Engineering fill" weighs 14 tons - - - the loaders don't even know 14 tons is there - - - I feel I was lifting about 20 tons and the hydrolics were fine with it but when I went into reverse the rear end wanted to come up with any but the smallest amount of throttle I could apply.

By just babying it along it came back and I sat it on the road.

These 980s ( 6.5 Cu Yd buckets ) are the biggest loaders I own but I have run a 992 Cat with a 13 cu yd bucket and a 994 with a 24 cu yd bucket - - - the 994 uses up to 100 gal of diesel fuel an hour!

With my 980s I put a legal load on a tri axel in 2 full buckets but most of the time I just run in the pile and back out so it takes 3 part buckets. That is quicker than powering in to get a full bucket and I feel it is easier on the equipment. When you figure new tires at about $3,900.00 @ I don't like to see them spinning unless needed.

 

[jedstivers]

Good thing it was a Wilson. They are tough.

 

[George]

Here is a close up of the loader I used with my " super model " daughter posing!

Here is another 980 that is 3 years older with my daughter again as well as one of our dogs.

She has grown up now and if you go to www.greensboro-sand-gravel.com you can see her in her Dress Blues!

 

[NUFFIELD]

thanks for photos of loaders george. we have a cat it 12 here on the farm. handy machine,but noisy.You have them is smart order