A tractor-trailer caught fire Wednesday afternoon on Interstate 78 in Union Township, leaving vegetables splattered on the highway and traffic backed up for miles in Hunterdon County.

It took crews until nightfall - more than six hours after the fire began - to fully clean up the scene.

Truck drivers said a stretch of I-78 that normally takes 10 minutes to drive through became a slog due to the traffic.

New Jersey State Police said there were no injuries in the incident. The tractor-trailer was hauling crates of vegetables, which were ultimately lifted into dumpsters.

“It’s a loss for everybody because the supermarket is expecting that, the people are expecting that,” said truck driver Abelardo Zorilla. “Now, it’s gone away. That’s why insurance goes up.”

The smoke plumed high as firefighters extinguished the flames. The tractor-trailer was left mangled and towed away.

Truck drivers like Zorilla say safety is a priority, but drivers often don’t know there’s a fire until it’s too late.

“You’ll see flames," Zorilla said. “We try to have all the safety. We have extinguishers. We have the (emergency) triangles. When it’s a big fire, just call 911.”

State police are investigating the cause of the fire.