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How bad am I screwed?... OOS question.

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by TruckerGonnaBe, May 8, 2015.

Page 2 of 3
  1. May 8, 2015 #11
    TruckerGonnaBe

    TruckerGonnaBe Light Load Member

    140
    38
    May 27, 2014
    Western WA
    0
    Thank you everyone. I appreciate all of the help. I was just talking to another driver who is a friend of mine about needing to learn more about the brakes. Too little to late. Oh well. I should have done this long ago.

    If there is someone around Coburg Or. I'm here until about 8:30 tonight when I will be taking a load to Puyallup then going home until the 13 th. After that I will be going out team where he will be dealing with dispatch and I will deal with the pre-trips. I don't want this to happen again. I hate that I ruined my own excellent record over ignorance.
     
    TruckerGonnaBe, May 8, 2015
    TruckerGonnaBe, May 8, 2015
    #11
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  3. May 8, 2015 #12
    ChromeDome

    ChromeDome Road Train Member

    3,706
    2,086
    Jun 10, 2007
    Lakeland, FL
    0
    Or just grab a box end wrench, use it to push in the lockout ring on the adjuster nut, crank it in all the way, then back off 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn. Do this to all of them and you are done. Of course if the auto adjusters are bad, then they will just go out of adjustment again anyway, which is most likely what happened with that one.
     
    ChromeDome, May 8, 2015
    ChromeDome, May 8, 2015
    #12
  4. May 8, 2015 #13
    kemosabi49

    kemosabi49 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

    10,011
    41,499
    Jan 13, 2013
    SW Arkansas
    0
    I agree TripleSix. All driver should know how to adjust slack adjusters, both manual and automatic. Can save you a lot of grief and maybe even your life. That being said, if your company wants you to be able to adjust these, they must give you a card stating you are qualified and have the companies permission to adjust brakes. I had Colorado DOT refuse to allow me to adjust my brakes because my company didn't allow it. I showed him an old card I had from my previous company and he just laughed. I had to call a service truck. I got a ticket too. (Company did pay it but it should seeing as how they had just had the trailer in the shop doing brake work.) Service guy said that if it had been an automatic slack adjuster, the dot would not have let him adjust it. Would have either had to find the reason it wasn't adjusting or put a new one on. What a crock. As for being able to easily check your adjustment there are plastic rings that you can put on your brake chamber rods that make it easy to check, even eyballing.
     
    kemosabi49, May 8, 2015
    kemosabi49, May 8, 2015
    #13
  5. May 8, 2015 #14
    kidsdad

    kidsdad Medium Load Member

    327
    298
    Nov 11, 2010
    central illinois
    0
    I don't ever check trailer brakes, it takes the same amount of time to check or adjust. I use a socket, crawl under and crank down, 1/2 turn out. 5 minutes, 10 tops.
    b
     
    kidsdad, May 8, 2015
    kidsdad, May 8, 2015
    #14
  7. May 8, 2015 #15
    kswildcat

    kswildcat Light Load Member

    53
    49
    May 7, 2015
    0
    Just posted this on a different thread.. Far to many times I have seen someone hook to a trailer, throw the lines on and drive away without checking it over good. This can get you in trouble in a hurry. Not only can there be a mechanical issue but also a damage issue that has not been reported.. Drag that trailer any distance and it becomes your fault.

    I agree with kidsdad.. When hooking a new trailer just adjust them and be done. I adjust all brakes atleast once a week (I dont rely on self adjusters).. As far as wear goes, there is a notch or split between the 2 brake pads on each brake.. If its a notch you will see its only notched so far.. if its a 2 piece pad there will be a smaller gap towards the brake and a larger gap at the face of the pad. If brakes are worn this far they are done and need to be replaced.. Do your job in reporting this and you earn brownie points.
     
    kswildcat, May 8, 2015
    kswildcat, May 8, 2015
    #15
  8. May 9, 2015 #16
    CougFan

    CougFan Light Load Member

    268
    154
    Dec 20, 2012
    0
    Like some others have said, learn and move on.

    One of the harder things to do in trucking is to put mistakes behind you. Each day is a new day, and you cant waste time going over yesterdays goofs.

    Just dont repeat them and you have nothing to worry about.
     
    CougFan, May 9, 2015
    CougFan, May 9, 2015
    #16
  9. May 10, 2015 #17
    HotH2o

    HotH2o Road Train Member

    4,094
    4,863
    Sep 23, 2012
    Bunyan Springs, Colorado
    0
    You're kidding, right? There are a couple ways to determine if the brakes are out of adjustment. No offense driver but that kind of thinking will kill somebody some day!
     
    HotH2o, May 10, 2015
    HotH2o, May 10, 2015
    #17
  10. Jun 5, 2015 #18
    spyder7723

    spyder7723 Road Train Member

    15,442
    24,743
    Mar 31, 2013
    sarasota, fl
    0
    You obviously don't know what a proper pre trip is if you think there is no way he could have known the brakes were out of adjustment
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2015
    spyder7723, Jun 5, 2015
    spyder7723, Jun 5, 2015
    #18
  11. Jun 5, 2015 #19
    Air Breeze

    Air Breeze Heavy Load Member

    903
    831
    Jun 19, 2009
    Tennessee
    0
    If you do a pre-trip inspection and you dont't discover your breaks are out of adjustment, it's
    your fault.You did not do a proper inspection.That's what a pre-trip inspection is for. If you
    are involved in a serious accident and your brakes are out of adjustment your in big trouble.
     
    Air Breeze, Jun 5, 2015
    Air Breeze, Jun 5, 2015
    #19
  12. Jun 5, 2015 #20
    poppapump1332

    poppapump1332 Road Train Member

    2,987
    2,462
    Jan 2, 2010
    birdsboro,pa
    0
    Whats amazing to me is how many drivers have no clue on how to adjust brakes.
     
    poppapump1332, Jun 5, 2015
    poppapump1332, Jun 5, 2015
    #20
    Diesel Dave Thanks this.
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