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You can't stop the car when it reaches the mountain; these seven truck braking techniques will help you turn danger into safety (Part 1)
For truck drivers, the most challenging road sections are the rolling mountain roads and long uphill and downhill stretches. It's not just a matter of fuel consumption for the driver, but also a test of the vehicle's braking performance. Especially in the hot summer, if the vehicle is moving at high speed and suddenly the brakes fail, don't panic. Do not instinctively grab the handbrake or slam on the brakes, because the handbrake usually acts on the rear axle, and at high speeds, even if the brake pads overheat, it won't help and may cause the vehicle to skid.
The following methods can often be very effective and may save the person's life in an emergency:
What to do if the truck has no brakes?
1. As soon as you realize the brakes have failed, you must stay calm. Do not panic, and handle the situation with composure. If the vehicle is not moving too fast, try pulling the handbrake to see if it can reduce your speed, but be careful not to pull it too hard or too slowly. Pulling too hard can cause the brake disc to lock up, potentially damaging the transmission and losing braking capability; pulling too slowly can wear and burn the brake disc, also resulting in brake failure.
2. If pulling the handbrake does not work, try shifting gears to see if you can downshift from a higher gear to a lower gear. Not sure if your driving instructor taught you the "two-foot throttle" method for upshifting and downshifting? Or maybe you learned it but were not told when to use it? This is actually the best method for downshifting in an emergency. Specifically, you press the gas hard with your right foot, downshift, then press the gas hard again and engage the lower gear. When going downhill without brakes, inertia causes the vehicle to accelerate, making it very difficult to engage low gears. Most of the time, you cannot shift down, but using this method gives you a chance. You must press the gas hard to unlock the synchronizer and force the lower gear in, slowing the vehicle. Combine this with careful use of the handbrake to gradually bring the truck to a stop.
Continuous uphill and downhill sections test the braking performance of the vehicle.
3. If you can't shift into a low gear, don't panic. At this time, carefully observe the road conditions to see if there are mountains on either side, and stay close to the mountain on the right, because being pressed against the right side results in relatively less harm to the driver, allowing you to protect yourself as much as possible. Slowly steer the car toward the side of the road, firmly grip the steering wheel with both hands, and scrape along the mountain. Note: the entire body of the car should scrape against the mountain, using the whole right side of the vehicle to contact the mountain to increase friction, allowing the car to stop faster, rather than crashing head-on.
4. If there is no mountain on the right side but there is one near the driver's side, you can only steer toward it. In this situation, it is even more important not to turn the wheel fully against the mountain. Instead, turn slightly, then back off a little, allowing the car to return to the road, then steer slightly toward the mountain again and back off again. Avoid turning fully into the mountain at once, which could deform the driver's cabin and injure the driver.
5. If there are no mountains on either side to rely on, see if there are trees or other structures along the roadside that can be used. If there are, the method of handling it is the same.
Escape lanes are a good place for vehicles that have lost their brakes.
6. If there are no obstacles to help stop the vehicle, as the speed increases and you can't stop immediately, the danger becomes even greater. You must always pay attention to honking the horn and check if the car in front shows signs of yielding. If it gives enough space, drive through first. If it's too tight, don't force your way through. In that case, both parties may get hurt, so use half of your cabin to bump the rear of the car in front, using this resistance to stop your vehicle.
7. If none of the above conditions are met, and it’s a straight road, it’s not a big deal; just keep going. You might encounter a flat or uphill section up ahead, which would be ideal. If you unfortunately reach a curve, you need to assess your speed. If you can manage the turn, try to steer through. If your speed is too high and you cannot turn, see if there’s a way to make a “soft landing.” If the ground underneath isn’t too deep and the soil is soft, just keep going; the damage should not be severe, and at least it should prevent a rollover from missing the turn. If it’s uphill, it won’t be a problem; just release the accelerator, and there’s no reason the car won’t stop. However, note this: although on an uphill the gear will be engaged, watch out for rolling backward, pay attention to the traffic behind, steer carefully, and avoid colliding with the car behind if possible. If there’s a vehicle following closely, even if you add a bit more throttle, try to move to the side and stop, then reduce the accelerator.
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