Still don't know how to test the trailer brake without Hand Valve.

Release the tandem lock pins, get the truck rolling slowly, then stop with the service brakes. If the tandem moves, your trailer brakes are working. Don't ask me how I know this

 

I thought that all brake systems use a pressure switch on the air line to activate the brake lights? I know that mine does; the trolley valve activates the brake lights.

 

maybe they change , ill check when i get too the yard this afternoon , i know the old trucks did not , but thank's for head's up

 

I've never been in a truck that didn't have a hand trailer brake and it doen't make much sense to me to leave one out. But if I had to check the brakes to see if they were operating I'd get someone to help and see if they did work. I also do an air check (with the engine off) during my pre-trip to hear if there's any air leaks. If I do find a brake not working or out of adjustment I'd first try to have them adjust automatically and if not I'd then go to the shop. I would never try to adjust auto slack adjusters just because of all the warnings. The makers say if you do not do the job right you'll damage the slack adjuster and it will go out more than you're ready for. You can dynamite the trailer brakes at a slow speed but after all that there's not much more you can do. As far as legal responsibility goes if you do all that is required you did your job.

 

actually, one of my first trucking jobs was with NAVL (North American Van Lines) and that was the ComTrans division, in which we were company drivers, (all other drivers were o/o's... for the flatbeds, bed-buggers, electronics, and general freight).

the trucks we had back then were either Freigthliner cabovers or IH cabovers.

ok, well NAVL had REMOVED all the trolley handles, because the o/o's were using them instead of the foot brakes to stop the truck. as a result of course, the costs of replacing trailer brakes got expensive, so this was why NAVL removed all the trolley handles.

i was "among" the lucky(er) ones, in that the truck assigned to me, HAD a trolley handle AND a jake brake..!!!!

 

Just curious, how would removing them from the company trucks stop the o/o's from doing what they were doing?

 

What he was saying is that O/O's were saving their tractor brakes by using only the company owned trailer brakes for stopping the truck.

 

mm hmm, and how would altering the Company trucks affect their ability to do that?

 

ok my bad, i should have continued to explaining..

NAVL was never into the trucking business as much as they were into the truck sales and leasing business, making anyone an o/o. at least this was one of many jokes at the time. i could pull into "The Fort" (Ft Wayne, IN) and see rows upon rows of brand new trucks and off lease trucks, waiting for more suckers..
(my home terminal by the way, was in Etters, PA) i do not know who has owned that building since NAVL moved out)

when a person would "buy" or "lease" a truck from NAVL, the costs of repairs would be high, as much as it is now. so to save on the brakes of the lease/purchase trucks, NAVL removed ALL the trolley handles.

this drastically cut down on trailer brake repairs, and put the full burden on the lease/purchase operators to pay for the work needed when the time came.

also not too many o/o trucks had jake brakes, or cruise control, but mine did...i had an 1989 IH...cabover.

now, mind you, there WERE o/o's that bought trucks from other sources and leased on with NAVL, but those were so few, the trolley handles were not removed, as NAVL didn't conduct the sale or lease of that particular unit, and NAVL had no say in how that truck was equipped.