Reversing made easier with IMS
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• A device which its supplier claims will make reversing a drawbar easier is being developed on the Continent. It is due to become available in the UK next year.
The device fits to the trailer turntable and the driver controls it with a joystick in the cab, simply putting the truck into reverse and manoeuvring it with the stick. The driver does not have to use his steering wheel, claims IMS of Loughborough, which will market it in this country.
Swiss firm George Fischer made and patented the system, which is being tested by MAN, Scania, Mercedes and Volvo on the Continent. IMS is expected to sell it to manufacturers rather than directly to hauliers, and it is unlikely to be adopted for specific models much before 1993, predicts IMS's Jan Van Den Ban.
The main problem with drawbars apart from weight restrictions, is that many drivers find them awkward to reverse, says Van Den Ban. "This invention will make reversing a drawbar a piece of cake," he claims. "In five or six years I can see it being standard fitted on all drawbar trucks."
The driver has to use one hand only to control the joystick, which means he can pay more attention to his mirrors. This should allow him to see problems at an early stage and so avoid jack-knifing, adds Van Den Ban. But at this stage he has no idea how much the product will cost.