How Scania UK helped the RNLI share vital lifesaving advice

From swimmers caught in rip currents to walkers cut off by the tide, knowing how to float saves lives in all kinds of scenarios. And if you ever get into trouble in the water, remembering this vital water safety advice could save yours too.

Floating to live can help buy precious minutes while a lifeboat crew or lifeguard makes their way to someone in trouble. To help save more lives, we need to continue sharing this lifesaving message far and wide.

This summer, our friends at Scania UK hit the road to help spread the word! As part of our partnership, they wrapped one of their trailers in our Float to Live campaign ad and travelled to coastal spots across the UK – helping more people learn what to do if they get into difficulty in the water.

Partnering with Scania UK

Selfless RNLI volunteers are ready to answer calls for help at a moment’s notice. They need reliable kit and equipment so that they’re always there for those who need them. And with Scania understanding the importance of reliable power solutions that are built to last, working together was a perfect fit.

Scania UK has long supplied engines for the RNLI’s Shannon class all-weather lifeboats and Shannon launch and recovery systems. Featuring cutting-edge technology, the Shannon class was designed to help crews reach people in need faster and more safely – no matter how challenging the conditions may be.

In 2024, we officially joined forces to form a multi-year partnership, working together to get closer to the RNLI’s goal of saving every one. With 2025 seeing the hottest UK summer on record, and with even more people flocking to the coast, reaching people with our Float to Live advice was more important than ever – and we were thrilled that Scania wanted to help make it happen.

Driven to save lives

With the trailer completely transformed into a mobile, high-impact billboard, it was ready to get on the road! Setting off at Scania UK’s head office in Milton Keynes, it made its way along the coast, pitching up at various spots in the south and northeast of the UK.

Its first stop was at Plymouth Hoe before moving onto Brighton, where it spent the August bank holiday at Hove Promenade. The Float to Live tour then headed north to Bridlington and ended its journey in Scarborough.

RNLI volunteers around the coast were stationed at each stop, ready to welcome the public and share advice about staying safe in and around the water.

From locals to day-trippers and holidaymakers, the trailer served its purpose of reaching more people with our Float to Live message. It travelled over 1000 miles, and there were over 500,000 opportunities for people to see it each day. That’s an incredible amount of people who could now know how to float – and potentially save themselves from danger should they ever end up in difficulty.

Do you know how to float?

However you end up in the water, if you end up in difficulty, Float to Live. This advice has already helped save the lives of more than 50 people in all sorts of situations, like Evan and Tina.

Remember these 5 steps:

1. Tilt your head back with your ears submerged.
2. Try to relax and breathe normally.
3. Move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat.
4. Your legs may sink – that’s OK. Everyone floats differently.
5. Practise floating at a supervised location like a swimming pool.

Don’t forget to share Float to Live with your friends, family and colleagues. Together, we can help save lives.