I didn’t know these existed. I guess I can cancel my new patent application. 
Everton's HGV Thread.....
- Thread starter Everton
- Start date
Pretty much local collections this week and a couple of visits to a customer not far away from home over at Knowsley Industrial Estate - where I always end up sitting around for a few hours waiting for a trailer to be loaded. And another visit to my old employer QVC on “the other side of the fence” for trailer swaps.
Had a nice run up to Tyneside depot on Tuesday though - the only long run of the week.
Monday though - that was the fun one. Picked up a gas powered Iveco unit and did my daily checks - coolant was right on the minimum mark (and the red “coolant too low” warning on the dash appeared on the way round to VMU - the onsite mechs). They topped up the coolant, I picked up an empty trailer and I was on my way to a day of customer collections.
First collection (and as it turns out, the only collection) was only 30ish miles away in Winsford. Parked on the bay and they loaded me while I waited. As I’m about to leave, started the engine - yellow coolant low warning on the dashboard, followed a few seconds later by the red “coolant too low” warning again. Hmm. Popped the bonnet and sure enough, back on minimum again.
Called the transport office and explained the situation - so it’s a recovery back to the yard. Great
Had to nurse it out onto the road as the customer was closing at 16:30 and needed to lock up the yard. So, almost four hours later, rescue arrives.
I’ve seen quite a few trucks being recovered to the yard like this, but this time it was me
So I got a ride in a big wrecker and it was awesome! Also, being a Volvo FH, it was very familiar and the same cab as the one I learned in. Looking in the mirror and seeing my truck and trailer being towed was quite the sight - that’s a long train back there.
Got back to the yard around 18:30 and dropped the trailer for a shunter to put on bay, got a new unit and did my last collection of the day which was only five minutes away across the other side of the M62.
There was remnants of a headlight unit and bumper where the trailer was dropped in the yard and looked like there had been a collision. Turns out there was, and it was the newest unit in the fleet - a 25 plate DAF XG. The O/S front corner stuffed in and now parked outside VMU waiting for parts. I bet that went down well
Had a nice run up to Tyneside depot on Tuesday though - the only long run of the week.
Monday though - that was the fun one. Picked up a gas powered Iveco unit and did my daily checks - coolant was right on the minimum mark (and the red “coolant too low” warning on the dash appeared on the way round to VMU - the onsite mechs). They topped up the coolant, I picked up an empty trailer and I was on my way to a day of customer collections.
First collection (and as it turns out, the only collection) was only 30ish miles away in Winsford. Parked on the bay and they loaded me while I waited. As I’m about to leave, started the engine - yellow coolant low warning on the dashboard, followed a few seconds later by the red “coolant too low” warning again. Hmm. Popped the bonnet and sure enough, back on minimum again.
Called the transport office and explained the situation - so it’s a recovery back to the yard. Great
Had to nurse it out onto the road as the customer was closing at 16:30 and needed to lock up the yard. So, almost four hours later, rescue arrives.
I’ve seen quite a few trucks being recovered to the yard like this, but this time it was me
So I got a ride in a big wrecker and it was awesome! Also, being a Volvo FH, it was very familiar and the same cab as the one I learned in. Looking in the mirror and seeing my truck and trailer being towed was quite the sight - that’s a long train back there.
Got back to the yard around 18:30 and dropped the trailer for a shunter to put on bay, got a new unit and did my last collection of the day which was only five minutes away across the other side of the M62.
There was remnants of a headlight unit and bumper where the trailer was dropped in the yard and looked like there had been a collision. Turns out there was, and it was the newest unit in the fleet - a 25 plate DAF XG. The O/S front corner stuffed in and now parked outside VMU waiting for parts. I bet that went down well
It is. I did Leyland (Asda RDC) back to Spalding with the Scania and fridge trailer behind Crouch's bright orange former tank hauler, overtaking all the regular restricted-to-56 artics on all the M/dual roads. A memorable ride.
(Gearbox/clutch issue, split-range wasn't engaging; couldn't get it into high on the main road then crucially couldn't get into low at an incline, limped in late to the delivery and gave up the trailer to the site shunter).
Considering how far I had to scroll to find this image, it must have retired decades ago.
I was so not convinced that ^^ was the one, I kept searching:
and decided this more closely resembles it.
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