Brakes

There have been plenty of “brake failure” accidents with no fade or fire or a system that maintains pressure so the fail safes don’t get triggered. Treadle valves or relay valves are the culprit. Foot pushes peddle and valves give no response to move air and the rest is history. All you can do is pull the emergency ( that is why the knob still says emergency on it) try like heck to down shift and not stall and hope for the best. That has got to be the scariest ride ever.

 

Steady pressure also prevents oxygen from getting between the brake pads and drum and that's why there's no fire. Maybe a little smoke sometimes, but no fire.

 

If your blue line breaks it can be really bad.

 

The most common experience is overheating the brakes due to faulty brake adjustment or mis-use of brakes when descending steep hills/mountains. As jake brakes became more common and used, CDL schools and company trainers just assume the newbie already knows how to properly use one or that jake-brake equals safety so turning on the switch equals adding safety, like EVERY newbie and their stupid 4-way flashers. "keep doing what you are doing but throw on your 4-ways and now you are safer."