Not Meant for the Highway, But We Get Them There
You’ve probably never seen a yard goat on the freeway—and that’s exactly the point. They’re built for distribution centers, not the open road. But when something breaks and it needs a shop, our tow truck operators are the ones who get the call. That’s exactly what happened during a recent Woodburn yard goat towing job that had us rolling north on I-5.
These Trucks Don’t Go Far… Until They Have To
These machines go by a few names: yard goats, yard jockeys, yard tractors. You’ll see them tucked inside the gates at massive warehouses, the kinds that belong to the likes of Amazon, Target, Safeway, Kroger. They’re the workhorses that quietly shift trailers from dock to dock, keeping freight moving even when the big rigs are waiting their turn.
But they’re not road legal. No plates, no registration. They live behind fences and only leave when they’re broken or due for major service. And that’s where we come in.
From Yard to Shop: A 14,000-Pound Tow
We got the call from a Woodburn distribution center. One of their yard goats had gone down and needed to get up to the Cummins Northwest dealer on North Basin Avenue in Portland. That’s a trip straight up I-5, and while the route itself was familiar, the job still called for focus and preparation.
We rolled out with Truck 213 and sent Travis to handle the call. The yard goat weighed in around 14,000 pounds, not massive by towing standards, but heavy enough to demand respect.
Here’s how we handled the tow:
- Since it’s a single rear axle with rear-wheel drive, we lifted from the back. No need to disconnect the drive shaft.
- The front wheels were locked down with the steering wheel secured. We made sure it wouldn’t veer mid-trip.
- Once it was lifted, we hit the road.
Eyes on the Road, Blinders on the Logo
We also made one small adjustment at the start. This yard goat had a large US Foods logo on the door. Out of respect for client privacy, we blocked it out before hitting the road. That kind of thing matters. Even a non-road vehicle on the highway becomes a moving billboard, and we make sure the message is the right one.
The total job ran about three hours, start to finish. We kept speed down and spacing wide. Yard goats aren’t built for vibration or highway bumps, so smoothness matters more than speed.
This Isn’t Just Another Tow
We’ve done plenty of Woodburn yard goat towing over the years, but each call has its own quirks. These aren’t regular trucks, and this isn’t just another job. Getting a non-road vehicle onto the highway takes planning. It also takes the right equipment, like the setup we used on this call. No shortcuts. No guesswork.
And while Portland traffic can be unpredictable, the drive up I-5 went off without a hitch—literally and figuratively.
We Know Yard Goat Transport
We’ve learned what it takes to move these machines from warehouse yards to repair shops and back again. Whether we’re dealing with non-road legal truck towing in Woodburn, or heading north for a Portland yard tractor transport, we bring the same level of care every time.
If your distribution center needs a yard goat transport service, call the Woodburn yard goat towing team that knows how to lift, load, and roll without damage or delay.
Baker & Baker Towing: Our Woodburn Yard Goat Towing Crew Keeps Your Yards Moving
When one of these yard jockeys goes down, it backs up the entire trailer shuffle. Delays at the dock. Drivers waiting. Schedules slipping.
Our Woodburn yard goat towing service is built to prevent that kind of gridlock. Our Woodburn yard goat towing team shows up with the gear, the Woodburn yard goat towing team, and the plan to get that truck to the shop and the yard back on schedule.
One more machine back to work. One less thing to worry about.
And yes, we’ve handled Woodburn yard jockey towing in all weather, at all hours. You break it, we move it.
