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TForce | Question about anti lock brakes

Apostolic

Apostolic

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The new 48 foot peddle trailer I just got put on my UPS Freight route has brakes that I don't care for one little bit.
Anti-lock brakes for trailers?
Not good?
We had our first snow that covered all paved areas.
As soon as my terminal yard gets this first snow.
I drive out in the yard after my pre-trip to go on my route.
I hammer down the best I can with the lower gears in a short stretch,than spike down the chicken stick.
Look in my drivers mirror to see what my trailer is doing in a skid.
Than I know what to expect when I'm on the street.

I do this for the first time since I've had this trailer,and I see slide release free rolling,than lock up,and slide,over and over with the same action.
This is not good at all.

I sure hope I don't get in a place where I'm going to have to lock her down anytime this winter season,because I can see its not going to happen.

In times past with a single pup I could control the skid with the chicken stick good enough that I could come into a customers delivery area ,spike it down which would slide the trailer into position to back straight into the dock.
It takes practise,something I learned in the terminal yard back in the day.
Remember I've been a trucker going on 44 years.
Newer trailer brakes don't respond the same as the old ones,thats for sure.

The brakes on my brand new UPS Freight trailer are something I don't think are going to work very good, when I need them.
This tells me to stay way back from the pack,so I don't need to get on the brakes to hard in the first place.
 
Hey Apo........I know RDWY has anti lock on pups and vans, but I haven't heard anyone say anything about them. I'll ask around. DS.
 
Apo, I couldn't agree with you more. I do not enjoy the free wheeling. Especially with a heavy load. I already had to hit the brakes because of some moron that pull out of a side street without stopping. I sailed right by without even locking up, missed this idiot by a couple of inches. Not cool!!
 
Anti lock brakes were first introduced in the late 70's and were called the 1-2-1 brake system.....1 was locking up...2 was the immediate release of the lockup...1 was back to the lockup....and this went on and on until you stopped. Most people hated them and the Company I worked for back then disengaged them. Most drivers want to control their unit, not have some computer think for them. Anti-lock brakes stink.
 
So you guys say this brake system can be disengaged,to have real brakes with the staying grip we need?
I wounder how I'd go about getting approvel for changing this system?
Am I the only one thats whinning about this brake system being very unsafe in the winter season,in the snowy states of UPS Freight?

I would think its like anything our company looks the other way when it comes to spending their money some place they feel is ok for everyone else.
If theres only one complaining no big deal forget about it.
But if a very large group crys out,just maybe that would get their attention to address this issue?
With my many years of experience in the LTL trucking industry,I've found that this old saying is so true.
An once of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
I try not to get on the binders very hard as a rule,but there are times I have no choice.
We all know very well that most accidents start with just a split second,to decide how to avoid being a battering ram rearranging sheet metal, plastic,and glass of other vehicles.
 
So serta you think this is an easy fix?
I'll have to talk to our heavy vehicle repair technincian,and see if he knows if this can be done,A.S.A.P.
If this is true SERTA you've made me a very happy camper.

I don't know if I heard wrong,when I was trained to be a UPS Freight safety trainer,my trainer said,one accident for me after my certification,and I was out the door.
I'm not sure if he meant that I was washed up as a trainer,or terminated all together as an UPS Freight employee?
I know big questions like that I should get answers for,but I just let them go,and pray that I'll be safe,untill my time for retirement comes,so's not to find out what he was talking about?
 
Apostolic said:
So serta you think this is an easy fix?
I'll have to talk to our heavy vehicle repair technincian,and see if he knows if this can be done,A.S.A.P.
If this is true SERTA you've made me a very happy camper.

I don't know if I heard wrong,when I was trained to be a UPS Freight safety trainer,my trainer said,one accident for me after my certification,and I was out the door.
I'm not sure if he meant that I was washed up as a trainer,or terminated all together as an UPS Freight employee?
I know big questions like that I should get answers for,but I just let them go,and pray that I'll be safe,untill my time for retirement comes,so's not to find out what he was talking about?
Click to expand...

Apo. Yes you can disconnect the abs on a trailer. But I would make sure a shop does it so you don't get in trouble for messing with equipment. There also is a fuse for the abs that can be pulled. When the abs is disabled the brakes are not affected. It will just stop like a unit without abs.
I don't seem to mind abs. But I also leave myself allot cushion when the roads are slick.
Have a great weekend.......................
 
I'm not absolutely certain, but I recall someone saying that was what the wire was. One of those wiring connections like the inline fuse on a cb.
 
Also there is a wire going to each wheel sensor. When these are disconnected the abs will not work. Most of them get pulled off from snow and ice.
 
I'm sure glad Docksteward helped me put this post here to get all of this fantasic advice,and come backs about this new to me trailer brake system.

I also try to stay back from the pack all of the time,not just on slick roads.
The onlything is it seems like younger drivers take my space away very quickly,than with their inexperience things can go hay wire,very fast.
 
Only thing is my Volvo has the airlines hooked into the rear of the cab.
There not the ones you can change anytime they get broken.
Its a job for a repair tech.
I turn the steering wheel,and I leave all the repairs to the wrench turners.

I think I'll start this process the easy way.
I'll scawl,and ball to my TM on how unsafe these barkes are.
Than inform him of the easy fix I've learned here on the truckingboards.
I'll just leave the part about the boards out of it.
Than he will have to clear it with the shop.
If that route doesn't work.
I'll give my northeastern safety manager a call to start the process that way.
I tell you I liked the old days in this business much better.
If you found something that worked better for you.
You'd just find out how to change it,than went ahead and did it.
Now days you have to clear everything with our UPS freight government.
You have to start high enough to change stuff because of the fear everyone has of doing something on their own,than getting the royal boot,out the door.
 
Disconnecting ABS, operation of equiptment with Yellow ABS warning light on, or otherwise altering UPS equiptment from it's designed use can be considered an offense and punishible under disipline guidlines, up to and including termination.

Altering equiptment and not being a trained mechanic or plant engineer can end up costing your job union or not. Appoaching mechanics or plant enginerers and suggesting or conspiring to do so can end up with the same results.
(example two driver feeder drivers fired for having Penske turn up their sleeper truck above UPS guidlines)

ABS equipment including tractors with dash ABS warning lights, dollies with yellow ABS warning lights, and Trailers with yellow ABS warning lights that are illuminated must be checked by qualified personell and signed off as operational or otherwise.

I find it hard to believe that a trained saftey trainer would suggest that he sets himself up for a backing procedure by apply the trolley brake and sliding his trailer sideways in a manner not intended for that equipment to by utilized and creating a skidding manuver on a customers property where private or public damge could occur from such an action.

Anti-locking systems are designed for the intention of not allowing tires or axles to lock and create a skidding conditions.
Skidding cuases lose of control and in some case can increase the speed of your vechile.
Learn the proper use of anti-locking systems and us them to your advantage. Anti-locking systems that do not work corretly, ie surging and pulsating need to be check for proper operation. Warning lights illuminated indicate a problem or possible problem and need to be rectified.

I've been driving something that bends in the middle since 1976. Dyamiting a brake peddle to stop is not the answer.
Steady gradually application of a brake peddle with ABS systems will stop any vechile quicker than and trailer with a smoke show.

Drvie safe, the only distance you can control is the one in front of you. This isn't a rodeo or a magic show. Do it right, do it once.

T251

PS Learn from your mistakes, don't let them haunt you for the rest of your life
 
They don't work properly when your gear is non antilock and only the front trlr and tractor are. Your tractor and front pup pulse but your gear locks up as well as the rear and if you have triples its multiplied. Even if you have an antilock cord between the front and rear trlr the gear will still lock up.

Tell me how this is safe.

Aside from pulling fuses and disconnecting wires I will use a different cord just to have everything work the same.
 
Well T251 I never slid my trailer sideways to back in a dock on dry pavement.
I only did it on snow covered parking lots.
I've only been a driver trainer since August of this year.
I was only posting about the old days when you could depend on your trailer brakes locking up.
Before I leave my terminals yard,in snowy weather I pull down the chicken stick to see how my trailer will respond in a slide.

This years first snow fall was when I discovered the new UPS freight trailer I have on my route slides,and free wheels.
This was my first encounter with these anti-lock brakes.

As a rule I gear down,not using the brakes very much,during my route activities.

I don't like how these brakes respond,when I need to have brakes in an emergency I can see my trailer going out of control with this braking system.
Thats why I posted this on the truckingboards to find out what my options were.
I see by your responce that I'm going to have to put up with these brakes,if I like it or not,just to keep my job at UPS Freight.
With this information you've just posted T251 I can only pray to God that I will never need to depend on these brakes,no matter what the road conditions are.

Thank you to all that tryed to help me on this thread.
If you work for any UPS division,you've got to do it their way,or pack it in,and hire on else where.
 
Better start praying Apo!! You can look into an even darker side to this, most likely overtime the lack of maintenance, will make them even more dangerous. Just give yourself a wide berth and take it slow and sleazy. What the hell, you're on the clock and not by the mile.
 
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