Heavy Duty Towing in Jellico, TN

Heavy Duty Towing in Jellico is a winter business first. I-75 climbs to more than 2,000 feet on Jellico Mountain here, the highest point on its route according to Wikipedia. Jellico is in Campbell County on the Kentucky border, about 58 miles north of Knoxville by road, with 2,154 people at the 2020 census. Call (865) 339-3202 when a truck, bus or RV is stuck. Dispatch answers 24/7 and gives an honest arrival estimate on the call.

The grade

Tennessee has the shortest stretch of I-75 of any of its six states, at 161.86 miles. The last part of that stretch is the Jellico Mountain climb, which the I-75 article describes as ending with a truck climbing lane for the final ascent. Northbound, that lane ends at the peak. Southbound, the article describes a steep descent off the mountain, which starts the transition into the Cumberland Plateau region.

Heavy units struggle in both directions. Loaded trucks climbing in cold weather lose speed. Trucks coming down on wet or icy pavement can lose control. A tractor-trailer, a loaded dump truck or a motorcoach that goes off the road on a mountain may need much more than a quick hook-up.

A real example

On March 12, 2022, a serious multi-vehicle crash involving several tractor-trailers closed most of I-75 on Jellico Mountain between mile markers 157 and 159. WYMT reported that the area had at least 5 inches of snow overnight and that the road was reduced to one lane. If you are in that section, mile markers matter. Give us yours and your direction before anything else.

Exit 160 and US 25W

Exit 160 on I-75 is US 25W (SR 9) to Jellico, at mile 158.14 on the exit list. US 25W runs through town on North Main and 5th streets, linking Jellico to the interstate and to Corbin, Kentucky. SR 297, South Main Street, runs southwest to Huntsville. The Tennessee-Kentucky line forms the city's northern boundary, although homes and businesses sit on both sides of it. If you are not sure which state you are in, tell us the last exit number you saw.

Coal, rail and old disasters

Jellico was founded as Smithburg in 1878 and renamed in 1883. It was incorporated on March 7, 1883. High-quality bituminous coal was found in the Jellico Mountains in the early 1880s, railroad tracks arrived in 1883 and coal mines soon followed. On July 6, 1944, a troop train derailed at High Cliff, killing 35 people. The town's Main Street district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Jellico Commercial Historic District in 1999. Indian Mountain State Park was built on a reclaimed strip mine in 1971.

Equipment for mountain recoveries

Mountain jobs often call for more than one truck. Typical tools are heavy wreckers, underlifts for box trucks and buses, winch lines for pulling units up from a slope, air cushions for lifting tipped trailers, and a rotator when a rollover has to be turned upright. Traffic control matters more here than usual, because a closed lane on I-75 at the state line backs up in a hurry.

What we need from you

• Direction of travel and mile marker. If you cannot see a marker, give the last exit.
• Weather: snow, ice, fog or wet pavement.
• Unit type and weight class, and whether it is loaded.
• Whether you are on the shoulder, in a lane or off the road.
• Whether anyone is hurt. We tell you to call 911 first when needed.
• Who is paying.

Costs

Heavy recoveries on a mountain usually bill by the hour once winching starts. Published rate sheets show a heavy wrecker at about $350 to $850 per hour, rotators at about $790 to $1,500 per hour and after-hours fees around $150 in one sheet. Rates vary by unit, distance, scene and time of day. Your written invoice estimate is the price.

Call (865) 339-3202 or

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