Road train recovery
Breakdowns and accident damage on multi-trailer combinations, using recovery equipment rated for the full length and mass rather than improvised for it.
Multi-combination recovery
Road train and B-double recovery, trailer by trailer
Multi-combination vehicles cannot simply be hooked up and towed away. Splitting a set safely, in the right order, on a live road, is the whole skill.
24/7 dispatch · six depots across South East QLD · we quote before we roll
A B-double is two trailers, three articulation points and a braking system that has to be understood before anything is disconnected. A road train adds more of each. When one stops on a highway, the recovery is not one job — it is a sequence of jobs that has to happen in a particular order while traffic goes past.
Delta Heavy Towing recovers road trains and B-doubles across Brisbane, South East Queensland and the long-haul corridors beyond. We split sets, secure and move each trailer, recover the prime mover, and keep the freight intact through the whole process.
Our operators are trained specifically on multi-combination work, and our units are rated for the lengths and weights involved. Combined with NHVR compliance and TruckSafe accreditation, that means the recovery is legal as well as fast — which matters when the alternative is a compliance problem on top of a mechanical one.
What we handle
What multi-combination recovery involves
Six parts of the job, most of which happen before anything is towed anywhere.
B-double towing
Two-trailer sets moved around Brisbane and beyond. Our operators know the articulation points, brake plumbing and coupling arrangements on the common configurations.
Set splitting on site
Usually the first real decision. We uncouple in the safe order, secure each unit, and stage the moves so nothing is left unattended in a live lane.
Load handling
Freight stays the priority. Where the load can travel on its original trailer we keep it there; where it cannot, we arrange transfer with rated restraint.
Prime mover recovery
The failed truck itself, moved to your nominated repairer or one of our holding yards if the workshop is closed.
Traffic management
Our trucks carry their own signage and equipment, so lane closures and safety zones go up immediately rather than after a separate contractor arrives.
How it runs
How we work a multi-trailer recovery
On a highway, the order of operations is a safety decision before it is an efficiency one.
- Secure the scene
Traffic management first. Signage, cones and a safety zone before anyone works around the combination, and coordination with police or TMR where the incident warrants it.
- Assess the combination
What failed, what is still serviceable, what is loaded and how the weight is distributed across the set. That determines the split order.
- Split in the safe order
Uncoupling a loaded set on a gradient is not the same as doing it on a flat yard. Each unit is chocked and secured before the next connection comes apart.
- Move in stages
Trailers and prime mover recovered in sequence, with each unit either delivered or staged somewhere safe before the next leg starts.
- Clear and confirm
Site cleared, traffic management removed, and you get confirmation of where every unit and the freight has ended up.
Combination down on a highway?
Tell us the configuration, whether it is loaded and exactly where it is. We will get traffic management and the right recovery unit moving straight away.
Detail that matters
Why the equipment rating matters more here
A tow truck that can move a rigid is not automatically capable of handling a loaded multi-combination.
Length changes the geometry of a recovery, and mass changes what the equipment has to hold. On a loaded road train, the forces involved in an uncontrolled uncoupling are more than enough to injure someone, which is why the split sequence is planned rather than improvised.
Our heavy units are rated above 23 tonnes GVM, and for the recoveries that need lifting rather than dragging we bring the rotator. Operators are trained on the specific hazards of multi-combination work — not just on operating a heavy vehicle.
- Equipment rated for full-length, fully-loaded combinations
- Rotator available for lift-not-drag recoveries
- Operators trained specifically on multi-combination splitting
- TruckSafe accredited, NHVR compliant and fully insured
- Traffic management carried on the recovery unit
Straight answers
Questions operators ask
Can you recover a fully loaded road train?
Yes. We tow and recover heavy combinations of all sizes, with the method chosen according to the load and trailer configuration. For very heavy or awkward loads we assess first and select the equipment to match.
How fast do you respond around Brisbane?
Dispatch runs 24/7 and most Brisbane jobs are attended within the hour. Multi-combination incidents on motorways are prioritised because of the traffic and safety implications.
Do I need to arrange traffic control separately?
Not usually. Our recovery trucks carry traffic management equipment, so we can establish a safety zone on arrival instead of waiting for a separate contractor to attend first.
What happens to the freight during a split?
Where the load can stay on its original trailer, it does — that is almost always the lowest-risk option. If a trailer is not fit to travel, we arrange transfer with rated restraint and document the handling.
Do you handle oversize combinations as well?
Yes, including pilot and escort vehicles where permit conditions require them. See our over dimensional towing page for how those movements are planned.
Related services
Also worth a look
Heavy Haulage
Oversized and overweight moves with NHVR permits, pilot vehicles, route planning and compliance handled end to end.
Explore Heavy Haulage
Prime Movers & Trailers
Short-term, long-term and one-way prime mover hire with experienced operators, plus trailer recovery and transport.
Explore Prime Movers & Trailers
Heavy Vehicle Recovery
Accident recovery, rollover uprighting, off-road extraction and flood recovery, with the rotator other operators do not have.
Explore Heavy Vehicle RecoveryReading
Guides from the yard
Tow Truck Brisbane Southside: Coverage Areas and Response Times
Brisbane's southside stretches from the CBD across the river through Woolloongabba, down through Moorooka and Sunnybank, out to Logan, and south alon…
Read the article
The Complete Guide to Towing Services in Brisbane
Brisbane's towing market serves a city of 2.5 million people with trucks, buses, and commercial vehicles running through an extensive road network in…
Read the article
Heavy Tow Truck Fleet: Inside Delta Heavy Towing's Equipment
We get asked about our trucks regularly. Fleet managers want to know if we can handle their largest vehicle. Construction companies want to know if w…
Read the article