HGV Recovery
On Every UK Motorway

Recovering a heavy goods vehicle is a different discipline from car or van recovery. The weights involved, anything up to 44 tonnes for a standard articulated combination, mean that the wrong equipment or the wrong technique can make a difficult situation far worse. Our heavy recovery fleet includes rotator recovery vehicles, rigid underlift units, and heavy-duty low-loaders; the choice of which to deploy depends on the vehicle's condition, its position on the road, and what the load is.

Before any equipment is rigged, the operator conducts a detailed risk assessment. This covers the vehicle's axle configuration, the weight and nature of the load, whether the trailer is coupled or separated, and the condition of the road surface and verge. On motorways, heavy vehicle incidents almost always require traffic management, we can deploy cones and lane management boards and will coordinate with National Highways' regional control centres through the established incident management process. For hazardous goods vehicles carrying ADR-classified materials, operators with the relevant ADR awareness training lead the assessment, and the fire service is informed as a matter of procedure if there is any risk of spillage.

Cargo transfer is one of the more technically demanding aspects of HGV recovery. When a lorry cannot be moved with its load intact, because of weight distribution, vehicle damage, or road conditions, the cargo must be transferred to a relief vehicle at the roadside. We carry equipment for this and work with specialist hauliers when the load requires licensed or abnormal-load movement. Response times for HGV incidents are typically longer than for cars, reflecting the need to dispatch the correct heavy unit from the nearest suitable location. A quote covering vehicle recovery, any cargo transfer, and traffic management is agreed before work starts.