Cold weather prep

We have a few trucks parked for drive tires not spinning, they just got dragged down the road and completely wore the bottom part of the drive tire out.

Is that from setting the trailer brake or what can I do to prevent that?

I didnt have that problem last year, but its happening to a few of our trucks now.

 

Trucks or trailers? It's easy to free up trailer brakes if they're frozen, just tap the drum with a hammer.

 

It looks like the rear drives. Only front drives spin, rear drives follow. Those are freezing and being dragged by front drives.

 

Drivers should be able to tell whether all the brakes are free or not. If they can't, you need new drivers. Again, tapping the drums with a hammer or engaging the power divider should free them easily enough. Though it sounds like you have single screw tractors.
Also, moving the truck back and forth for the first half hour after stopping *should* prevent the shoes from freezing to the drums. That is...set brakes, wait 5-10 minutes, release brakes pull forward 2-3 feet, set brakes and wait 5-10 minutes, release brakes and back up 3-5 feet. This also works to keep your tires from melting divots into the ice, which can potentially prevent you from leaving after your break.

 

The problem is worse with trucks that do not have the backing plate covers on, but it can still happen to any of them.

You do the same with the tractor, remember to set the trailer brakes and release the truck brakes before you do.

On slick ice, you will not be able to feel it, it will leave drag marks on the ice, so anyone behind you would normally warn you on the cb, but by that time you ill have ruined the tires. Unless you have lockers the interlock will not break one side free on either axle, and I have actually seen guys break an axle trying to when they were all froze up. I carry a big hammer and just crawl under and smack the drum.

I see it every day here in the winter, and since it is dark in the winter we all have some exterior mounted massive work lights, so we can see and check our trailer wheels every time we pull out, it is mandatory.

 

If it is stuck linings; when it is slushy drive around just a bit dragging the brakes lightly. If your drivers give you flack remind them it is like the CDL test question that they had to memorize about driving through water.

Here is the wording from the FMCSA

 

What company do you run for and what is the rpm?

 

I also “double dose” my reefer tank in the cold weather. The fuel lines on those things are tiny and there’s not much return fuel.

 

Good idea.