Shifting truck difficult, costly

The driver of the truck and trailer that flipped into a ditch just out of Tinui on Tuesday is at home recovering and should be back at work in days.

Palmerston North Transport Services general manager Dennis Wan said the driver was "bruised and a bit sore, other than that he's okay".

He said the company was investigating the cause of the accident.

"[We're] trying to establish what happened and see if there is a lesson to be learnt from it so we can use it for future training purposes," Mr Wan said.

Recovery of the truck, which was carrying a portable stone crusher, would prove costly.

"We've had to get specialist cranes in, so it's been a major job," he said.

Cranes of 60 tonnes and 90 tonnes were used to move the truck, trailer and its load, in all almost 60 tonnes.

Mr Wan said the removal was an all-day job, with the cranes arriving about 10am on the day after the crash, and finishing up about 4pm.

The Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit is also investigating. Senior Constable Geoff Duff said the incident could have been caused by a combination of factors.

"The load being top heavy and maybe the road conditions," Mr Duff said.

Senior Constable Harvey Pope said he'd had complaints about the road conditions after rain this week.

"Everyone's been complaining about slippery roads after the drought, it may have had a bearing on it," Mr Pope said.

The driver crawled out of the cab and was taken to Wairarapa Hospital on Tuesday.