The urge to make the cab cold at all times is an affliction I’ve lived with, I think since I first passed my test. Aircon to me is as crucial as breathing; being frozen daft at the wheel always seems to go hand-in-hand with being wide awake and sharp.
In winter, I still run the air con daily and just put my “big coat” on, a common Yorkshire response to weather that seems to render anyone south of Watford Gap, immobilized, demoralized and scared to tackle the mountainous and treacherous high passes of the M25!
Imagine my disdain then as lockdown accompanied some glorious weeks of early spring weather. Sun’s out, guns out as they say; the lights were on but there was nobody home in the ice maker on the Foden, it had a new pump under two years ago and no obvious major leaks led to a fair quota of head-scratching in the yard.
Suitably shackled to the re-gas machine back at base, we removed the old coolant and oil and saw she had only 135g in the system instead of the rather more healthy amount of 850.
This was a good sign, I was assured by Tom on the whistles and bells as if there had been a system failure, chances are it would be totally empty, so he created the vacuum necessary before the new coolant and lube is let back in and we waited for the machine to tell us in its own shrill way, that it was game on.
By the following Monday afternoon, the air was decidedly tepid to say the least.
Denne historien er fra July 2020-utgaven av Truck & Driver.
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Denne historien er fra July 2020-utgaven av Truck & Driver.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Well forked Daf
Remember, we like to cover all sorts of different trucks here at T&D – like this impressive new CF rigid complete with Moffett Mounty forklift
King of the hill
Moving heavy equipment off road calls for a truck with plenty of power and traction, which is why M&J Plant chose a mighty 6x4 FH16 750
Time Machine 2015-2019
It’s the final part of our series on the history of UK haulage. Let’s look back at those innocent times before that pesky virus turned up
Original and best
There are few trucks which have been customised to the level of the Scania 143, but let’s not forget that the standard product was pretty awesome just as it left the factory, like this rare 420
GOING ALL THE WAY
Simon Rogers got behind the wheel as soon as he was able to, and nearly 30 years later, his company is going from strength to strength, with a striking all-black, top-spec Iveco S-Way 570 the latest addition to the fleet
Abnormal loads
In the distant past, when dinosaurs roamed the planet, truck drivers were a very different breed, made from sterner stuff than us mere mortals
Range change
After a gap of 13 years, Renault trucks have reappeared in the unique colours of MacRitchie Highland Distribution. T&D takes the high road to Inverness to meet owners, Donald and Catriona MacRitchie
Cutting a dash
Freshly showered and munching a healthy egg and cress sarnie in Gloucester North services, Chris has a Foden update
Air we go!
On Saturday 29 May at 6pm, 240 drivers gathered with their trucks at South Mimms Services for a parade to raise vital money for Essex & Hertfordshire Air Ambulance
A Cutt Above
From coal to turf to fencing and loads more, there’s not much the Calcutt fleet hasn’t transported over the years
