Carrying the odd piece of kit could save you time
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and money. CM sets the stopwatch to see how quickly minor repairs can be fixed, with the help of Rescue Online's Recoilkit.
Words: Kevin Swallow / Images: Tom Cunningham
There was a time when the driver needed to be the jobbing mechanic as well. Drivers routinely lifted the cab, got their hands dirty, and the majority of the time, got the truck back on the road.
Today, it's a minefield. A light flashes on the dash and all hell breaks loose only for it to be diagnosed as a dirty sensor. Drivers are told to call the yard or the contracted service provider, and sit tight. If the service work is contracted to a third party, even the cab tilt-bar to raise the cab will be removed to stop the driver 'doing more damage' — all for a dirty sensor.
Location is also key, just outside of a particular area, or in a cold spot where there is no specific service provider, it'll feel more like waiting for God than more earthbound assistance. Luckier drivers happen to break down outside of a truck dealership or a cafe.
When the problem is diagnosed, there is always a chance it is something the driver could have rectified themselves if they had the tools to do it, and in this case the tools in question are spare air and electrical lines in the form of Rescue Online's Recoi I kit.
It consists of a male and female electrical line, red and yellow airline, 12-piece adapter kit, and three adjustable spanners...oh, and some health and safety items.
Created by Steve Kay, director of Rescue Online, the kit is offered to hauliers as a time-saving piece of equipment that fits into the external locker of the truck.
Kay estimates that across the UK there are 120,000 tractors pulling 500,000 trailers, and that a truck will typically damage, snap or lose two lines a year.
"The most likely incident to cause damage is closequarter manoeuvring, such as tight u-turns where an air or electrical line will be torn off," he says.
The product itself is a Susie rescue box tailored to the haulier's demands, -The standard kit costs £.125 plus VAT and it will pay for itself after its first use," Kay adds.
As CM is always keen to get out of the office, we decided to put the manufacturers' claims to the test. Using the new MAN Truck & Bus yard in Trafford Park, and one of its trucks to act as the 'broken down vehicle in question', we set about seeing if the driver could save significant time. •