Hello, hello, hello... What's going on here then? A smart new Scania R-series, a even smarter Scania wrecker all parked up nice a cosy... Well almost. Click through here for one of those unplanned 'whoops' moments at the recent R Series truck launch. And how to deal with life's little adversities...
Ahhh... So now you're beginning to see why the wrecker was there. During the recent ride and drive of the latest R-Series last Thursday one of 'Europe's finest' (I think it was a journo) took this corner back from the main road into the Scania demo centre just a little too tightly and unfortunately ended up dropping the trailer off the kerb into the soft ground---the side skirt is actually touching it while the trailer itself ended up leaning against a lampost. But fair go to the Swedes they refused to make a drama out of it--even though the truck and trailer were scheduled to go on a ferry to Germany last Sunday for a press test.
Having driven passed it on the way back in I then wandered back down with my camera. One of the Scania guys who I've known for years came up to me with a smile and said; "Hello Brian... Welll sh#t happens!" "That's what I was going to say!" I replied, adding. "Still it could have been worse, the wrecker could have been a Volvo!" He saw the funny side of it.
Not long after that, standing close and wataching proceedings I bumped into my good mate 'Mister Christer' Hellberg - Scania demo driver supreme. He was so pleased to see me he put his arm around me and gave me a great big hug... Whilst carefully steering me and my camera back to the demo centre! I can't blame him - he had to get the truck and trailer shipe-shape for that trip to Germany and probably didn't need me getting in the way. However, the recovery went off without a hitch, the truck and trailer weren't damaged, Christer and Per-Erik were both happy and truck and trailer both made it to the docks on Sunday OK... And the morale of the story? These things happen, and apart from the odd red-face no-one was hurt which is the most important thing. And in true laid-back Swedish style it was all put right in a trice with the minimum of fuss... Still. I'd have liked to have seen them get it out - that wrecker looked immaculate!
Posted by Robert Dickie at 29/09/2009 10:26 AM
Having ben involved with many truck launches and similar events over many years with the other Swedish maker, the story of the Scania misshap struck a chord.
One of the regular events we ran for dealer staff at Chobham consisted of evaluating competitors products which we either hired or even borrowed for the sales staff to drive so that they knew what the competition was actually like. The procedure was that one of the Volvo people would take on a couple of dealer salesmen and accompany them as the drove each of the trucks from 7.5 tonners up. I had been lumbered with a certain sales manager who was the roughest driver it had ever been my misfortune to sit beside. He came wore riggers boots and kicked the living daylights out of every clutch pedal he encountered. a
Something went wrong and my tale was sent prematurely.
To continue;
We managed to get through all the vehicles without any problem until we came to the Iveco tractor unit (new model demo) which had a "Slapper" range change. On the final run of the day as we approached the end of the high speed circuit, I started to panic a bit as he was going rather fast and told him to drop his speed before turning off. He braked hard and changed down. Unfortunately, at the same time he slammed the gear lever across into low range (no inhibitor), there was a load whine as the rev countered bounced of the stop, followed by by what sounded a bit like broken glass. He has only put a leg out of bed which cost Volvo a new engine and Jeff Bird personally presented with a Lump Hammer which fortunately I managed to evade. Happy Days.
Gerald Woodgate
Editor - TNN
www.tnn.co.uk