Keep On Truckin', No Matter What

by Bertel Schmitt

Published: August 18th, 2011

The truck depicted above was found by one of Carnewschina’s many stringers in Southern China, Guangxi Province, National Highway 323, km 1181, near the town of Desheng. The stringer noted an indicated speed of 80 km/h. This gives a whole new meaning to a crash truck.

Up until now, a crash truck was understood as a vehicle especially designed and equipped to rescue victims of an air crash. Should you ever hear the words “crash truck” come from a plane’s cockpit, be alarmed.

The term is being redefined in China.

Now, a crash truck (with Chinese characteristics) is a truck that had been in a severe accident and that had its cab converted to an open air festival. At closer inspection, it was determined that engine and drive-train were still in good running condition, and after strapping the damaged sheet metal on the truck (for proper recycling, no doubt), the half-truck was sent on its way. An example of self-sufficiency!

There are more pictures at Carnewschina.

#Accident #BertelSchmitt #China #Truck

Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

More by Bertel Schmitt

Comments

Join the conversation

2 of 11 comments

Econobiker on Aug 19, 2011

This is better than the Mexican "spider men" who drive the modular heavy duty truck chassis to bus and RV upfitters by sitting in the open air on crates lashed to the bare chassis and wearing motorcycle helmets while gripping the steering wheel and bouncing along on unladen springs.

Like Reply
Carve on Aug 19, 2011

Can you imagine what must've happened to the guy who crashed it? I'll bet that guy is sitting in a seat soaked with blood, bone fragments, and brain-matter.

Like Reply

Recent Comments

RHD They are going to crash and burn like Country Garden and Evergrande (the Chinese property behemoths) if they don't fix their problems post-haste.
Golden2husky The biggest hurdle for us would be the lack of a good charging network for road tripping as we are at the point in our lives that we will be traveling quite a bit. I'd rather pay more for longer range so the cheaper models would probably not make the cut. Improve the charging infrastructure and I'm certainly going to give one a try. This is more important that a lowish entry price IMHO.
Add Lightness I have nothing against paying more to get quality (think Toyota vs Chryco) but hate all the silly, non-mandated 'stuff' that automakers load onto cars based on what non-gearhead focus groups tell them they need to have in a car. I blame focus groups for automatic everything and double drivetrains (AWD) that really never gets used 98% of the time. The other 2% of the time, one goes looking for a place to need it to rationanalize the purchase.
Ger65691276 I would never buy an electric car never in my lifetime I will gas is my way of going electric is not green email
GregLocock Not as my primary vehicle no, although like all the rich people who are currently subsidised by poor people, I'd buy one as a runabout for town.