Winter Driving: Brakes and 5th Wheels
Do you know how to deal with difficult brakes and 5th wheels in tough winter driving? Here are a few tips to make sure that you’re following proper procedures to keep rolling safely!
Winter brings additional challenges to the professional driver. Poor driving conditions, cold, ice and snow and other drivers present some of the obvious challenges. Adapt to the conditions: slow down, increase your following distance and watch out for other vehicles. The cold alone can provide more subtle challenges with the equipment; frozen brakes and sluggish 5th wheels. These can lead to very costly repairs such as flat spotted tires if procedures are not followed.
When the temperature drops below freezing, moisture tends to freeze brake shoes to the brake drums, not allowing the brakes to release. Be sure that ALL of your tires are rolling freely. Use your mirrors to check. When you start with a trailer, turn left and right in an S fashion so that you can see your trailer tires in your mirrors to verify that they are rolling. If not STOP! Do not drag the tires trying to free them. Try rocking the unit back and forth, applying and releasing the brakes. If this doesn’t work you can try using a hammer on the frozen drum. Be sure that the tractor brakes are set and the trailer brakes are released. Contact maintenance if you continue to have difficulty.
The cold also has an effect on 5th wheel operation. The grease on the 5th wheels tends to get thick and almost tar like when it is cold. This can cause the 5th wheel jaws to not lock properly. It is critical that you follow all of the proper procedures when hooking up to a trailer. Check the trailer height before backing underneath. Back under until the 5th wheel jaws lock around the king pin. Do a pull test. Verify visually that the 5th wheel is properly locked. Is the locking handle in the locked position? Is the adjusting bolt on the front of the 5th wheel all the way in? There should be no gap between the 5th wheel and the king pin plate. visually check to see if the jaws are properly locked by going underneath the trailer and looking to see that the jaws are properly locked. Finally, do another pull, brake check and proceed slowly. By adjusting your driving to road and weather conditions, following company policies and procedures, you can overcome the challenges of winter.