Runaway ramps

I stopped reading your comment after that paragraph. I totally agree.

I speak from having many conversations with safety critters and even an insurance underwriter. Those ramps are the last option when it comes to a runaway situation. Yes, they will tear up a front end and shake the bejesus out of a driver AND depending on the load type might cause damage. You can also expect there to be a good chance to be towed out and if the load is not damaged have to repower and the load might be late. HOWEVER, every industry professional I have spoken too has stated clearly! USE THAT RAMP, the consequences of not using it by far outweigh doing so. The things that will get a driver in trouble in these situations is their decision making leading up to the incident. I counsel ALL new drivers to discuss this with safety and see what their after procedures are. Some carriers used to fire a driver. Today they are becoming more forgiving of this much like other things, just don't do it again.

 

The #### Eaton stickers in those trucks don't tell you what "H" or "1" do either and while maybe they didn't tell me the last time I rented because I had a Class A the medium duty are a bit different.

I don't know why Eaton or Pensky couldn't at least add the following to the sticker.

H: Hold the transmission in current gear.
1 or Low Transmission: downshifts at the earliest opportunity for maximum engine braking. Does not allow the transmission to upshift.​

After renting one and going down a few steep grades I am surprised that more of them aren't off the side of the road. Lots of the car driving public will be too afraid to shove the shift lever into "1" while moving.

I am betting most people think "H" his for "Hills" and that is exactly the exactly wrong position if you are in 7th gear. Penske must go through a lot more brake pads than even U-Haul on their 22' and 26' trucks with air brakes..

 

A manual mode for a automatic to stay in one gear all the day is long is always a good thing when you are aware of when to change gears and so forth.

 

I would rather use a runaway ramp if I had to. As opposed to killing some one.

 

What if you need to use the runaway ramp and some fool is parked in front of it playing on his phone? Take the ramp and the fool in front of it with you, or pass it?

 

Every ramp I remember had warning signs about parking. if I were ever in that situation I'm on my air horn and will have my turn signal on. If I can without causing me harm I will try to hit the person in such a way they are pushed to the side. If all else fails that person may die that day. A sad fact, this is also why I advise drivers to have a go pro camera running. If you keep on going in this situation you risk killing others.

 

RIP

 

The new engine brakes are so good you don't need to touch your automatic shift.

 

Wrong time to be courteous. If you need the runaway ramp, you do not pass it. If Moron dies, hopefully he was FaceTiming someone who will say good things about him.

All it takes for the brakes to go is for one brake chamber to leak on the service side. When it happens, and it can suddenly happen, your brakes will feel mushy and won’t work for crap. Your brakes aren’t going to burn up...they will just be extremely weak. If you are in the wrong gear, you’d better have a really good plan B.

 

Until 1980 most trucks didn’t have jakes, mostly west coast, Colorado and Pennsylvania had them. Steering axle brakes didn’t come around tii the late seventies.
The problem is under trained drivers. Nothing else.
Caterpillar didn’t offer a jake until the 3406 had been out a few years..
Wonder how all us old farts survived