If all you have is a hammer, all your problems look like nails, right? But, if all you have is a screwdriver, well that’s an entirely different story.
Over the years I’ve had countless “some assembly required” procurements that have come with complimentary screwdrivers. As a recovering engineer I do not have the genes that permit me to throw away a good tool. My toolbox screwdriver drawer now has enough Phillips head screwdrivers to outfit a small army of workshop helpers. I suspect this is how Santa Claus got his elves outfitted.
Stick with me here. I will relate this to trucks soon.
There are fundamental differences between a hammer and a screwdriver. Drop forged claw hammers have essentially two purposes in life: to put a nail in or pull one out. They have become quite sophisticated over the years, paying close attention to ergonomics, sound, vibration, etc. But unless you are a contestant on Forged in Fire and tasked with making a broad sword by salvaging a hammer, hammers really are not all that useful for anything else but the occasional wrecking yard mayhem.
Screwdrivers, on the other hand, seem to have an almost infinite number of alternative uses than just installing and removing screws. Have you ever needed to punch a hole in something? I’ve combined a hammer and a Phillips screwdriver to punch a few holes in a range of materials. Ever needed to pry something open? The long lever arm of the screwdriver can be very useful in the absence of a prybar. Need a magnet? Whether or not you wanted your screwdriver to be magnetic, at some point in time it became so, so why not make use of that feature? Ever used a screwdriver to short out an electrical circuit? And for those Forged in Fire fans, a Phillips screwdriver can be made into a variety of other tools from chisels and knives to knitting needles.
I promised to relate this to trucks.
NACFE’s tremendously successful recent Run on Less Electric – DEPOT demonstration of battery electric trucks showed that electric trucks are more than a one-shift-per-day vehicle. Like the Phillips screwdriver, creative operators kept finding innovative ways to get more out of the trucks than just the stated one-charge trip.
