Not popping Trailer brakes when parked?

Just popped the tractor brakes after pulling away from the dock from loading many winters ago. As I was closing the trailer doors, the trailer was getting farther away from me! Yep, sliding on a patch of ice, I was able to run up along side, get the driver's door open and pop the trailer brakes before it all got to the fence.
The folks that worry about trailer brakes freezing, if the drums are wet or slushy, let them cool down a while b4 you set them, better yet, pull up a couple of feet after you have been parked a while, so that you are not frozen to the ground on rutted spots from when the tires were warm.

 

In trucking school they told us the exact same thing. Very very good advice.

 

Most tanker trailer I have pulled (chemical and fuel) drop the trailer brakes when the unload gate is opened... or the main unload door is opened allowing you to open internal valves... So it's moot...

 

I always pull BOTH. no matter the day, weather, whatever. I need not have a fork lift driver run in an out of my trailer, at the high rates of speed they do, and cause the trailer to move a millimeter, much less a foot, away from the docks. I want FULL braking/parking power.

Now as for winter, this is what I DO, (I am lucky enough many times, that I have space to do this), I drive around maybe two times around the parking lot, with my foot on the brake pedal. Now this is done at a very low speed. This dries out the brake drums. but also, as I approach the driveway, I am "riding the brakes" gently, as to keep them warmed up to assist in the drying process.

As of the last time I did this, this past winter, and ALL winters prior to this?

Never any problems with my brakes freezing up on me.

I do not care, level ground, dry ground, whatever ground. I want FULL braking/parking power applied at all times. The last thing I NEED, is to have some jackarse, hit my truck, causing it to roll away, or have a bad slack adjuster, or any other problem, that will cause me grief with the company, and the potential damage caused, all because I only used one set of brakes.

Others can do as they wish, but this is some kinda habit I got into, from day 1, and I ain't about to change, no matter the argument(s).

 

Fixed it for you.

 

He is correct. Check it out for yourself. The axle with the maxi brakes usually is only ONE drive axle (if a twin screw). The other "brake cans" are the service brakes ONLY. On a single drive axle tractor, then the maxi and service brakes are contained in one brake can. So therefore, you still only have "one axle" with maxi's.

On trailers, ALL the brakes are maxi/service brakes. Wouldn't you want FULL braking/parking power?

Sorry, but like I said, level surface, hill, wet or dry, whatever, I know i want full braking/parking power. Seems to me, getting under a truck to whack the brakes is far better than to see your rig roll away and maybe end up killing someone.

Also like I said, I dry them out (to the best of my ability) to prevent freezing. Never any problems for me, after what, 19-20 years now???

 

Seems to me that if you're not confident in the tractor brakes holding it the last thing you want is to be underneath when the trailer brakes release.

 

One time years ago I parked at that East St. Louis, IL truckstop (back before it was a Pilot) after a snowstorm. I backed into a spot in the dirt lot across the street (its blocked off now). I set the brakes and got out only to find my truck sliding backwards on the ice. It slid about a foot before the trailer came to rest against a pole. I noticed I was crooked but I was unable to straighten out since all I was doing was sliding (warm tires and all). In the morning, my tires were cold enough to grip to where I was able to leave, lol! Fun times!

 

Not moot. NONE of our tanker trailers do that.

 

If its just a quick get out and look or a park at the fuel island I may not dump the trailer air. Or if I've been driving in the slow all day and will be parking someplace cold...yeah you learn not to do that pretty quickly first time you wake up with all 8 brake shoes frozen to the drums. Otherwise I set both knobs if it's going to be a long park.