I wanted to share this with everyone on EO about what can happen to your truck if someone doesn't know what they are doing when doing a repair on your truck.
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This can happen to your truck.
- Thread starter Bruno
- Start date
Sorry about that, yes the driver was able to get out of the truck with his wallet and his cell phone.
I prefer not to say which shop it was in an open forum. The fire started at the starter. The driver smelled smoke and got off the Highway and pulled into a Wal-Mart parking lot and seen sparks coming off the top of the starter. By the time he got the truck parked and got out the fire was coming out of the grill plus the top of the hood. He called me and said the truck is on fire, my wife and I was just leaving our office and was total shocked.
guido4475
Not a Member
I'm sorry to hear that this happened, Dave.Thank God the driver made it out okay.A shop I go to had a similar thing happen,only it was with the truck inside their shop after hours.Luckily, the inside security cameras caught how the truck fire started, from the starter.They never were anywhere near there, but it goes to show how these things can happen.I wish the best for you through this.
I'm glad to hear the driver is safe and got out with his wallet and cell phone. I trust that your insurance will minimize the financial impact of the loss, but also know that loss of the truck itself means loss of the revenue it could produce for the driver and you.
This is a reminder to all expediters to be prepared for such things. After driving and living in a truck for a while, it gets easy to take it for granted and assume it will always be there. But a fire like this or theft can change that in an instant.
Learning from the Glen and Janice Rice experience, in which their truck burned in a terrible crash, and they got out with only the clothes on their back, and everything else in the truck -- everything -- was lost to the fire, Diane and I developed a fire drill of sorts. It will not work in every situation but it is better to have it than not.
If you had to leave the truck in an instant and could take only one thing, what would it be?
For us, it is a small bag in which everything important is kept (wallets, computer backup thumb drives, etc.). We know to grab it and run if it ever comes to that. If there was more time, we would also grab the phones, computers, jackets if needed and Diane's purse which is usually tucked away. Our fire bag is kept by the driver's seat when the truck is moving and on the bed headboard by the fire escape window when we are both in the sleeper.
Our phone info is backed up with our cell phone provider. Computer info is on the thumb drives in the bag and also backed up at home. If we suddenly found ourselves out on the street with nothing because of a burned up truck, we would be again functional as soon as we got new phones and laptops.
This is a reminder to all expediters to be prepared for such things. After driving and living in a truck for a while, it gets easy to take it for granted and assume it will always be there. But a fire like this or theft can change that in an instant.
Learning from the Glen and Janice Rice experience, in which their truck burned in a terrible crash, and they got out with only the clothes on their back, and everything else in the truck -- everything -- was lost to the fire, Diane and I developed a fire drill of sorts. It will not work in every situation but it is better to have it than not.
If you had to leave the truck in an instant and could take only one thing, what would it be?
For us, it is a small bag in which everything important is kept (wallets, computer backup thumb drives, etc.). We know to grab it and run if it ever comes to that. If there was more time, we would also grab the phones, computers, jackets if needed and Diane's purse which is usually tucked away. Our fire bag is kept by the driver's seat when the truck is moving and on the bed headboard by the fire escape window when we are both in the sleeper.
Our phone info is backed up with our cell phone provider. Computer info is on the thumb drives in the bag and also backed up at home. If we suddenly found ourselves out on the street with nothing because of a burned up truck, we would be again functional as soon as we got new phones and laptops.
The fire extinguishers we carry in our trucks will more likely just make a fire angry than put it out. I would also venture to guess that a majority of drivers have never had any training in the use of an extinguisher. Chances are that even if they had used one it would have had little effect.
If using the truck fire extinguisher you would have had to get it in the early stages. Mainly when it was sparking. Hard to tell on the available time. Phil gives some good advice. Always be prepared for the unexpected. Sorry to hear of the experience. As for the potential botched work, a insurance adjuster may be able to determine that.
Doggie Daddy
Veteran Expediter
Dave, didn't this happen quite awhile ago?, I used to see this truck sitting behind Bear's towing in Burbank,OH. for a long time then a few months ago it was gone.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using EO Forums
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using EO Forums
cableguymn
Seasoned Expediter
The fire extinguisher would have been no good in this situation as the source (heat) of the fire would out last the extinguisher. The short would have to be broken or the batteries depleted before the heat went away.
The extinguisher in the truck is more a tool to help the driver escape the the fire. It's rare that it will put it out.
The extinguisher in the truck is more a tool to help the driver escape the the fire. It's rare that it will put it out.
I would not minimize the effects of fire extinguishers. I have successfully used them to put out a car fire when I worked at a gas station, a car fire in a parking lot, and a grill fire on our sun deck back when we owned a house in Minnesota.
The gas station fire extinguishers were bigger than what we carry in the truck. The parking lot car fire (a friend's car) was put out with a fire extinguisher I carried in the trunk of my car. The grill fire was put out with a fire extinguisher that we kept in the kitchen. Both the car and kitchen fire extinguishers were smaller than those carried in trucks. All of them did the job and I was sure glad to have them when they were needed.
We carry three fire extinguishers in our truck; a small one in the sleeper in the cabinet under the sink and two 10 ABC's, each secured on the cab floor along the outside of the driver and passenger seats.
The gas station fire extinguishers were bigger than what we carry in the truck. The parking lot car fire (a friend's car) was put out with a fire extinguisher I carried in the trunk of my car. The grill fire was put out with a fire extinguisher that we kept in the kitchen. Both the car and kitchen fire extinguishers were smaller than those carried in trucks. All of them did the job and I was sure glad to have them when they were needed.
We carry three fire extinguishers in our truck; a small one in the sleeper in the cabinet under the sink and two 10 ABC's, each secured on the cab floor along the outside of the driver and passenger seats.
moose
Veteran Expediter
Bruno, thanks for sharing.
please let us know of the outcomes,
this is a unique experience, and we can all learn from it.
i also wonder if the truck was loaded at the time,
and how Panther handled the situation.
I'm with Phil on this one,
the fire extinguisher would have done a good job.
i'v seen those used 2 times on car fires,
& used it once to take away a large fire on my own truck - they are VERY effective.
i'd be grabbing one, WAY before i reach to my belonging.
they work very well.
did i ever mention the importance of going to a good driving school before driving a truck ?
we actually had a day dedicated to an emergency handling, in which a firefighter came to class, and show us how to properly use one.
please let us know of the outcomes,
this is a unique experience, and we can all learn from it.
i also wonder if the truck was loaded at the time,
and how Panther handled the situation.
I'm with Phil on this one,
the fire extinguisher would have done a good job.
i'v seen those used 2 times on car fires,
& used it once to take away a large fire on my own truck - they are VERY effective.
i'd be grabbing one, WAY before i reach to my belonging.
they work very well.
did i ever mention the importance of going to a good driving school before driving a truck ?
we actually had a day dedicated to an emergency handling, in which a firefighter came to class, and show us how to properly use one.
Losing everything in the truck is bad, and one should be prepared for it. But after you've lost everything you own -- everything -- in an apartment fire, including your car when the building collapsed on it, losing everything in a truck fire takes on a slightly different perspective.
chefdennis
Veteran Expediter
Dave, glad the driver is safe...unfortunate that you lost the truck, but hopefully all involved will do the right things and your loass will be minimal and you will be fully compensated...
zorry
Veteran Expediter
If they ever determine the source of the fire it'd be good to know as a learning tool. My new truck has a battery cut off switch mounted under the floor next to the driver's seat. For $65 the dealer offered to mount it thru the floor next to the driver's seat. I think I'll take him up on it for many reason's. If you cut battery power to truck as you grabbed fire ext it couldn't have hurt. Also, not sure because I wasn't there,but I may have stopped much sooner, on shoulder or exit ramp. In the heat of the moment I may have driven around looking for a good parking space also.