[UPDATE 9:39 a.m.] Semi-Truck Now More Than Semi-Stuck, Blocks Entire Mattole Road
Semi truck stuck on tight curve south of Petrolia this morning. [Photo by Brian Barrick]
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Traffic Incident Information Page, the truck is now blocking the entire road about two miles south of Petrolia near Conklin Creek Road. Efforts to clear the road have been going on and off since the incident began at approximately 8:27 p.m. yesterday, but progress has been slow and are currently at a dead stop.
Attempts to secure a heavy-duty tow truck were unsuccessful as many local services were unable to handle the large vehicle at that time.
Currently, no traffic including emergency services such as fire and ambulance can pass.
It seems this semi, once only “semi-stuck,” is now fully committed to blocking the road. Stay tuned for further updates as the situation and, hopefully the semi, “unfolds.”
Remember, information from initial reports can change as more facts become available. Stay tuned for further updates as the situation develops.
UPDATE 9:39 a.m.: Buddy’s Towing has passed Ferndale and is en route.
Earlier: Semi-Truck ‘Stuck’ on the Wildcat Blocks Traffic
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The irony of “semi-stuck”
Not sure about the large tractor being pulled part. The trailer?
The truck can also be referred to as a tractor.
Towing a forklift maybe?
That rig is a tractor and semi-trailer combination. The ‘conventional’ or ‘long-nosed’ tractor pulling a long trailer with ‘west-coast’ duals makes maneuvering on ‘back roads’ a geometry puzzle. I remember back in the ’70s coming across 36 with my COE single drive axle tractor pulling a ’40 electronics van with ‘east coast’ tandems for my initiation into the Humboldt area. And I was a NY driver. BTW, one needs to always differentiate between rural NY and NYC!
The combination of a sharp turn in the same place as a steep rise with no shoulders and cliff on one side is something many truckers can’t seem to picture before they get here. IDY but dispatchers never quite believe it when they are warned. Or maybe they just don’t tell the drivers. They have a certain pride in their belief they can get a load anywhere.
As a fellow former NYer, I hear ya about the differentiation. I did notice the NY attitude – I’m not stuck… and you’re right about those spread axle trailers being a mystery as to which one they’re going to pivot on. Always makes backing up on uneven ground interesting.
Is that white vehicle behind him another semi?
It looks like they may have tried bringing in a smaller tractor truck to maybe change out tractors. Only way to do that would be to bring the smaller tractor in off the Honeydew side.
I foresee a Volvo tractor and trailer combination for sale cheap in the Petrolia area very soon.
“Last night, a semi-truck pulling a large tractor found itself in a tight spot…” I’m no trucker but I’m assuming this should read “Last night, a semi-truck pulling a large trailer found itself in a tight spot…” There’s some punning going on too complicating things.
Brings to mind a song… “take the long way home.”
Either that or someone wanted to visit the Cape and Fortuna via scenic drive.
I like the song “Take this Job and Show It.”
Definitely beats “keep your day job”
What is the load?
Could be building materials bound for the Scientologist’s secret underground installation.
That was completed some years ago. I go with the Honeydew bridge theory.
I wonder if that’s where David Miscavige’s Wife is.She has not been seen in 15 years.
Truck does not look stuck. Is it broke down??
Unable to make the turn, or back up = stuck.
Just get a bulldozer and push the piece of junk off the road. Drivers problem. Have a nice walk back to ny.
Off the road onto private property? Now it’s their problem too. Good thinking!
County right of way extends 13 ‘ either side of road.
That’s not always true
Ever been on that road? I’m guessing you haven’t. 5′ off the side will result in a 200′ roll down the hill or until the first tree it hits. Ergo, it’s become a property owner’s problem now. But do keep trying.
Lol
So if said driver would be smarter chalk his trailer tires disconnect and reconnect from a different angle he could free himself but a flat lander has no clue
He’s already at the maximum angle. Might back up and see if he can get the trailer tires over further to the side of the road. Flat-lander had come through a lot of stuff that would leave most truckers headed back home.
I was scratching my head trying to figure out why he would need to mark his tires before disconnecting, I am not trying to be “that guy” at all, but chock is the word.
Reminds me of a story that I heard about 40 years ago… A flatland driver was told to drive a semi up the Wildcat. He drove up to about this place and jackknifed and he QUIT the job and walked back to Ferndale… 😉
I was wondering why don’t they unload half that load onto another truck?
Maybe it would make it up the hill then I don’t know just I thought.
They might let a bit of air out of the tires. Little bit more traction.
But I dunno… in the current position the trailer might not make that corner.
Sometime in the past a truck carrying paint had a big spill on that chunk of road.
Gotta love google!!! Never need a map again… or the ability to read signs that say no trailers over a certain length. But he made it that far- so maybe he is almost to his destination.
Needs a big tow truck to set the back end of the trailer over. Oh well.
Meanwhile… (in the past).
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Big rig on the Kneeland-Bridgeville road, long trailer. Driver followed the GPS route. Bad.
Had made it down to the bridge over Larabee Creek. Turned around, smashed fences, and the no trespassing signs. Turned around and made it back to the hairpin turn.
As of 10:30 a.m., local reports are that the traffic cones have been removed and the big rig is heading to Honeydew, having cleared the Concrete Arch bridge near A.Way.
Those Trucks went Through my Neighborhood Yesterday in Mack. What are They Hauling. Not a Tractor. It’s a Tractor Trailer Rig. Tractor is the Truck by Slang.
I’m confused. The Wildcat, as I understand it, ends at Cape Mendocino. From there on, it’s just Mattole Rd. Also, there are no uphill horseshoe bends near Conklin Cr Rd. So, where was he stuck?
I just read another article in today’s RHBB. The truck got stuck on the S’s just south of CAPETOWN! Not Petrolia or anywhere close to Conklin Cr Rd.
Now I’m reading the truck got stuck south of Petrolia at Shenanigan. Geography lessons anyone?
First it was indeed stuck on the Wildcat near Capetown. Then early this morn was stuck below the dump on Shenanigan. This is the one that AI– or people’s minds, overly influenced by AI, perhaps– saw as “close to Conklin Creek” whatever… it’s across the river, so as the crow flies or on a map, not far away. Never mind that it would be several miles to drive to it.
>”Then early this morn was stuck below the dump on Shenanigan…”
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I figured that was the next place to get stuck. That up hill corner is probably worse than the Capetown corner.
Once he’s free of that… it’s pretty easy-peasy.
To quote someone from another Mattole thread: “Same semi now blocking Shananigan by old Nashville road!”
Apparently there are two semis, a (stuck) red one and also a white one nearby and this is all headed to the Honeydew bridge construction. Seems there was an apparent misunderstanding on the route the truckers were supposed to take; Bull Creek and are working to get turned around.
It’s still Mattole/Capetown Rd. Wildcat name I used to think ended at the top of the.. well…the hill, but it changes name barely up from Ferndale and splits off on its own.
My understanding is that officially it’s Mattole Road from Ferndale all the way through Petrolia and Honeydew to 101. Ferndale to Honeydew is called Wildcat, Honeydew to 101 is called Bull Creek. I could be wrong. It happens. Some just consider the ridge, as you say, Ferndale to Cape Mendocino or more correctly, Ocean House, as the Wildcat
The wildcat is from ferndale to bunker hill period. The rest of the road is called mattole rd.and bullcreek is where the old town of bullcreek was before the park ran them out by Rockafellar forest, you can go either the bullcreek way or the wildcat way.And then there’s the wilder ridge way which is pronouce will-der not wilder.
Buddy’s Towing will get this figured out. It’s a pretty common problem on our backroads.
All they need is a crane truck to pick up the rear of the trailer and reposition it so it will follow the truck around the corner….Duh!! It’s not rocket science
You ever drive that road? Neither did the truck driver.
Too bad the driver didn’t check the comments section – as we’ve had a half-dozen or more simple suggestions on how to unstick the semi truck and trailer.
Unfortunately most or all of the suggestions fail to account for the physical geometry of the situation.
Pivot!
Pivot!
PI-VOT!!