Am I breaking my brakes?

Your air bags should not deflate when the brakes are set. Also, I'm assuming your using the trolley brake handle? If so, your constantly applying air to the brakes instead of the spring inside the brake doing the job without air.

 

I hardly ever set my trailer brakes unless parking for the day. Of course I pull a pneumatic tank so not sure how that would go with a forklift.

 

Why don't you set your tractor brake only?

Why are you switching between retarder levels? Set it and forget it till the bottom.

I redact the last statement for changing grades.

Unless your getting crazy and going 1-2-3-3-1-2-3-2-1-3-2. Then why?

 

I'm glad you explained why you were doing that! It really had me wondering! I think I'd chock the wheels and just set the tractor brakes. Apparently the outfit you are at, can't afford a dock plate? Kind of seems mickey mouse to me.
Also on the jakes, if you need them, use them. If not don't. I always have to SMH at the drivers who leave them on all the time. It is easier on equipment if you start out with as little jake as necessary and then go progressively up. At least that is what I was told. I'm no mechanic.

 

Take a close look at the RED knob on your dash. Does it mention anything on there about being a "brake". I know mine doesn't. Can't say I've seen one that does. The yellow "parking brake" should be plenty to keep your truck from moving. If not, you have bigger problems than the air bags dumping.

EDIT FOR THE NIT PICKERS: (So, a total idiot won't take my words above the wrong way and get themselves fired from a job that they shouldn't be doing anyway. After all, this post was about getting loaded at a dock. Not stopping on the shoulder on a 15% grade.)

If the dock you are at is on a steep hill (so the loaders can just let gravity take over and the pallets will just slide to the front of your trailer) you would probably want to pull both the yellow and red buttons on the dash. Then get as far away from your truck as possible and watch the festivities. Please take your phone so you can post on here asking what company will hire you after you get fired.

 

I had a trailer like that and I ended up changing the trailer leveling valve to a type that wouldn't dump the air bags when I popped the trailer valve.

But, here is a trick I used to keep the trailer from walking away from the dock.
Back up tight to the dock and set your trailer brakes. Wait a minute and you will feel the trailer move as the axles rotate. When the bags are empty, push in your emergency valve and quickly back up tight again and set your trailer brakes again.
If you do that quick enough your air bags won't have time to fully inflate back up causing your axles to rotate again.
It's not that hard once you get the hang of it.

 

Sounds like the wheel chock idea or the new leveling valve to me....

 

A question for your question. Why are you setting the trailer brakes to load/unload? Just use the tractor and a wheel chock for safety
If that doesn't work you need to be fixing your tractor brakes!