No "FLAMING" here...

Back when I first started driving, I was taught slight, even pressure. The main control should be the gear you're in and the engine, but your foot is to be covering the brake and taking up any "free-play". You do not want to get the brakes hot, but you do want contact between the shoes and the drums.
Then, when I started in with training, (two-day "orientation", and the trainees did not go through any other school) they pointed it out in the CDL manual, that slow, steady pressure contributes to cracking of the drums, and that one trip across the country could destroy a set of drums. They even showed us a set of brake drums that were lined with hair-line cracks all the way around. With some form of "non-destructive testing", someone had determined that a few of the cracks were too deep to consider the drums to be safe to use. One of the drums had the outside buffed so that you could also see the cracks on the outside.

What was explained, back then, is that when going down a grade, the inner surface heats up and expands faster than the outer surface, and can cause cracks on the outer surface. However, if the outer surface does not give way, the inner surface material is forced to "compact". Then, when the drum cools down, the inner surface contracts, and causes fractures on the inside. If these cracks go deep enough, and enough pressure is applied to the drums, pieces can begin to break off, and the brake drum and shoes disintegrate. I've also seen pieces of truck brake drums on the shoulder, at the bottom of a grade, and attributed it to exactly that.

The "modified stab braking" I described earlier, (slowly gaining speed, get to the max, then apply brakes for no more than 15 seconds to bring it down to 5 mph below max and let the engine take back over again) does warm up the drums, but if you're in the proper gear, in the 2 minutes or more that you have between braking, the heat in the drums has a chance to disapate and equalize before you apply them again. Now, 13 years later, I see we're back to slow, steady pressure again.

That's why I find it so interesting.

 

[QUOTE=Brown67;435529]I know its strange, but they want very light pressure on the brakes all the way down. Don't let off until at the bottom of the grade.[/QUOTE

i know those trucks with one drive axle and two trailers be the first one chaining up.

at the top of long steep snowy icy down grades i would mutter an expletive and slow way down and start riding the brakes at the top to ensure #2 stays in line. i never got them so hot i needed to stop and cool them down.

 

Okay.... but remember, you asked for it!

As some of you know, the small (somewhat outlaw) company that I started with right out of CDL mill, I mean school, (and STAYED with for nearly 3 years!) succumbed to economic pressures about July of last year. Bankrupt. Still waiting for my final check.

After weeks of deep thought and extensive line 5 time, and after hearing all the nasty stories about the Megas, I went with a VERY small O/O... mostly because he ran where I wanted to run and because he paid percentage of load. [He owned 3,5 or 7 trucks....depending on what day of the week he made up his story.]

I got to drive an OLDER Freightliner flathead with REAL jakes and a temperamental A/C! Then, I moved up to a Volvo with an airleak somewhere that I NEVER could find.

He told me I'd run mostly Texas and Colorado. I really enjoyed seeing New York (not the city) and New England and the Mid-Atlantic corridor! I also enjoyed the few times I got to go to SLC, then Idaho and back to Savannah and up to NC in less than 70 LOGGED hours in 8 days! (Actually, it requires one of those overnight 34 hour restarts.) :lol:

The biggest problem was that he was a BBR who thought I should run the way HE wanted it done. We argued about the legality of split logging in our first week! I won, of course! :thumbsup: That only made him more determined to "be the boss of me!" :lol2:

When he fired the leased truck right out from under me because the owner was a drunk, he promised he'd have me out later that week in another truck he "owned."

Two weeks later, as I was finally getting the clue that I needed to find another job, I got lucky... and one was dropped in my lap! A former trainee, with which I nearly came to blows at one time, called and told me that IF I was looking for a job, he knew a contractor at FedEx that needed a driver.

Well, I may be stubborn... but, I ain't STOOPID! So, my short SOLO career is on hold again as I'm now on a Team Dedicated run that "buttheads" with a guy from the Chicago area on a daily basis. I get to sleep in the truck again (which I LOVE,) and get a whopping 3 hours or so at home each night. But, the much larger paycheck is direct deposited EVERY Thursday night, and I'm guaranteed every Sunday and Monday off.

So, yeah... I"m pulling wiggle wagons every weekday afternoon over the SAME route, and stopping for a Subway sandwich at the SAME Pilot every day! But, things could be much worse in this economy!!

I don't have that cushy union job YOU have... but, there's NO WAY I'd work a dock for years to GET one, either! I've got a ways to go before I'm making the big bucks like SOME on here. But, I paid my dues and went from a start-out pay of a little less than $35k/yr to just shy of $50k in three years in this career. And MY job is more secure than MOST these days. Works for me.

BTW.... I did it all without whining, HITTING anything, getting fired, or EVER being late on a load that wasn't weather restricted. I don't grind gears, have NO problem backing, don't need a GPS to keep from getting lost, and didn't grow up with a gear shift in my hand. I don't throw pee bottles or cig butts out the window, pizz in parking lots, or on toilet seats!

I"m not perfect, but I'm the best truck driver living in my house! BTW... I live alone.

I have LEARNED more from this board than I have EVER given back, and tho' I MAY have gotten where I am without all of you, it wouldn't have been even HALF as much fun! So... a TOAST to CAD and all my friends here! A toast to my worthy foes. A toast to that spider that just crawled across my screen. Hell.... I'll TOAST to anything! :lol2:

 

Very glad that you got the FedEx gig :clap:

But dude.... do you talk this much in bed?

 

What part of "I live alone" did you not understand? :lol:

But, back in the day... before I became a Monk... I rarely said a word in bed. How much can a guy SAY in 2 minutes? :eek2:

BTW... one more crack like that, and you'll earn a spot on the "foe" list!

BTW (again) you could have made your remarks WITHOUT quoting my whole post! There's a 'post reply" button on the bottom left. Just sayin'

 

I assume you mean FedEx Ground. Conrats its sounds like a good gig. There's pros and cons to everything. You have steady work, a set run, and I would guess a nice truck. You're doing better than I am. My job is far from cushy these days LOL. I had a set run till just recently. Now I never know from day to day if I'll work at all. When I do its usually city P&D, which I detest. Last week I worked days in the city M,T, and W then got road runs T and F night (which I prefer but its tough changing schedules in the middle of the week). But I'm "paying my dues" right? Haha! I have 2 guys left under me before I get laid off completely. Keeping my fingers crossed!

 

But I think quoting the entire post sorta exemplifies my remarks... just saying

No foe list, Golfhobo... you are my idol :bow: :bow: :bow:

 

Heh heh heh.........I always figured that it was FedEx or OD Hobo.

Great, now we can look forward to posts from the newly revitalized......

GolfhoboFXg a cousin to our former jedfxg! (if you don't follow me, you haven't been around here long enough) A feud with this mysterious CFM fellow that Orangetxguy laments about cannot be far behind!:lol:

My offer still stands regarding my connections at CRST. We can have you rolling with a stranger for 3 weeks at a time and back to sightseeing in no time at all...............:thumbsup:

Go Golfhobo!!!:bow:

 

Enough with the smartass mantra Golfhobo! Arrogance, pomposity and rudeness are qualities that you do not wear well.

Leave that to me....................

 

It's interesting to see the diverse methods of instruction.

I was schooled in Idaho and trained all over the Northwest at this time, 5 years ago. Throughout, safety breaking was the preferred method of instruction . . appropriate rpm to minimize braking, a low and high safe speed, starting low, run up to high then brake back down to the low with 3 to 4 seconds of firm braking. The only exception was if the road was slick. Then, you set your low speed lower and get into it earlier and use light but steady breaking to keep the wheels from locking or speeding up. Both have served me well.


You forget to include that CRST is 50% night sightseeing.