When Trucks Have Nightmares

Do trucks have nightmares?

If trucks have nightmares I’m sure these three would be at the top of their lists:

1. Blown over by wind

Sometimes you can’t predict what the wind is going to do. Check out this video. Empty trailers are at more of a wind risk than loaded ones. And if you have a loaded trailer it’s so important to balance your loads evenly and to a low center of gravity as much as possible.

2. Brakes smoke and catch fire

Braking under high speed and weight, such as when going down mountain grades, causes tremendous friction to the brake drums and linings. This leads to break lockup, causing them to smoke and catch fire. ‘Stab’ braking and engine braking are two methods used to prevent overusing the service brakes.

3. Loss of control on steep downgrade

Fortunately there are runaway truck ramps that can slow and stop trucks that have lost their braking power on downgrades. But what if they’re not at the right place where you need them? What if you have to navigate a tight curve when you’ve built up too much speed and velocity? Here’s a story about that.