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It seems like so long ago now that the federal government mandated antilock braking systems for trucking companies, and yet so much has changed since then. While fleet are generally not very excited about the prospect of a new regulation, air disc brake system decreases overall maintenance costs and inspection intervals. The time it takes to change out and adjust ABS systems is also shorter than the time it takes to install and adjust drum brakes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Still, some truckers and trucking companies had a difficult\ntime making an adjustment to the new technology, which is a refrain we here a\nlot of these days. But with electronic, computer-controlled ABS systems, ABS\nsensors could react to a panic stop faster than a human could. The systems were\njust far more effective at mitigating skids and assisting the truck driver in\nmaintaining control of the vehicle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This major advancement marked a new era for big rig safety,\nbut it was only the beginning. By the early-2000s, steer sensors were being\ninstalled on ABS systems. These were the first examples of sensors and\nstability control systems working in tandem with the braking system. Suddenly,\nfully integrated control of the vehicle was possible. Fast-forward to just a\nfew years ago, and now we are seeing active cruise control systems tied\ndirectly into the braking systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
All About the Brakes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The one system that ties all this together is the brake\nsystem. Over the past several decades, heavy truck brake systems have evolved\nin tandem with just about every other system on the vehicle. Who would have\nthought the brakes would provide the foundation on which so many other safety\nsystems became interconnected and evolved?<\/p>\n\n\n\n As autonomous vehicle technologies continue to become\nmainstream, we will see the brake systems provide the stepping stones by which\nfurther safety systems evolve. Now the question is: What will the future of\nbrakes look like? While we may eventually see autonomous or fully-autonomous\nvehicles become a reality, change will likely come more incrementally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Brake control systems of today require a stable and robust\nfoundation with state-of-the-art sensor technologies. In fact, it is becoming\nmore likely that technologies such as single-piston air disc brake systems\neventually emerge as a critical technology in evolving the brakes of tomorrow. Like\nso many other systems on big trucks, braking systems are evolving in new and\nunseen ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet, you may be surprised to learn that air disc brakes are\ncurrently installed in only a quarter of the Class 8 trucks on the road today.\nAs new safety regulations have been implemented, however, you can expect to see\nthat number rise to nearly half within a few years. Air disc brakes are\nbecoming more popular by the day, with ever more applications becoming suited\nto the technology. Over time, motor carriers can easily see how disc brakes\nprovide a significant performance and maintenance advantage over drum brake\nsystems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Air disc brake systems bring major advantages over their\ntraditional drum brake counterparts. While we already mentioned the advantage\nin maintenance, they also perform much better, with a higher torque output than\ndrum brakes, which translates into more stopping power. And although the cost\nof servicing ABS systems is about 20% higher than drums, over the life of the\nequipment, the cost generally equals out. Air disc brakes also benefit from an\nincreased service level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What About the\nTrailers?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While a lot of the focus has been on ensuring truck braking systems are adequate for the job, fleets are also taking a closer look at trailers. Of course, fleets put far more miles on their tractors than they do on their trailers. Also, since tractors are replaced more often, motor carriers are always more inclined to spec the state-of-the-art equipment onto their trailers. Yet, that paradigm is changing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Trailers fitted with ABS systems, while only at around a\nfifth of all trailers on the road today, are growing by around two- to\nfive-percent per year. Of course, some trailer applications will always be\nbetters suited to drum brakes, such as vocational hauling, the on-highway side\nof trailer activity will continue to move towards air disc braking systems, if\nfor no other reason than that fleets will continue to find value in the\nperformance side of the equation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Drum braking systems will simply never be able to match ABS\nin the available integrated computing power. Air disc braking systems simply\nwork far better with onboard computers and advanced safety systems. As these\nsystems become more commonplace, so too will trailers outfitted with ABS\ntechnology. More and more fleets are inquiring about ABS systems for their\ntrailers, and for good reason. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider that air disc brakes do not fade out the way a hot\ndrum does; ABS systems are always consistent. When a brake drum is hot, it\nrequires more stopping distance \u2013 in some cases up to 70 percent more. These\nconsiderations are as much about safety as they are about performance. As the\ntrucking industry embraces safety as a core principle, ABS will play an\never-increasing role. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Air disc braking systems play an important role as new truck\ndrivers fill into their roles. Most new truckers are used to driving passenger\ncars as their main mode of transportation, which is important because ABS feels\nmore car-like when in operation. New truck drivers feel more at ease behind the\nwheel when they are working with a technology that feels familiar to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While air disc braking systems simply make sense, that does\nnot mean there are no barriers to their adoption. As with almost any new\ntechnology<\/a>, cost is a factor that fleet managers must consider. In the\nUnited States, drum brakes have always been far less expensive than air disc\nbraking systems. Yet, the cost curve has been coming down over time. As\ninnovation continues in the braking space, cost will eventually reach parity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It Just Makes Sense<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This migration is already well underway thanks to certain\nvocational uses. Buses and refuse trucks have already begun to switch to new\nhybrid powertrains to accommodate their business models. As truck and bus\nmanufacturers field more and more orders for these types of vehicles, the\ntechnology will only continue to bleed over into the tractor trailer space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As fleets evaluate the cost\/benefit analysis of migrating to\nABS, the shift will simply make more sense. Advanced active braking systems are\nunder development from OEMs all over the country. From regenerative braking\nsystems for electric vehicles to intelligent parking brake systems, the more\ninnovation occurs, the less trucking companies can afford to avoid adoption. <\/p>\n\n\n\n New intelligent braking systems prevent runaway crashes by\nautomatically setting the brakes when a truck driver exits the vehicle, whether\nhe or she has remembered to or not. Intelligent parking brake systems also now\noffer such innovations as trailer park release systems, which automatically\nrelease the trailer brakes if the vehicle begins to move. While these may seem\nminor, they offer major safety benefits in the even the truck driver simply\nforgets the brakes are engaged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Regenerative braking systems also continue to evolve,\nespecially for vehicles operating in urban areas where there is a lot of\nstop-and-go traffic. As electric mobility devices continue to find their way\ninto the cab or under the hood, regeneration braking will also see greater\nadoption. The industry will also see continued adoption of wheel-end\nmotor\/generator regenerative braking systems, which currently make up the\nminority. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As tomorrow becomes today, motor carriers will be exposed to\nevermore advanced braking systems. Whether the ABS units are integrated into\ntelematics or diagnostic systems or become outfitted with more advanced\nsensors, the evolution will continue unabated. Sensor modules will be able to\nprecisely transmit how much life is left in the ABS pad, which will provide\nfleet technicians with the ability to address brake problems on more of a\npreventative, rather than reactive basis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Added sensor technology will also allow technicians \u2013 and even truck drivers from within the cab \u2013 to monitor temperature problems in braking systems. From overall wheel end operability to rotor and bearing health, as integrated tech becomes commonplaces on heavy-duty commercial motor vehicles, fleets will be able to monitor their braking systems in ways never thought possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The continued integration of telematics capabilities on big\nrigs will create a more advanced playing field for an entirely new set of\ntechnologies, whether they are used for coaching, preventative maintenance, or\nto increase the fleets overall safety profile. As these systems become\ncommonplace, they will continue to rely on the foundation of an advanced\nbraking system to bring it altogether. Expect an entirely new generation of\ntractors with advanced capabilities to grow out of this paradigm. Will your\nfleet be ready to take\nadvantage of it<\/a>?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"