U learn something new everyday, better at someone else's expense, here's 1 at mine 4U

Use your foot! Now that's ol' school!

 

heaven forbid a driver would have to understand a little bit of physics and that a steep hill will make you work to keep the truck under control....

 

That's what I was going to say about the heat on the brake drums. The driver could have heated them up so much the drum expanded and would not stop right away. Either that the brakes were so far out of adjustment they didn't work properly. He's lucky he didn't have a fire. If that tire starts to burn you might as well enjoy the fire because you're not going to put it out.

The automatic slack adjusters can be a problem if they were adjusted by drivers that don't have the right tools and know-how. There's a warning out by the manufacturer that you should not adjust the autos in the field because you'll cause them to go out of adjustment faster. They recommend that they be taken to the shop and replaced if they have been damaged. The trick is to keep them lubed and during your pre-trip apply about 60lbs of air a couple of times and if they are working then they should adjust.