Washington CDL DMV Combination 1

The emergency air line controls the emergency brakes on a combination vehicle. A loss of air pressure in the emergency line will cause the emergency trailer brakes to activate.

Tractors without semi-trailers are referred to as "bobtail tractors." Bobtail tractors are difficult to operate and drivers must exercise caution.

Never use the trailer hand valve while parking because doing so may release the air pressure from the braking system, releasing the brakes that are holding the vehicle in place. Instead, use the parking brake or wheel chocks.

Making a sudden lane change can be dangerous while driving a combination vehicle. You can avoid the need to make a sudden lange change by looking down the road for upcoming obstacles that will require you to change lanes.

Older trailers do not have spring brakes. This means that if the air supply in an older trailer's air tank has leaked away, there will be no working brakes connected to the trailer and its wheels will turn freely.

The emergency air line (also known as the supply line) has two functions. The first is to supply air to the trailer air tanks, and the second is to control the emergency brakes on combination vehicles.

Before a trip, you should ensure that air reaches all air brakes on all trailers by opening up the rear emergency line and service line shut-off valves and listening for escaping air. Close both shut-off valves before beginning to drive.

Trailers built before 1975 are not required to have spring brakes. When parking a trailer without spring brakes, be sure to use wheel chocks to prevent the trailer from rolling.

When driving a vehicle with ABS, you should brake in the same manner as you would in a vehicle without ABS.

While inspecting a coupling, you should go under the trailer and look into the back of the fifth wheel. Ensure that the fifth wheel jaws are secured around the shank of the kingpin.

Combination vehicles are usually heavier and longer than single combination vehicles. Operating a combination vehicle requires a higher level of driving skill than operating a single commercial vehicle.

Combination vehicles require more space on the road than other vehicles. When entering or crossing traffic while driving a combination vehicle, it is especially important that there is a large enonugh gap in traffic to safely do so.

Push in the trailer air supply control to supply the trailer with air. Pull out the trailer air supply control to turn off the air supply and activate the emergency brakes.

The service air line carries air and is controlled by either the foot brake or trailer hand brake. The service air line is attached to relay valves, which allow the trailer brakes to be applied quickly.

An Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) helps prevent wheel lockup during hard braking. If ABS detects impending lockup, it reduces braking pressure to a safe level.

Correctly following the steps to couple and uncouple trailers is vital to safely operating a combination vehicle. After connecting the air lines to the trailer while coupling, you should supply air to the trailer.

More than half of all accident-related truck driver deaths are a result of truck rollovers. To help prevent a rollover, be sure to load cargo low to the ground and centered on your rig. Take corners slowly and carefully.

Combination vehicles need more space on the road than other commercial vehicles because they are longer and need more space to turn and stop. It is especially important to properly manage space when you are operating a combination vehicle.

If you are experiencing a trailer jackknife, you can help your tires regain traction by releasing the brakes. Using a trailer hand brake while experiencing a skid will only cause the skid to continue.

When starting a trip, be sure that all shut-off valves are in the open position, except for the last valves on the rear trailer. It is important that air reaches the brakes on all trailers and that it is not able to escape from the back of the vehicle.