(414) 279-5510 Call Heavy-Duty Towing & Recovery · Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County · 24/7
Jackknifed on I-94, a loaded trailer that won’t roll, a bus stalled in a live lane, or equipment that won’t fit a standard bed — for semi truck towing and every heavy job near you, MKE Towing & Recovery brings the heavy wrecker, rated rigging, and a recovery plan, not a flatbed and a strap. The dispatcher gives an arrival estimate on the call anywhere in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. Your exact tow price is online in about 60 seconds, and recoveries are scoped on site.
Class 7–8, semis, buses, RVs & equipment ★ 4.7 · 5,026 surveys Rated rigging & heavy winch recovery Licensed & Insured · USDOT 4272551
Your online quote comes with a reference number (Q-XXXXXXXX) — give it to the dispatcher and we pick up right where you left off. Recoveries are scoped on site, and on a covered fleet or motor-club plan we bill the provider directly where supported.
Heavy-duty towing recovers and transports vehicles over ~26,000 lbs GVWR — semis, buses, RVs, dump trucks, and loaded trailers — using a heavy wrecker, rated rigging, and a recovery plan, not a flatbed and a strap. For a tractor, bobtail or hooked to a trailer, our semi truck towing page has the full playbook. MKE Towing & Recovery dispatches 24/7 across Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, gives an arrival estimate on the call, and shows your exact tow price online in about 60 seconds. Recoveries are scoped on site. Call (414) 279-5510.
Instant quote — free, no phone call needed
Pick your rig — semi/tractor, trailer, RV, or box truck — and the calculator unlocks that type’s sizing questions: configuration (bobtail, loaded, or trailer), condition, and access, exactly like our dispatch board asks them. The picker is heavy-native (Freightliner, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Mack, International, Volvo, Western Star and more), your exact price is on screen in about 60 seconds with a quote reference (Q-XXXXXXXX) the dispatcher picks right up, and complex recoveries get a dispatcher’s confirmation before anything rolls.
Pull as far onto the shoulder as you can, turn the wheels away from traffic, and put your hazards on. If you have them, set reflective triangles well upstream. Get out on the non-traffic side and stand behind the barrier — never beside a live lane. Note your exact mile marker, exit, and direction of travel, then call (414) 279-5510 — we answer live and dispatch the nearest heavy unit.
Heavy, medium, or light?
Heavy-duty starts around 26,000 lbs GVWR. Pick what you’re driving and we’ll point you to the right truck — no wasted call, no wrong rig on scene.
What heavy-duty recovery is
If your rig is over 26,000 lbs and it’s stuck, leaning, or down, a standard tow truck can’t help — and trying makes it worse. Heavy-duty recovery means the right wrecker, rated rigging, and a plan to get you upright and moving without adding damage. Here’s what’s in scope, and the jobs that belong on a different truck.
Not sure where your rig lands? Tell us the weight and what happened on the call — we send the right unit the first time so you’re not waiting twice.
Sound familiar?
If you recognize the situation below, you’re in the right place — recovering heavy vehicles and clearing scenes is what our crews do across the metro’s freeways and interchanges.
Tractor-trailer folded on I-94 or I-43. We set traffic control, rig it, and straighten the rig to clear the lane without adding damage.
Breakdown with the freight still on. We recover the unit — and the load — and transport it where your operation needs it.
A full coach down in live traffic is a priority. Passengers get off and clear first, then we move the coach out of the lane.
Motorhome slid off on I-43 or dropped a wheel in the median. We winch it up on rated points and get it back on the road.
On its side after a blowout or a swerve. We bring rated rigging and a plan to upright and recover it the right way.
Excavator, skid steer, forklift, or a low-clearance machine. Up to 15,000 lb it rides our flatbed; heavier transport is arranged on call, loaded and secured right.
What we handle
Tell the dispatcher your rig and weight when you call and the right unit arrives rigged for it. Here’s how a heavy recovery changes by what you were driving.
Class 7–8 power units and trailers, loaded or empty. Under-reach tow when it rolls, full recovery when it doesn’t — rigged to the real weight.
Transit, school, and motor-coach. We move long-wheelbase units carefully and prioritize getting passengers off and clear of traffic first.
Class A, B, and C. An RV shouldn’t be dragged — we winch it free on rated points and transport it without scuffing the bodywork.
Heavy commercial units with weight still aboard. We rig for the load, transfer or secure it where needed, and move it safely.
Forklifts, skid steers, excavators, scissor lifts, and generators on our flatbeds up to 15,000 lb, heavier transport arranged on call — loaded, chained, and hauled to the site.
Know your rig? Its dedicated page has the full playbook: Semi & Tractor Towing · Trailer Towing · RV & Motorhome Towing · Box Truck Towing
Bobtail towing
A bobtail is a tractor with no trailer behind it, and it is the simplest heavy tow we do. The hook-up is $350, the same at 2 a.m. as at noon, and the loaded miles are quoted with the job before the wrecker leaves the yard. Tell dispatch the make, whether it is a day cab or a sleeper, what failed, and the shop it goes to.
The driveshaft comes out, or an axle-back lift goes under, so the transmission and rear axles never turn on the way to the shop. The spring brakes are caged so the tractor rolls instead of dragging flat spots into the tires.
The steer axle goes up on the correct adapters at the factory tow points, never a strap round the bumper or a hook on a fuel tank.
Still hooked to a trailer? When it is safe, the trailer is dropped on its landing gear and the tractor is towed alone. Otherwise the combination goes together from $450, with the per-mile rate quoted on the call. Our semi truck towing page covers derates, locked brakes and DOT-ordered tows.
Fleet accounts
Carriers, owner-operators, delivery fleets and EMS operators can set up an account so a driver on the shoulder does not have to pay on the spot. We run 5 trucks (3 flatbeds and 2 wreckers) out of our South Side Milwaukee yard, licensed and insured under USDOT 4272551 and MC 1659521.
One contact at your terminal, consolidated billing instead of a card at the hook, and an itemized invoice written to be readable by your fleet office or adjuster.
On a covered fleet or motor-club plan (AAA, Agero, Urgently, NSD, HONK) we bill the provider directly where supported. The dispatcher confirms the account on the call.
A certificate of insurance for the fleet file is available on request, and documentation for a DOT-ordered or police tow comes with the vehicle.
Equipment & capabilities
Heavy-duty work uses a heavy wrecker and rated rigging to handle vehicles over 26,000 lbs — Class 7–8 trucks, buses, RVs, and loaded trailers — and to upright and recover, not just tow. Here’s what we run and the honest limits.
What happens on scene
A live Milwaukee dispatcher picks up. The crew reads the rig, the load, the lean, and the access before anything moves.
Cones, flares, and lane coordination so the work zone is safe — for the crew, for you, and for passing traffic.
Chains, straps, and winch line chosen for the real weight and anchored to rated points — not a guess and a hook.
A controlled pull or upright that frees and stabilizes the rig without adding damage to the unit or the load.
Tow-ready on the wrecker or chained down on the deck — secured to spec for the road, whatever it takes.
To your yard, shop, or terminal, with clean documentation for the claim or the fleet file.
What it costs & why
Heavy-duty pricing scares people because the bills can be big and surprises are common. So here’s the honest version: a tow is priced by rig type and configuration — a bobtail tractor starts at a $350 hook-up; a tractor with its trailer starts at $450, and the loaded miles are quoted with the job (trailers are tiered by length) — then condition, access, and the measured route; the calculator up this page walks those exact levers and itemizes the result. A recovery is billed by time on scene and equipment. Loaded tractor-trailers get a dispatcher's confirmation of the recovery plan before the truck rolls (a rotator is brought in on call when the job needs one), and anything over 80,000 lbs gets a custom-engineered plan. The biggest question for your bill is which one you need — so start there.
Straight from the live pricing engine our dispatchers use — itemized, with a quote reference. Recoveries are scoped on site and become an itemized invoice, never a lowball-then-add-on. On a covered fleet or motor-club plan we bill the provider directly where supported.
See my price nowIf the unit rolls and steers, we hook and transport it. That’s a flat hook-up fee plus a per-loaded-mile rate — predictable, and quoted before we roll.
Call dispatch — we’ll scope itEvery heavy recovery is scoped on site — the estimate becomes an itemized invoice, never a surprise.
The quote asks WHICH rig first — tractor, trailer, RV, or box truck — then its configuration: bobtail, tractor with an empty trailer, or a loaded combination are different jobs, and trailers are tiered by length. A 25-ft trailer isn’t billed like a 53-ft one.
A rolling unit is a hook-and-go — hook-up plus per-loaded-mile, every mile billed and itemized. A jackknife, rollover, or ditch is a recovery, scoped by time on scene and equipment.
All miles are billed on heavy-duty — no free-mile window — and each leg is priced explicitly. Access is asked up front because rigging time is real money: a dock, fuel island, or off-road position adds work, and heavy winching and drive-shaft removal are their own line items.
Traffic control, ice or snow, and a second unit all factor in, and the biggest jobs are supervisor-reviewed before you get the quote.
Why MKE for heavy recovery
A dispatcher picks up, asks about the rig and where it sits, and gives you an arrival estimate on the call. Vehicles blocking a live lane go first.
Heavy wrecker, flatbed transport, and rated rigging built for Class 7–8 trucks, buses, RVs, and loaded trailers; a rotator or lowboy is brought in on call when a job needs one.
Years of towing and recovery work across Milwaukee and Waukesha counties — freeways, interchanges, and yards.
Fully licensed and insured in Wisconsin (MC# 1659521). Documentation available on request.
How we keep it safe
A heavy recovery in a live lane is dangerous work. We run it like the trained crews we are — for the people on scene and for your equipment.
Cones, flares, and lane coordination set before the recovery starts — standard MUTCD-style work-zone practice.
Chains, straps, and winch line rated to the real load, anchored to rated points, and secured to spec for the road.
Crews who run heavy recoveries every week — the right method for an upright, a winch-out, or a load transfer.
Air-line and driveline disconnect where required so we move your unit without adding driveline or body damage.
Heavy-recovery reviews
Rated 4.7 / 5 across 5,026 post-job surveys
4.2★ on Google · 400+ reviews
Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County drivers count on MKE Towing & Recovery for fair, damage-free tows. Read what real customers say on Google — or call and find out yourself.
Heavy-duty questions
Heavy-duty towing recovers and transports vehicles over about 26,000 lbs GVWR — semis and tractor-trailers, buses and coaches, RVs, dump and box trucks, loaded trailers, and construction equipment. It needs a heavy wrecker, rated rigging, and a recovery plan, not a flatbed and a strap. MKE Towing & Recovery answers 24/7 and gives an arrival estimate on the call. Call (414) 279-5510.
If your vehicle is over ~26,000 lbs GVWR — a Class 7–8 truck, a loaded trailer, a bus, an RV, or equipment — a light-duty tow truck can’t lift or pull it safely, and trying makes the damage worse. You also need heavy-duty any time the vehicle is jackknifed, on its side, or pinned and has to be recovered before it can move.
A tow hooks a vehicle that still rolls and steers and transports it — billed as a hook-up plus per-loaded-mile, so it’s predictable. A recovery frees or uprights a vehicle that’s stuck, jackknifed, or overturned before it can move — billed by time on scene and equipment used, and scoped on site. Knowing which you need is the single biggest driver of your bill.
A bobtail tractor starts at a $350 hook-up and a tractor with its trailer at $450, the same at any hour. The loaded miles are quoted with the job before the truck leaves the yard. A recovery (jackknife, rollover, ditch) is priced by time on scene and equipment, itemized before it starts.
Yes. The driveline is disconnected or an axle-back lift is used so the transmission never turns, the air brakes are caged so the tractor rolls, and the steer axle is lifted on the right adapters at the factory tow points. Bobtail or coupled, day cab or sleeper.
Class 7–8 trucks, semi-tractors and tractor-trailers, buses and coaches, RVs and motorhomes, dump and box trucks, and loaded trailers — plus construction equipment like forklifts, skid steers, excavators, scissor lifts, and generators on our flatbeds, with heavier transport arranged on call. Tell us your rig and weight on the call and the right truck arrives rigged for it.
Yes. We recover jackknifed, overturned, and pinned vehicles with a heavy wrecker, rated rigging, and a recovery plan — and we bring a second unit when the job calls for it. Every recovery is scoped on site so we get you upright and moving without adding damage.
Call and the dispatcher gives you an arrival estimate based on where you are and which truck is free. We answer live 24/7, and a vehicle blocking a live lane on a freeway or interchange goes first. Planned moves, like a coach going to a shop, are booked for a set day.
Get yourself safe first. Pull as far onto the shoulder as you can, turn the wheels away from traffic, and put your hazards on. If you have them, set reflective triangles well upstream. Get out on the non-traffic side and stand behind the barrier — never beside a live lane. Note your exact mile marker, exit, and direction of travel so dispatch can find you.
Yes. MKE Towing & Recovery is licensed and insured in Wisconsin (USDOT 4272551 · MC# 1659521) and has run towing and recovery calls across Milwaukee and Waukesha counties since 2019. We can provide documentation on request.
Yes. We winch heavy vehicles out of ditches, soft shoulders, mud, and snow with rigging rated to the real weight, and recover off-road and pinned rigs. If it’s a lighter vehicle stuck without crash damage, see our winch-out & recovery service — tell us what happened and we send the right unit the first time.
Jump back to the calculator — free, no phone call, and your quote reference (Q-XXXXXXXX) holds your place with dispatch.
Heavy-duty towing near you
Pick your city for local heavy-duty towing & recovery — the freight corridors we run and the answers fleets and drivers ask us most.
One call reaches a live dispatcher — heavy wrecker, rated rigging, an arrival estimate on the call anywhere in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties, your exact tow price online in about 60 seconds, and recoveries scoped on site. Tell us your rig and weight; we’ll send the right unit the first time.