We seem to be having some bad luck at the moment, the regular lowloader driver is off with a broken wrist after falling from a machine the other day. Today was my first day driving it for about 9 months and I’d done an early into central London, 2 machines bac from Chelmsford and then dwn to Southend to collect this Volvo 14 tonner.
I had planned on a stop on the A130 but all the layby’s were full so I decided to head back to the yard and have a cuppa there. As I started up Danbury hill I thought that the unit might have been moking a bit as I something caught my eye. Then I realised that the machine was smoking and by the time I got to the top of the hill I saw the flames just starting to appear. When it was just smoke I was going to pull into the yard and sort out the problem, onc I saw the flames I decided that the yard would be a bad idea as it is in a congested industrial area with loads of cars and buildings plus all of our other plant. I also couldn’t really stop in the village and decided to drag it just out of the village where the road was wide and not built up.
By now people are flashing their lights at me, yes I am aware of the problem thank you.
I call the yard.
Hi Pete it’s Graham, I’ve got a bit of a problem here I’m just passing the yard and the Volvo’s on fire
WTF?
I’m heading for Oak corner, ring the Fire Brigade.
I get down the road and spend about a minute trying to unclip the fire extinguisher in the cab only to find it depressured. The flames are really going now so I decided to see how quick I could drop the trailer, I recon I did it in about a minute and got the unit to safety. By now our fitter had arrived and promptly emptied two extinguishers onto it along with an ambulance driver and a dustman who’d stopped. They were losing the fight as the fuel lines were shot and the diesel was leaking out and igniting, luckily the lads from Trumpton arrived and before long we had 3 appliances, a police car plus traffic cars closing the road and even a paramedic at one point although I’m not sure why.
The main concern was the remaining fuel in the tank (as it had been full) so we pumped the diesel into a drum. Once the fire was out the Fire & Police were keen to get the road open and gave me the OK to hook the trailer up and move it. Luckily the trailer survived although the machine is a probable write off and will not run as the computers have been destroyed. I’ve got to take it to Volvo at Duxford tomorrow and somehow get it offloaded.
Luckily no one was hurt although getting the trailer brake on was a bit dodgy with burning diesel leaking down just above it. The Fire brigade were pleased that I’d taken it through the village and the boss gave us praise of sorts by saying that we’d done everything we could in the circumstances.
limeyphil:
good man. you didn’t go to the yard for a good reason, you got it out of the village. and you uncoupled it.
you obviously didn’t panic like some people would. you couldn’t do any more.
i can just picture the look on your face when the fire extinguisher was [zb]ed.
I deliberated about stopping and tackling the problem or keeping it moving to keep the flames from taking hold, obviously that wouldn’t work for long but I went with the get somewhere safe option. Ironically where I stopped was midway between the two nearest fire stations although driving straight to Maldon and pulling up the fire station front probably wouldn’t have gone down too well.
I wasn’t actually that hopeful about the fire extinguisher or it’s chances had it actually been working.
topmixer11:
How inconsiderate I had too go the long way round
We seem to be having some bad luck at the moment, the regular lowloader driver is off with a broken wrist after falling from a machine the other day. Today was my first day driving it for about 9 months and I’d done an early into central London, 2 machines bac from Chelmsford and then dwn to Southend to collect this Volvo 14 tonner.
I had planned on a stop on the A130 but all the layby’s were full so I decided to head back to the yard and have a cuppa there. As I started up Danbury hill I thought that the unit might have been moking a bit as I something caught my eye. Then I realised that the machine was smoking and by the time I got to the top of the hill I saw the flames just starting to appear. When it was just smoke I was going to pull into the yard and sort out the problem, onc I saw the flames I decided that the yard would be a bad idea as it is in a congested industrial area with loads of cars and buildings plus all of our other plant. I also couldn’t really stop in the village and decided to drag it just out of the village where the road was wide and not built up.
By now people are flashing their lights at me, yes I am aware of the problem thank you.
I call the yard.
Hi Pete it’s Graham, I’ve got a bit of a problem here I’m just passing the yard and the Volvo’s on fire
WTF?
I’m heading for Oak corner, ring the Fire Brigade.
I get down the road and spend about a minute trying to unclip the fire extinguisher in the cab only to find it depressured. The flames are really going now so I decided to see how quick I could drop the trailer, I recon I did it in about a minute and got the unit to safety. By now our fitter had arrived and promptly emptied two extinguishers onto it along with an ambulance driver and a dustman who’d stopped. They were losing the fight as the fuel lines were shot and the diesel was leaking out and igniting, luckily the lads from Trumpton arrived and before long we had 3 appliances, a police car plus traffic cars closing the road and even a paramedic at one point although I’m not sure why.
The main concern was the remaining fuel in the tank (as it had been full) so we pumped the diesel into a drum. Once the fire was out the Fire & Police were keen to get the road open and gave me the OK to hook the trailer up and move it. Luckily the trailer survived although the machine is a probable write off and will not run as the computers have been destroyed. I’ve got to take it to Volvo at Duxford tomorrow and somehow get it offloaded.
Luckily no one was hurt although getting the trailer brake on was a bit dodgy with burning diesel leaking down just above it. The Fire brigade were pleased that I’d taken it through the village and the boss gave us praise of sorts by saying that we’d done everything we could in the circumstances.
sorry mate, the trailer brake would have been the least of my concerns
if you take the red air line off, that puts the brakes on anyway
we had one of our 7.5 self-combust about 3 weeks ago. Main thing no-one was hurt, plus the truck had just finished unloading at a customers premises. Bad news 'Elf and Safety got involved at the customers…you have no idea of the pointlessness of it all. The salvage peopel had to do a Mission Statment and a Risk Assessment that was rejected twice…
Makes laugh when Joe public look at us as if we’re s**t but if this guy had’nt got the noggin to pull it to safety who knows what could of happenned, way to go 8 wheels
8wheels:
By now our fitter had arrived and promptly emptied two extinguishers onto it along with an ambulance driver and a dustman who’d stopped.
Bet the ambulance driver and dustman werent too impressed at being thrown on the fire. They probably only stopped to see if they could help in any way.
if you take the red air line off, that puts the brakes on anyway
That occured to me when I pulled the lines off.
This unit and trailer stay together and the only time the trailer get’s dropped is at the unit’s 6 weekly, added to the fact that I’m a rare visitor to the drivers seat means that I have to try and remember how to do everything.
I’m OK tootling around with it but I’d rather be back on my rigid.
that happened to me with a flat trailer on the A1 at wentbridge years ago, its amazing how fast you can uncouple a trailer when theres flames coming out of it
Total failure there 8wheels, did you not see Memphis Belle, you’re supposed to find a big hill and go down it flat out while your co-driver watches for the flames to go out.
I took it up to Volvo at Duxford this morning and no sooner had I joined the M11 at Stansted I came to a standstill, shortly afterwards a fire engine was pushing through the traffic. There was a car transporter with a couple of cars on fire, it got a mention on he radio so I called the boss just to let him know it wasn’t me this time.
And if you want to know how to get a unpowered and dead excavator off the trailer…
…Just use a bigger one, Volvo had a 290 (30 tonner) and a set of big chains and dragged it unceremoniously off the trailer. They also had a 460 there but that was being loaded onto HC Wilson for export.
Apart from some blackening of the trailer deck, there was no damage. Even the Anderson lead that I forgot to unplug was unharmed.
Ps. The bungee that kept the lines from getting caked in grease broke.
many people would have just pulled up and dropped it.