couldn't be stranded in Crick. This year, we were a bit better prepared.
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Scania's helpline was the slowest to answer, taking five rings. But once the efficient female receptionist was an the case things really got going and the whole process was completed in just two minutes (and eight seconds to be exact). A text message was received three minutes later giving an ETA of noon, 47 minutes hence. The Scania Transit actually arrived at 12.03pm.
The first (and wholly understandable) reaction from Scania's Gary Draper upon learning it was a CM breakdown test was who was going to pick up the call-cut charge? Diplomatically, we directed him to Scania at Milton Keynes. Draper told us: "I was putting a vehicle through its MoT [the Scania service agent has VOSA designated premises' status] when I was told of a non-starting 420 R Series." The Pip Bayleys' breakdown van was out on a shout with another technician near Cambridge but returned to pick up Draper.
On the trusty Transit were batteries, spike protection, battery tester, multi-meter, starter motor and alternator. "I'd say electrical faults were probably the most common reasons for a breakdown but we do get a lot of silly things like red air lines torn off. At peak times getting to a breakdown can be a nightmare-we do the Al in our area and a bit of the Al 4 toobut we don't do the M1 as that's handled by Derek Jones."
So what are Draper's top tips for avoiding breakdowns? "Do some daily checks!" he says, "It's a big problem with agency drivers because they're jumping into different trucks every day. I'd also recommend driver training so the driver really gets to know the vehicle. And make sure that when you get a new truck there's a proper handover with the driver too."