Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/39393
SMART DRIVING On the skids Knowing what to do before your truck starts sliding may help you avoid a serious crash T he skid you drive away from is often the road situation you avoid in the first place. Stephen Adams, a driver for May Trucking, says, "Devel- op a defensive driving routine, because what doesn't seem like a bad habit under normal driv- ing conditions is life- threatening when the weather gets bad. You'll be prepared for what- ever's in front of you." Terry Braginton, lead instructor for the Michigan Center for Deci- sion Driving, says you can't always avoid every potential skidding situ- ation, but you can control your re- sponse. "If you have to hit some- thing, make it a controlled crash," he says, preferably away from other vehicles. Skid control covers an eight-hour Stephen Adams day in the MCDD driver-train- ing program. The training begins with teaching a driver how to stop through threshold brak- ing, which results in tires gaining maximum traction on the road sur- face. "We start there because guys who've been on the road for 30 years have been taught to pump and stab the brakes," Braginton says. "The problem is, the closer you get to what you're look- ing at and trying to stop, the more excited you get; and the more excit- ed you get, the more brake pressure you put on the system. You end up with locked wheels. Locked wheels lead." In any kind of skid, Braginton says to keep your heel on the floor and use your toes to push on the TECHNOLOGY HELPS COMBAT SKIDS Technology exists to help a driver avoid losing control in a skid. Stability systems act as an invisible hand to assist the driver out of a potentially dan- gerous situation. Stability systems come in two types: full stability (electronic stability control, or ESC) and roll stability (roll control stability, or RSC). Both have lateral acceler- ation sensors that measure the side-to-side motion of a vehicle, such as when a truck takes a turn too fast. Beyond that, the ESC system incorporates steer-angle sen- sors to read the driver's actions and yaw, or directional, sensors that relay where the vehicle TIPS Terry Braginton and Stephen Adams offer these tips for reducing your odds of getting caught in a tight situation that could lead to skidding: reduces stress level, cuts fuel consumption Stay out of the path of unpredictable four-wheeler maneuvers. helps reduce eye fatigue Keep your RPMs low. surface may be slick Road conditions ahead are out of sight. is going, says Fred Andersky, director of government affairs at Bendix. "The full stability sys- tem takes readings and reacts sooner than a roll-only system to help the driver," he says. When the system recognizes trouble, it cuts the throttle first and then applies brakes on the steer, drive and trailer axles. "If you don't arrest the skid early, 32 TRUCKERS NEWS SEPTEMBER 2011 it becomes harder and harder to recover as it develops," says Rick Conklin, product manager of stability control at Bendix. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is consid- ering a stability system mandate for tractor-trailers and motor coaches. Andersky anticipates a proposed rule by the end of the year. brake. No matter the type of skid, the goal is to keep the wheels roll- ing. Put in the clutch and separate the power from the drive. If the truck's steer tires are turned past 15 degrees, you'll experience a front-wheel skid: The tire treads have lost control with the road and are "pushed together," he says. "You're trying to climb the sidewalls." In a trailer jackknife, Braginton says some drivers pull the hand valve, which applies more braking pressure on the trailer. Your aim is to get the trailer wheels rolling again. Maintain steady fuel and "drive it out," he says. The trailer will contin- ue skidding until the air is exhaust- ed from the brakes and the wheels begin turning again. "Don't turn into the trailer or you're going to meet your maker," he says. Instead, turn away from the trailer. Other drivers might try to ease off the fuel in the false belief that the tractor is skidding, or try to run from the trailer by applying extra fuel. "They overpower the wheels and cre- ate a jackknife on the tractor and trailer," Braginton says. "When you overpower the drive tires on the trac- tor, the trailer will pull the truck out from under you. When the tractor MAX KVIDERA COURTESY STEPHEN ADAMS COURTESY BENDIX