Possible Brake Malfunction In Fatal Truck Crash In Virginia

Sorry to hear about the driver, and as usual, I don't believe the faulty brake card. Guy had a B-buster full of pumpkins, and rolled it in an unfortunate place where the embankment wasted the cab. What's so hard to figure out?

 

Mountain climbing is not taught to these new driver's. Along with how to adjust your brakes

 

Just rolling hills in that part of VA, maybe he just burned his brakes up....

 

My goodness, what a way to go. Condolences to that driver and his family

 

No kidding. Watch drivers at a brake check in BC sometime. They roll in, park for a minute to log the brake check and just roll out. Don't even get out of the cab in most cases.

 

More than likely didnt like driving safely and may have been to heavy on brakes/accelerator. People whom drive for the conditions with patience would not have made that mistake.

Condolences just the same.

 

Watching a lot of "newer/inexperienced" drivers in large vehicles (not just semi trucks) illustrates the fact that many really don't have a handle on how much weight they have under their control and how much more room they need to allow as speeds increase due to the weight. I see more and more tailgating from box trucks and some from semi trucks.

As for driving in the mountains, I can still hear the old man drilling it in my head to be in the right gear to head down BEFORE descending....
- "Miss a gear on the downhill and you're going for the ride."
- "No one ever cooked the brakes by going too slow."
- "There are no trophies awarded for a quick descent."
- "Never go faster than your guardian angel can fly."
His actual words were a bit more colorful, and not exactly politically correct. But his point was made; and taken!

Condolences for this driver's family and friends!

 

We had a trainer once. Who recognized that I had a problem with mountains acting like a old woman. One day on a particular hill which itself isnt too bad he allowed her to run out her power and gravity pulled it until it too maxed out. Estimated at about 145 plus it did not take too long to fall off that hill as long there was enough run out at the bottom and a barrel of air.

Once we got that stunt out of the way he taught me some of that non PC language and showed what was possible in times should she actually get away downhill. I never forgot.

I cannot imagine some 30 year old office drone eyes popping on those figures coming around from the rig being made to fall down that hill today. I would be so fired. =)

 

Drivers should be trained with jake brake on low or medium settings.. they learn with light loads and full jakes which makes them overconfident .. RIP driver