Man Gets Huge Tear In Vehicle's Coolant Hose. Then He Just Keeps Driving

"Put some Gorilla tape on it and keep rolling."

Trucker Gets Huge Tear In Coolant Hose. Then He Keeps Driving

Photo by: Larry Cothran

Chad Swiatecki

By: Chad Swiatecki

Mar 11, at 6:00am ET

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It takes a lot to render a prolific content creator speechless, since reactions and opinions are a must-have in that line of work. But a viral video that shows a semi truck driver pretty much shrugging off a potentially catastrophic equipment failure elicited just a shaking head and a look of disbelief.

The Facebook Reel from Larry Cothran, who specializes in videos about life as a long-haul truck driver, shows a truck running despite a roughly six-inch tear in its coolant hose. Green coolant flows past, with the on-screen caption asking viewers to guess how long the truck will run in its compromised state.

Cothran doesn’t venture a guess in the clip that has more than 300 comments, but it’s clear from his reaction that it’s probably a number measured in minutes or hours, not days.

Can You Fix A Coolant Hose With Baling Wire?

As with most viral mechanical clips, the real action moved quickly to the comment section. Hundreds of viewers weighed in with their own roadside diagnosis. Many came across like veteran truck drivers who have dealt with similar problems far from a repair shop.

Several commenters treated the torn hose less like a crisis and more like a temporary inconvenience. Their solution was the same fix that has probably saved countless people from roadside breakdowns over the years, albeit most likely only temporarily until they could get to a shop. "Duct tape n bailing wire will fix ‘er," one viewer wrote.

Others offered similar advice. "Put some Gorilla tape on it and keep rolling," another instructed. "Duct tape and zip ties and runnit," said another.

Some suggested wrapping the hose in electrical tape or using the infomercial-famous Flex Tape to hold things together long enough to reach the next truck stop or parts store.

That mindset reflects a reality of long-haul trucking: not every problem gets fixed immediately. Sometimes the goal is simply to make it to the next safe place to stop.

Not everyone watching the clip was convinced that it was an advisable course of action. A second group of commenters argued the situation was being treated far too casually, pointing out that replacing a coolant hose is hardly a complicated repair.

"It’s a 5 minute fix," argued one, seemingly assuming that the driver had the part on hand.

The debate even drifted into side arguments about coolant color and terminology, with some viewers questioning why the system appeared to be running green antifreeze.

Where’s The Pressure?

What makes the clip so puzzling is that the coolant doesn't appear to be spraying everywhere, even though there’s a large tear in the hose. In most engines, coolant is often a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water that circulates through the engine block and radiator to absorb heat and keep temperatures from climbing into the danger zone. The cooling system typically runs under pressure once the engine warms up, which is why the hoses are reinforced rubber designed to contain that kind of pressure.

At idle, the water pump is moving coolant more slowly, and system pressure can be relatively low. That means a hose with visible damage might not immediately burst or dump its contents on the pavement. For a driver trying to reach the next truck stop or repair shop, that brief window can be just enough to tempt fate and keep rolling for at least a few more miles.

There’s an inherent risk, though, since a hose that appears stable while the truck is idling could fail quickly once the system reaches operating temperature.

Commenters were more than happy to point this out.

"Soon as you step on the gas it will be empty," one of them noted. Another viewer noted that the truck in the video might not yet have reached full operating temperature.

A few viewers were less interested in the repair debate than in the setting. The faint chime in the background sounded exactly like the tone used at Love’s Travel Stops, which caters to truckers and travelers and uses a specific tone to announce when a shower is available for the next waiting customer.

What do you think?

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Comments

For the truckers interested in the clip, that small detail places the whole moment in the familiar environment of a truck stop parking lot. It's a place where sometimes crucial driving business decisions get made, including just how far down the road a questionable piece of equipment can make it.

Motor1 reached out to Cothran via email and direct message. We’ll update this if he responds.

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