The Classic Machinery Network

It's going to be one of those weeks...
Went out in the yard to find one of our vans with a flat. Didn't give it much thought, changed it and took the wheel to the local tyre depot. They couldn't do it straight away so I left it to collect later.
When the driver of this van turned up I explained what had happened at which point he refused to use it as in his words 'It's illegal to use a commercial vehicle without a spare wheel'. This is news to me as I'm quite sure 90% of goods vehicles don't carry a spare.
Any how, after I suggest he goes home if he doesn't want to use it, he then went to the stores and produced a wheel off a completely different vehicle (didn't even have the same stud pattern!), threw it in the back and said 'doesn't matter if it doesn't fit - as long as I've got a spare'!
Good job I don't do the hiring and firing around here, or do I owe him an apology?

I am not absolutely 100% sure but 99.9% sure he [driver] is talking bollax. Some new lease vans do not have a spare carried or fitted. On a large commercial on the side of a motor way would all drivers be able/safe to jack up and undo wheel nuts?

Hmm his days would be numbered if he worked for me a lot if not most big companies in Australia wont let drivers even change tyres now so a lot of trucks carry no spare tyres these days
I have worked at places before I was farming were one worker insisted that the boss pays for his drivers licence renewal as the boss benefited from him having a licence, the boss tried to point out that if he didnt have a licence he wouldnt have the job the worker dug his heels in needless to say his services were not required anymore

Some people have some strange ideas I guess me included depends on were your looking from I guess

Paul

essexpete wrote:I am not absolutely 100% sure but 99.9% sure he [driver] is talking bollax. Some new lease vans do not have a spare carried or fitted. On a large commercial on the side of a motor way would all drivers be able/safe to jack up and undo wheel nuts?

I agree with Pete on this unless the law has changed but I can't see that myself as you still see ATS and the likes changing tyres on the roadside, plus what about when a vehicle is fitted with 'super singles'? (large trucks)
Many modern cars no longer come with spare tyres (which I find infuriating and would never buy a car without one) so I cannot see why any law would require vans or commercials to carry a spare?

Jeremy

What made me smile was that he's using a Sprinter on 16" rims and the wheel he took as his spare was a 14" deep dish Transit wheel circa 1980 - don't know where he found it or why we even have it!!!
I bought a Touran about 10 years ago and my only concern with it was the lack of spare wheel. So...

No requirement to carry a spare, commercial or otherwise.
When I was in the haulage business over forty five years ago the first thing that was done when a new artic unit was delivered was to remove the spare wheel and any other surplus to requirement kit and take the unit down the road to the weigh bridge to get a ticket for the lightest possible weight. The gross for an artic running under Construction and Use regs at the time was 32tons and plating / axle loadings, HGV annual tests etc were only just being introduced.
Punctures on the road were catered for by two nationwide tyre services who each issued a booklet listing all their members locations and phone numbers etc. One was the National Tyre Service and I cant remember the name of the other one. Prudent drivers kept their own copies in their dinner bag and didn't rely on them remaining in the cab!