Braking Guidelines - Midland SIDE DUMP GRAVEL TRAILER Operator's Manual

4.8.2

BRAKING GUIDELINES

Safe, reliable and trouble-free operation of your
trailer requires that the brakes be maintained in
good operating condition at all times and the driver
follows good application techniques when driving.
The irresponsible use of brakes by the driver when
travelling can contribute to low brake life or result in
system malfunctions, short tire life and poor tire wear
patterns. The following list summarizes some basic
operational guidelines for the driver.
1. Check the function of the brake system before
starting a trip.
2. Maintain a safe vehicle speed at all times.
Slow down for rough road or slippery surface
conditions, winding roads or congested areas.
3. Always provide sufficient vehicle spacing on the
road to allow for a safe stopping distance.
4. Apply brakes gradually to produce an even
deceleration until the vehicle is stopped.
5. Watch traffic patterns ahead. Anticipate pattern
changes that could result in an emergency. Apply
the brakes gradually in sufficient time to produce
a controlled stop.
6. Shift to a lower gear to use engine compression
as the retarding force when going down steep
grades.
7. Do not apply brakes for a long period of time
such as when travelling on a long downgrade.
The brakes will overheat. Instead, apply both
the tractor and trailer brakes for short periods of
time giving the brakes a chance to cool between
applications.
8. Dry the brakes by applying them several times
after going through water.
9. Release the brakes just before going over railroad
tracks or other rough conditions. By allowing
the wheels to turn over rough road surfaces,
there will be no shock loads to the brake system
components or produce flat spots on the tires.
10. Wet, icy or snow-packed surfaces require special
care. Make cautious, intermittent applications by
fanning or pumping the brakes to reduce speed
without skidding or locking the wheels.
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11. Use caution when applying the tractor driveline
brake should you lose the service brake system.
Rapid and hard application of the driveline brake
can result in axle or driveline component failures
with the resulting loss of all braking systems.
12. Use wheel chocks, apply trailer and tractor
parking brakes and place tractor in low gear
when parking the unit.
13. Maximum brake retarding occurs just before the
wheels lock up and the tires skid. Release the
brakes should you feel them lock-up and reapply
them.
14. When trailer brakes are applied with hot drums, it
may result in a cracked drum. Allow them to cool
before reapplying the brakes.
15. Fanning or repeated on-and-off applications will
use up the system air reserves. This procedure
is not recommended unless adverse road
conditions are encountered. The wasting of air
reserves in this way could result in insufficient
application pressure should an emergency arise.
16. Hard or panic stops can overheat the linings
and drums. Overheating will cause brake fade.
Severe overheating and fade can result in the
complete loss of braking capability. This will
substantially reduce the expected life of brakes.