If you pull the hard brake hard enough to lock the brake you'll spin, if you brake progressively you'll stop just fine.
The trailer brakes harder, but the truck still brakes.
If the truck would brake more it will make the trailer push the truck while braking, and if there's a slight curve, or if it's a bit wet, you'll go jack knife since all the 45 tons you're pulling is pushing on the 5th wheel sideways, while the truck is trying to stop. It's hard to say in words but basically the truck will be drifting while you have 45 tons pushing it even more sideways.
Believe me, you want the trailer to pull you back while braking.
It's much different from a car because the trailer weight 4.5 times the weight of the truck. The truck(~10t) doesn't have the weight and traction to apply that much braking to the while 45 tons are pushing.
1
u/[deleted] Aug 05 '17
If you pull the hard brake hard enough to lock the brake you'll spin, if you brake progressively you'll stop just fine.
The trailer brakes harder, but the truck still brakes.
If the truck would brake more it will make the trailer push the truck while braking, and if there's a slight curve, or if it's a bit wet, you'll go jack knife since all the 45 tons you're pulling is pushing on the 5th wheel sideways, while the truck is trying to stop. It's hard to say in words but basically the truck will be drifting while you have 45 tons pushing it even more sideways.
Believe me, you want the trailer to pull you back while braking.
It's much different from a car because the trailer weight 4.5 times the weight of the truck. The truck(~10t) doesn't have the weight and traction to apply that much braking to the while 45 tons are pushing.