What counts as preventable accidents?

I was driving at night, and just left a truck stop. Had a car flash their lights at me and I finally figured out why when I saw the smoke.

Had an air chamber leaking air on the trailer and two tires were flat spotted....I had to get a cage bolt from the truck stop and install it to free up the wheels....and then I was able to make it home.

Is this an incident that would be preventable?

My air gauges did not go down.

I have not had any other equipment damage in driving the past 6 months.

Thanks.

 

You did a thorough pretrip, right? Did you do a walk-around when you left the truckstop? Of course you did, otherwise you wouldn't have brought it up. Non-preventable, of course. You stopped when you were aware that there was a problem, and caged the brake to prevent further damage. I cannot see any way that what happened could be deemed to be preventable.

 

Only thing is (apologies for double-posting), I would not have continued with a caged brake and damaged tires, but would have returned to the truckstop for repairs to be carried out.

Any incidents caused by the non-functioning brake and flat-spotted tires would, by definition, be preventable since it is not reasonable to knowingly drive a defective vehicle.

 

If it happened in the middle of your workshift it is unpreventable, I would think. After a pretrip it would be preventable as the brake bleed down test none of us do, would of revealed a problem.

The first poster, I'm curious how you bent the rim? Did you barely catch the curb or were you driving fast? I hope you don't lose your job, but it don't look good. That many problems, you must of had a bad trainer.

 

My boss prefers we limp on home so he can do the repairs in his shop, as I always call him when there is any kind of equipment problem...and I always end up driving to his shop, and thus far that has been ok.

The flat spotting took about half the tread off, so the tires were still legal to drive. I drove about 300 miles to get to his shop.

I now carry a vise grip to clamp off the leaking air line, so the rest of the brakes are not affected by the air leak. I had a third tire that had some tread damage also, due to the leaking air from the chamber. I ended up putting in a cage bolt in the other brake when I stopped again, as that brake would not release when I stopped that second time, about 50 miles from the shop.

I did not walk around the truck before I left the truck stop, as I had just unloaded about 100 miles earlier, and everything was fine then....With the brakes set, I would not have heard the air leak anyway, would I? As I am thinking it was the parking brake chamber that was leaking the air, and with the air shut off = no air leak. Unless I would just apply the tractor brakes and then there would be air going to the trailer brakes, and then I would hear the air leak??? I may start doing that....

Does that sound correct?

Thanks.

 

Limping home is OK. I've limped home with a propshaft and brake chamber missing. My point is that to avoid preventable incidents you have to do everything reasonable to prevent the incident. So driving home with two caged brakes, while it's not going to win you any friends at the DOT, is probably OK, if you keep your speed down and increase your following distance, especially given that your vehicle was empty at the time. As the driver, you know what you have done, and you know that you are responsible, so you should have an interest in covering your own butt.

I am one of those who never leaves trailer brakes set, since I have to deal with frozen brakes for half the year, but you are right; no supply means no leak. Your supply line must have been leaking, rather than your service line. I would (and do) reef on the spike to check the integrity of the supply. If it won't stay open of itself, I hang something from it to keep it open while I get out and listen for leaks. I operate a lot in British Columbia, and the DOT like their brake checks to be taken seriously.

 

Thanks. I think I know what you mean...but what is: reef on the spike ???

I started not setting the trailer brakes a while back, and then when I went to drop a trailer, I got a rush of air when I was not expecting it from the open trailer valve....blew the glad hand gasket off....so then I started setting the brakes again for a while...and now I don't set them again and try to remember to close the valve if I am dropping a trailer.

With the colder temps here, the last thing I want is a trailer with frozen brakes....and me with no micro torch to warm them up...

I do think it is a good idea to do what you suggest and apply the trailer brakes and do a walk around to check for any air leaks...certainly would cover my butt for an air chamber leak. I am beginning to learn the driver is always assumed to be at fault unless he can show otherwise.

 

lol Considering my nation gave the world the English language I make a pretty poor job of it.

Reef on the spike=pull the trailer brake (don't you Americans call it the johnson bar?) wide open, or, give the trailer 100+psi of air.

 

Just had my first accident got a preventable accident an lose my job..anybody know any company that will hire me with 1 preventable accident

 

@Chinatown will be here soon