Keep On Truckin', No Matter What
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.
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.
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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.
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.