Sometimes this means the truck driver used their brakes instead of downshifting properly for a downgrade, and overheated their brakes causing them to stop working. Either way, if you set off a runaway ramp, it's Expensive AF.
He did. That won’t stop you completely, but will slow you down a bit. If he hadn’t used engine braking, he probably would have hit that ramp at 120 mph+, instead of 90
it's surely not the same as a lightweight car when it comes to engine braking. I have a manual hatchback and i engine brake so frequently i rarely use the brakes at all, but in a heavy AF truck going downhill I don't think engine braking is quite as effective...
Absoslute legend keeping it in a straight line. I'm amazed there aren't ways to keep a truck from hitting 90mph that don't involve the brakes, like engine braking etc... but then I suppose when there's 40 tonnes pushing you along there's only so much physics can do.
This is how they do it in my hometown (you can't see the arrestor cables). There's no uphill at the bottom of this hill, just a very busy intersection, so this is the only way to do it. Thankfully I've never seen a truck actually use it.
Actually the truck itself might be repairable after that, but who knows what the insurance company would want to do. The driver would definitely be banged up but they would still walk away. I believe they rigged this truck up to an RC system
What is going on that makes them necessary? I see that it's a mountainous area, is it just that the extra braking from driving in such an area makes them more prone to failure?
Not a mechanic but my dad is very mechanically inclined. He explained to me once that semis have a multi brake system. If they fail like that it’s usu bc the service brakes heated up too much (driver riding the service brakes vs using Jake brakes/air brakes). They heat up too much if overused and lose their ability to grip and slow the rotors. This happens mostly on steep/long descents. Jake/air brakes act like a compressor vs depending on friction and should be used while in low gear. iirc…
I'm guessing it is a downhill area that is steep. So if a truck is driving down it and it's brakes fail, they can go into that marked area to stop the truck.
the style of brakes used by most semis and other heavy trucks heat up under heavy use; and if they heat up enough you start to suffer "brake fading" where they don't stop you properly anymore. If you're barreling down a mountain like that and you have to lay on the brakes too much, they can fade, especially if the brakes are worn or not properly adjusted to start with. You can get around it to an extent by gearing down, using engine retarder brakes (Jake Brakes in common terms) or both
Almost always this is because the driver has been over-using the brakes over a long period of time. They don't fail instantly, or even on 1 or 2 mountain down-slopes. They only fail (due to heat) if the driver is over-using the brakes for an extended period of time.
Whats worse is that you can easily avoid this situation by simply down-shifting the semi and allowing the engine to decelerate the vehicle. Hill Descent Control does it for you automatically.
As for why they fail due to heat -- when you're trying to slow down 80,000+ lbs of vehicle over the course of 2-3 hours and you're doing it by rubbing metal together ... it gets too hot. Once it gets hot enough, the metal turns almost to liquid and friction doesn't appreciably slow down the vehicle. There's even brake check areas at the beginning of most of these long down-hill areas across the Rocky mountains and people just don't use them. If they did, the smell alone would tell them to stop.
Is that a temporary "the brakes are too hot to work for right now" failure, or a "your package is delayed by a few days while the truck and trailer are repaired" failure?
It could well have been a temporary/recoverable failure, but at that point, the driver had to commit to runaway ramp (after which it must be towed as circlebreaker mentioned - you definitely cannot just drive out of the runaway ramp even if the vehicle is fully functional), or else risk being a severe hazard to himself and others: note the 45mph warnings and the curve? A 90mph truck probably was going to understeer like hell and probably go careening off the side.
Few days, the trailer prolly will be hauled to a crossdock if its a major carrier and the packages loaded to a new trailer when actually possible. The trailer is probably not roadsafe anymore but most likely isnt damaged enough to be a weird unload case for any major carrier. Did it before for Amazon actually.
He likely over-used the bakes so much they essentially melted (probably over the course of 3 mountains or something). Air brake or hydraulic doesn't matter here. They're still friction-based brakes. All such brakes will fail if you get them too hot.
He let his speed get too high and overheated / wore through the brakes when he overused them, and the engine brake won’t do much at too high a speed, so then it’s the runaway ramp, or the ravine at the next bend. Pay attention to the “Trucks use low gear” and “Trucks keep below XXmph” signs, kids.
I was flying down I-70 on the west side out of the Eisenhower tunnel, and saw a semi barreling through traffic in my rearview. The driver was flashing his lights and laying on the horn, and hit that runaway ramp going at least 85mph. I cannot imagine how terrifying that must have been! I was super clenched for him! The ramp goes up the side of a mountain, and the semi damn near made it to the top.
My stepdad works at the Eisenhower tunnel and apparently those ramps are some of the most used in the country. Real easy stretch of highway to cook your brakes on.
I drove through that tunnel hundreds of times for my previous job. Loved watching my little Prius battery charge back up due to the steep declines on both sides, and being able to lay off the gas pedal and coast 70ish mph no problem! But, yeah, watching that truck pass me (and I was definitely well above the speed limit) and hit that ramp was something else!!
Seeing one for the first time is wild. You just kind of stare at the sign and the ramp like, that's not actually what it means by that and that's so steep..Oh, yeah, no that's exactly what that does. Fuck..
My Midwest heart needs to know if you are also a Midwesterner... And yes, it was wild to see that semi haul ass up that steep incline and gravel pushed out in waves
They sure are! I would love to see how they got the semi back down. I had to look up a photo of it, and learned that it is the most heavily used runaway truck ramp in the U.S.
cmdshift3
I'm glad those exist
jalcantara88127001
Nice to see that working
WhiteRhino723
This video isn't playing sound for me. What gives??
theyallwenttoMexico
He was moving!
ChallengerDeep
Clever engineering though
REOJackwagon
Sometimes this means the truck driver used their brakes instead of downshifting properly for a downgrade, and overheated their brakes causing them to stop working. Either way, if you set off a runaway ramp, it's Expensive AF.
lykwo
Looks like Sandstone Mountain, W.V.
TheVillageGrouch9000
Not something you get to practice. Nicely done!
LucilleWhoKnowsNot
That works so amazing well. Low tech can be so efficient
kkanne20
Holy shit
Elsuave
Why wouldn't he brake with the gears?
scottgarland12
Not feasible
TrappedInABubbleGumFactory
He did. That won’t stop you completely, but will slow you down a bit. If he hadn’t used engine braking, he probably would have hit that ramp at 120 mph+, instead of 90
kkanne20
it's surely not the same as a lightweight car when it comes to engine braking. I have a manual hatchback and i engine brake so frequently i rarely use the brakes at all, but in a heavy AF truck going downhill I don't think engine braking is quite as effective...
SamuthNBS
Absoslute legend keeping it in a straight line. I'm amazed there aren't ways to keep a truck from hitting 90mph that don't involve the brakes, like engine braking etc... but then I suppose when there's 40 tonnes pushing you along there's only so much physics can do.
Blackfinity
Similar to EMAS system for arresting aircraft that overrun the end of a runway.
chewmaca2
They tested this o. prototype this about a decade ago
thedarkcanuck
https://youtu.be/X70f0zzVENI?si=pVFqz81XjvyX-DPg
This is how they do it in my hometown (you can't see the arrestor cables). There's no uphill at the bottom of this hill, just a very busy intersection, so this is the only way to do it. Thankfully I've never seen a truck actually use it.
unluckyandbored
This kills the semi. But it saves the driver!
thedarkcanuck
Actually the truck itself might be repairable after that, but who knows what the insurance company would want to do. The driver would definitely be banged up but they would still walk away. I believe they rigged this truck up to an RC system
kimwimgoddess
Any day you get to walk in the door at the end of the day (doesn't matter which door) is a good day at work.
Rovit82
They’re not home yet.
joot
That was a fucking lot of momentum. Thank you engineers and every person involved in putting that ramp there. No doubt lives were saved.
WestTaker
I have driven past these ramps many times - never in use. So glad to see how effective they are!!
spitfires2000
"I GOT THE LONGEST! Runaway ramp tracks, that is..." - that truck driver.
gaggedandgooped
SpicyGoober
Looks like he won gold prize looking at the other tire marks there
Fanner50
I guess they don’t rake after every run, unlike long jump.
SMhobo
Just about say this! cleared all other tire prints by a good margin. Scary af
thegrimreaver
He's going the distance. He's going for speed.
MoxieMonster
Eastern Oregon has a section called Deadman Pass for this very reason.
babyjuice5150
…aaand that’s what those lanes are for, tourists
alex5775
What is going on that makes them necessary? I see that it's a mountainous area, is it just that the extra braking from driving in such an area makes them more prone to failure?
broadwaynut9
Not a mechanic but my dad is very mechanically inclined. He explained to me once that semis have a multi brake system. If they fail like that it’s usu bc the service brakes heated up too much (driver riding the service brakes vs using Jake brakes/air brakes). They heat up too much if overused and lose their ability to grip and slow the rotors. This happens mostly on steep/long descents. Jake/air brakes act like a compressor vs depending on friction and should be used while in low gear. iirc…
wolf9545
I'm guessing it is a downhill area that is steep. So if a truck is driving down it and it's brakes fail, they can go into that marked area to stop the truck.
Jaenen
the style of brakes used by most semis and other heavy trucks heat up under heavy use; and if they heat up enough you start to suffer "brake fading" where they don't stop you properly anymore. If you're barreling down a mountain like that and you have to lay on the brakes too much, they can fade, especially if the brakes are worn or not properly adjusted to start with. You can get around it to an extent by gearing down, using engine retarder brakes (Jake Brakes in common terms) or both
Edowyth
Almost always this is because the driver has been over-using the brakes over a long period of time. They don't fail instantly, or even on 1 or 2 mountain down-slopes. They only fail (due to heat) if the driver is over-using the brakes for an extended period of time.
Whats worse is that you can easily avoid this situation by simply down-shifting the semi and allowing the engine to decelerate the vehicle. Hill Descent Control does it for you automatically.
Edowyth
As for why they fail due to heat -- when you're trying to slow down 80,000+ lbs of vehicle over the course of 2-3 hours and you're doing it by rubbing metal together ... it gets too hot. Once it gets hot enough, the metal turns almost to liquid and friction doesn't appreciably slow down the vehicle. There's even brake check areas at the beginning of most of these long down-hill areas across the Rocky mountains and people just don't use them. If they did, the smell alone would tell them to stop.
youreathing
The sound makes this.
misterdirty
I notice there isn't any sound.
kurvarVillain
I'll just leave this here:
LordHotPie
this rage bait again? that ramp has a crater from another incident. any attempt to use it in that condition would be 10/10 fatal
kurvarVillain
So you are saying:
"Don't laugh at the police because the infrastructure is poorly maintained?"
Nah. I'm gonna laugh at stupid.
Acab
LordHotPie
not too bright, are you? okay good luck farming those internet points with debunked rage bait from years ago. you're really stickin it to the man!
Sigge1981
https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1bnV4MnUyenBic2U4enQ0dHNjeGZ0c2I1M2Voa2ZybWw3ZXoybmNzbSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/kF2dSGhb3O5NJZnV0A/200w.webp
KaminM
Is that a temporary "the brakes are too hot to work for right now" failure, or a "your package is delayed by a few days while the truck and trailer are repaired" failure?
circlebreaker
Either/both. No matter what happens, the rig is getting towed so there's probably at least an 8-12 delay on deliveries.
aquanight
It could well have been a temporary/recoverable failure, but at that point, the driver had to commit to runaway ramp (after which it must be towed as circlebreaker mentioned - you definitely cannot just drive out of the runaway ramp even if the vehicle is fully functional), or else risk being a severe hazard to himself and others: note the 45mph warnings and the curve? A 90mph truck probably was going to understeer like hell and probably go careening off the side.
Ulthirm
Few days, the trailer prolly will be hauled to a crossdock if its a major carrier and the packages loaded to a new trailer when actually possible. The trailer is probably not roadsafe anymore but most likely isnt damaged enough to be a weird unload case for any major carrier. Did it before for Amazon actually.
baadf00d
Do they not have the exhaust brake system thing in the US
GrammarNationalSocialist
There was a thirty-six ton of detonated steel // over eighteen tires that smoked and squealed
UnitConversionBot
90 mph ≈ 140 kilometres per hour
GigiDundas
How many washing machines per lunar cycle is that?
00LimaRomeo
Bravo, driver.
circlebreaker
Good bot.
PanPot608
That's about 237 dicks per second
yeahhedugit
That's lickety-split quick dicks.
bob2the2nd24
What the hell? no! Its 145 KPH
Grinch01
Kilos per hour ?
trigaranus
Bot seems to round to the nearest 10.
blfpd
It's km/h by the way
anonymkonto
144,841 kilometres per hour to be exact
cjandstuff
I know hills are hell on brakes, and that 18wheelers have air brakes, but other than that, I got nothing. What actually causes this kind of failure?
Edowyth
He likely over-used the bakes so much they essentially melted (probably over the course of 3 mountains or something). Air brake or hydraulic doesn't matter here. They're still friction-based brakes. All such brakes will fail if you get them too hot.
Type17
He let his speed get too high and overheated / wore through the brakes when he overused them, and the engine brake won’t do much at too high a speed, so then it’s the runaway ramp, or the ravine at the next bend. Pay attention to the “Trucks use low gear” and “Trucks keep below XXmph” signs, kids.
Klpincoyo
I was flying down I-70 on the west side out of the Eisenhower tunnel, and saw a semi barreling through traffic in my rearview. The driver was flashing his lights and laying on the horn, and hit that runaway ramp going at least 85mph. I cannot imagine how terrifying that must have been! I was super clenched for him! The ramp goes up the side of a mountain, and the semi damn near made it to the top.
chansuke
My stepdad works at the Eisenhower tunnel and apparently those ramps are some of the most used in the country. Real easy stretch of highway to cook your brakes on.
Klpincoyo
I drove through that tunnel hundreds of times for my previous job. Loved watching my little Prius battery charge back up due to the steep declines on both sides, and being able to lay off the gas pedal and coast 70ish mph no problem! But, yeah, watching that truck pass me (and I was definitely well above the speed limit) and hit that ramp was something else!!
cactusjuiceitsthequenchiest
I looked it up cause I'm not familiar and wow... just wow 😦
MossyBadger
I've seen trucks on the ramps, but never seen one go off. Eisenhower is no joke.
Ithoughtshesaidannul
Seeing one for the first time is wild. You just kind of stare at the sign and the ramp like, that's not actually what it means by that and that's so steep..Oh, yeah, no that's exactly what that does. Fuck..
Klpincoyo
My Midwest heart needs to know if you are also a Midwesterner... And yes, it was wild to see that semi haul ass up that steep incline and gravel pushed out in waves
Ithoughtshesaidannul
I'm from OK, so sort of. We used to frequent CO a lot when I was younger.
steelundecided
those ramps are quite steep. been there many times.
Klpincoyo
They sure are! I would love to see how they got the semi back down. I had to look up a photo of it, and learned that it is the most heavily used runaway truck ramp in the U.S.
Edowyth
Tow truck with a long cable.
steelundecided
Takes a while and they have to redo the gravel and materials cause those suckers dig deep at 75 plus miles per hour.
oprondek1978
Hope they were wearing their brown pants
TheElliotPage
ohhh NOW you tell 'em...thanks a load! ...literally
stupidbastardinutah
Well if they weren't, they are now.
FLLingerieLuvr
I hope the entire cab of the truck was brown, because I would be shitting stuff i haven't even eaten yet.
Canigetbannedagain2
The Jake brake should have helped, but at that speed, I'm not sure.
Blackmetalhappiness
All pants can be brown pants of you try hard enough.
TheElliotPage
cannot confirm
Tigersterne
Did not need to try hard
Blackmetalhappiness
No, it came easily to him.