Fallen Harvester

Accidents and breakdowns happen. Mistakes can be minimized with sound procedures, but human error is statistically unavoidable. When working with machinery that weighs many tonnes, slight miscalculations can lead to giant mistakes.

Such a mistake occurred on a quiet farm 800km west of Brisbane. It was a regular day, until a harvester crossing a narrow stretch of road turned a bit too far and crashed into a culvert. The farm was 200km from the nearest town and lacked the equipment to move a machine 4.3 meters wide.

Needless to say, the insurance company hoped to avoid the cost of hiring a crane and transporting the crane hundreds of kilometres. To supersede the need for a crane, the insurance company called Colpak.

Hydraulics were damaged and the brakes were locked. Operation logistics were thought out beforehand. Colpak purchased a hydraulic power pad before heading to the job site. Once there, the power pad was used to pump hydraulic fluid into the bake system to release the brakes. With the brakes released the harvester was able to be winched onto Colpak’s heavy haulage tilt tray trailer. The wide load required a pilot vehicle to escort the load back to Brisbane. The totalled machine was then sold at auction in Brisbane.

Through our unique ability to avoid the need to hire a crane, we saved the insurance company between $2000-$3,000 dollars. The job was done on demand and was completed quickly.

If you have a big or small tow job, Colpak stands at the ready to assist.