Getting unstuck....

Best thing you can do is get stuck next to a gravel pile (I actually did that in Montana, pulled off for a load check, and couldn't get going again - right next to a DOT pile of cinders.) If you choose not to do that, in mud you just have to sling the mud IF you can get down to hard ground. If there's no hard bottom, don't spin, or you'll just dig down to the axles. In a manual, you can rock back and forth judiciously and gain enough momentum to get out.

On ice, a bag of kitty litter / oil sorb / coarse crystal salt are all very helpful.

A good set of chains will work in both situations, but I doubt socks will do much in mud.

 

Good advice here.

 

I tossed down pallets once in a field at a sysco after trying to turn around on it got stuck, and also endured my first tractor jackknife which I broke creating the getting stuck in the first place. Took about 8 pallets in front of both drives, 4 to a side to reach pavement.

Those darn pallets are probably still there to this day about a foot down or more.

 

I got stuck at a shipper once in a ditch that was covered with snow. Under the snow was mud. Was able to throw the chains on, and slowly rotate the tires until I could get them hooked up. Took about 45 minutes of messing around, but I got out. The shipper didn’t care about my problems, but rather was more worried I may have broken their 2” plastic pipe for the hose.

In this situation there was no bottom to the mud. They had just sprinkled the rock on top of the dirt without compacting anything. That was a long, bad day. Was company equipment luckily. I’d never drive my own rig into that hole. Busted an axle attempting to get out.


Momentum from being able to rock back and forth is about the best thing you can have when stuck.

 

You were lucky to get out..... If there's no bottom any movement just makes you sink. Any movement in those situations has to be very deliberate and purposeful.

 

I keep a bag of ice melt and a bag of sand in the sleeper during the winter. Also a tow hook for the front frame worst case.

Not fool proof but can come in handy.

Edit: Also have several bottles of airline ice melt. Can be used to melt ice under your tires also.

 

I've been stuck a lot. Best advice is to throw a couple chains before going in. Some receivers might have the equipment to yank you out and will tell you go as far as you can. We push ready mix trucks with the dinne all the time.

You're in charge of the equipment. If it takes 20 minutes to throw chains it's better than 2 hours of waiting for a tow truck to winch you out.

If you're not looking at heavy duty running with chains on, meaning you need them to get in and out of a sticky area look for the square links. They're lighter and easier to throw on

 

if it looks real bad, I've contacted dispatch saying might need a tow out or not go in at all.

have refused to go in a few rat holes over the years.

that's as a company driver.