What do truckers do at a brake check?

At the brake check area, drivers physically check each of the various components of the air brake system

air brake system

In 1872, George Westinghouse invented the automatic air brake by inventing the triple valve and by equipping each car with its own air cylinder. Air pressure is maintained in the auxiliary reservoirs and in the train pipe at all times when the brakes are not applied.

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Westinghouse Air Brake Company - Wikipedia

for wear, leaks, or damage. This check includes the air compressor, air drier, brake lines, trailer supply and emergency air hoses, and especially the brake drums and shoes.

What does it mean to brake check a semi?

During brake testing or mostly known as brake checking, you slam on your brakes sharply while driving along with another vehicle so that the unsuspecting car will slam on their brakes as well or swerve out of the way so that you will not cause an accident.

Why do people brake check truck drivers?

Brake checking typically has one of two purposes: to force another driver to move or to commit insurance fraud. The goal of brake checking for a dangerous, negligent or reckless driver will be to send a signal to the following driver.

How do you do a brake check?

On many vehicles, you can see the brake pad through the holes in the wheel. To check the life of the brake pad, you need to determine its thickness. You might need a flashlight to get a good look at the brake pad. If the pads look thin, less than 1/4", it might be time to get them replaced.

What is the point of a brake check?

What is Brake Checking? A brake check occurs when a driver deliberately applies their brakes to get another driver, who they often believe is tailgating them, to back off.

Don’t mess with semi truck / Brake check

How long does a brake test take?

Our free brake check is carried out by our specialist brake technicians and takes around 45 minutes to an hour to complete. The result of this examination is recorded on a written brake report for you to take away together with a quote for any required work.

How do you deal with a tailgater?

Is brake checking illegal?

A brake check is an illegal act and highly dangerous. Not only could this dangerous driving result in an accident causing serious injury or death, it can also have a financial burden if your vehicle is damaged and your insurance premium rises.

Why do people break Check 18 wheelers?

This is especially true of what's become known as “brake checking” big trucks to force them to slow down. Brake-checking is when a driver hits his brakes when in front of another vehicle to make them slow down, sometimes stopping completely. It's often a response to tailgating, or following too closely.

What does no tailgating mean?

Tailgating is the action of a driver driving behind another vehicle while not leaving sufficient distance to stop without causing a collision if the vehicle in front stops suddenly.

Why do people tailgate?

Typically, someone is tailgating you because they want you to drive faster. In this case, remember that it's not your responsibility to follow their desired speed limit, just the posted one. In more severe cases, tailgating may be an expression of road rage.

Is it always my fault if I rear ended someone?

The rear driver in a rear-end collision is not always at fault for the accident. Liability in a rear-end collision is not automatic and sometimes the lead driver or another vehicle is liable for the injured drivers' damages.

Is brake checking safe?

While the desire to brake check is understandable, no lawyer, cop, or driving expert will recommend it because: Brake checking causes accidents in a similar manner to tailgating. A brake check can cause a tailgater to slam into your vehicle or to wildly swerve and cause a single car or multi-vehicle accident.

When people slam the brakes in front of you?

Brake checking is an illegal action. The person in front of you, in a brake checking situation, suddenly slams on their brakes. They do this to surprise you, and sometimes it's to intentionally cause a collision. Regardless of where you are, this action puts you and others in danger.

What is a Johnny bar on a semi?

Explanation The trailer hand valve, also called the trolley valve or Johnson bar, is used to work the trailer brakes. It should be used only to test the brakes.

How many steps are used in checking the air brake system?

The 9-Step CDL Air Brake Test. Static Air Leakage. Turn off the engine with a fully-charged air system. Then, release the parking brake and time the air pressure drop.

What is the 2 second rule in driving?

To use the rule, drivers should allow the vehicle in front to pass a fixed object such as a lamp post or road sign then count to two seconds. If they reach two seconds before reaching the reference marker they need to drop back. The picture below shows how intimidating it can be when someone is driving too close.

What should you do when a large truck wants to pass you?

When a bus or truck is passing you, stay to the right and slow down slightly. Giving the driver room to pass safely helps get you out of the blind spot quicker. Remember to give trucks and buses plenty of space to merge in front of you when coming off ramps or changing lanes.

Why do truckers tailgate?

As you can see, the first two reasons truckers tailgate are simply to bring the driver back to reality so they can hopefully start paying attention to their driving. The third reason, however, is a direct result of the first two.

How do mechanics check brakes?

The mechanic should inspect all brake lines and hoses for signs of leaking or cracking. The caliper hardware and dust boots are inspected for damage. The caliper and/or wheel cylinders are inspected for brake fluid leaking. The rotors are inspected for smoothness.

What is the minimum legal foot brake efficiency?

The out-of-balance of the service brakes on any axle, greater than 30 per cent. The service brake efficiency is below 50 per cent (58 per cent for cars first used on or after 1 January 2012) The parking brake (hand brake) efficiency is below 16 per cent.

What's the three second rule?

Simply leave 3 seconds worth of room between you and the vehicle you are following. Just watch the vehicle in front of you pass a road sign or other inanimate object on the side of the road and count out “One Massachusetts, Two Massachusetts, Three Massachusetts” before your vehicle passes that same object.