It happens more than you'd think — especially if you do regional runs or deliver to rural properties. You pull off the road onto a grass verge, drive up a muddy driveway after rain, or try to turn around on a soft shoulder and suddenly your wheels are spinning. Your two-tonne van is going nowhere. Don't panic. Here's what to do — and how to avoid it happening in the first place.
Immediate Steps
Stop spinning. The moment you feel the wheels lose traction, stop accelerating. Spinning the wheels digs you deeper. The more you spin, the harder it gets to recover. Take your foot off the accelerator and assess the situation.
Get out and look. See which wheels are stuck, how deep they are, and what the surface is like around the van. Is it mud? Sand? Wet grass? The approach is different for each.
Try reverse. Often the best path out is the way you came in. The tyre tracks you made coming in are compressed and may give better traction going backwards. Gently — don't floor it.
Create traction. Put anything solid under the drive wheels — floor mats, cardboard from parcels, branches, even gravel if it's nearby. The goal is to give the tyres something to grip. Rock the van gently between forward and reverse to build momentum.
When to Call for Help
If the van is axle-deep, or your attempts are making it worse, stop and call for help. Your company may have roadside assistance included. If you're an owner-driver, services like RACQ roadside assistance cover bogging recovery in their roadside packages. A tow out typically costs $100–$300 depending on location.
Call your supervisor to let them know. They can reroute your remaining deliveries while you wait for recovery. Don't spend an hour digging yourself deeper — that's an hour of lost deliveries plus potential damage to the van's drivetrain.
Prevention
Stay on hard surfaces. If a driveway looks soft, park on the road and walk in. The extra 30 seconds of walking is nothing compared to an hour stuck in mud.
Watch the weather. If it's been raining heavily, every grass verge and dirt driveway is a potential trap. Be extra cautious on rural runs after rain.
Know your van. Front-wheel drive vans handle soft ground differently to rear-wheel drive. Most modern delivery vans are front-wheel drive, which means the front wheels dig in under power. Keep this in mind when deciding where to park.