You may have seen the long, straight ramp truck that lead nowhere from the side of the highway as you drove down a steep hill. These ramps are known as truck escape ramps. They could be the only thing that stops a terrible emergency from affecting heavy-duty vehicles.
How do I use a Truck Escape Ramp for my truck?
1. Keep Calm
You aren’t trying to read this article as you fly downhill with no brakes. However, the first thing you should do is to stay calm. It’s not an easy task, but it is important to keep your cool and avoid further injury to other drivers. You might instinctively try to push the steering wheel as fast as possible, which can cause the rig to flip over or jackknife. Keep calm and evaluate the situation.
2. Engage the Jake Brake
Next, engage your jake brake to allow A&S Motorcycles the truck to slow down. This will prevent you from driving at uncontrollable speeds, and it will make it easier to maneuver around slower traffic. This will give you precious seconds to locate your truck escape ramp truck.
What are Truck Escape Ramp Truck (or Truck Escape Ramps)?
Semi-truck drivers can travel across all terrain. Professional drivers face dangerous situations every day, whether it’s in Alaska’s extreme cold or Colorado’s treacherous inclines.
Truck escape ramps can be used to quickly slow heavy-duty vehicles in emergency situations. These ramps are similar to an exit ramp truck that takes you off the highway and into a dead end. Some models use gravity to force the vehicle up an inclines to counter the downward force. Truck escape ramps are usually placed in areas of steep decline where the brakes can be used continuously.
You may now be wondering, “Why would cities place these ramp truck along the highway if brake failure doesn’t occur often?” The answer is that nearly 29% collisions are caused brake failure.
The Jake Brake: How Important is it?
Experiential drivers will tell their clients that the jake brake is their best friend on steep roads. The jake brake is simply a way to slow down the vehicle. Smart-trucking.com has a detailed article about proper jake brake use.
Veteran drivers will use the most popular method: switch the jake brake from the off position to the on position while driving down the hill. This will prevent your engine from overheating, and the service brake will be used as a support structure. This will prevent brake failures and the need for a runaway ramp truck.
