Braking In Your Heavy Duty Truck

Heavy Duty Truck

Whether you’re making the rounds or making deliveries, your heavy duty truck is a massive machine, likely packed with heavy cargos. While that makes your truck instrumental in the shipping industry, it also means it’s a dangerous piece of equipment. We here at White’s International Trucks know that staying in control is one of the most important things while hauling, so we’ve put together some tips for braking properly in your truck. If you have any questions, contact any of our seven stores across North Carolina, today!

Never Slam The Brakes

It’s absolutely critical that you never, ever slam on your brakes. That might work in a consumer vehicle, but your truck is a top-heavy machine with, most likely, a large trailer behind it. Slamming on the brakes can not only cause your brakes to lock up, but it can also cause your rig to jackknife and even flip. You, your cargo, and the drivers around you are relying on your having proper braking technique.

Hill Descents

Wherever you’re hauling, you’re likely to encounter a hill or two. These are particularly dangerous for heavy-duty rigs, so always go slowly to avoid skidding or sway. One of the best ways to do that is to feather your brakes. This will help you to avoid a slide. Essentially, you’ll just be rapidly changing the pressure you put on the brake, tapping it lightly to control speed while avoiding holding the brake down. Feathering mimics anti-lock braking systems, or ABS, which is helpful in preventing slides on icy patches, but rely on your own control rather than automatic systems. 

Straighten Out

When you’ve got a trailer hitched, you should make sure your truck and trailer are aligned when you brake. Straightening out from any turn before applying the brake can also help avoid slides. Sliding, once started, is incredibly difficult to recover from, so your best defense against it is to avoid it entirely. Trying to brake while turning or while the trailer is out of alignment can lead to flipping and general loss of control, and neither you nor your cargo really want to go through that.

Stopping Distances

Your truck’s stopping distance isn’t a static thing. The load you’re hauling, the size of the trailer hitched, and even the trailer’s materials can have an effect on how long it takes to come to a complete stop. As a general rule, though, you should expect it to take twice as long to stop in your truck as it might in a consumer vehicle. Also as a general rule, you should significantly overestimate the stopping distance rather than underestimate.

We hope these tips keep you and your haul safe and healthy! If you want more information, contact us at White’s International Trucks. We proudly serve the great state of North Carolina—let us serve you today!