Before a trip, ensure that air in the air brake system reaches all trailers. Do this by waiting for air pressure to build, then sending air to both the emergency and service lines and opening the shut-off valves on the rear of the last trailer. If air escapes from the shut-off valves in the rear of the combination, the air is being supplied to the entire vehicle.

In vehicles equipped with an automatic tractor protection valve, the valve will pop out if air pressure drops to a level between 20 and 45 psi. When the valve pops out, the protection valve will close, stopping the flow of air.

Correctly following the steps to couple and uncouple trailers is vital to safely operating a combination vehicle. Before backing your tractor under the trailer while coupling, make sure your trailer brakes are locked.

If a trailer begins to jackknife, you should release the brakes and allow the trailer wheels to regain traction with the road. Do not apply the trailer hand brake to attempt to straighten out the rig because the application of brakes is what caused the wheels to lock in the first place.

When coupling, make sure you couple matching glad hands. They are often color-coded to help drivers avoid mistakes. Typically, blue is used for service lines and red is used for emergency lines.

A tractor protection valve keeps air in a tractor or truck air brake system should the trailer break away or develop a bad leak. The valve will close automatically if the pressure drops to an unsafe level.

Cargo weight should be evenly distributed within a trailer to reduce the risk of a rollover. Do not place too much weight on one side of a trailer.

When driving a tractor-trailer combination that is equipped with an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), you should brake in the same manner that you would if the vehicle was not equipped with ABS.

Incorrect coupling and uncoupling of combination vehicles can have extremely dangerous consequences.

Every combination vehicle has two air lines: the service line and the emergency line.

Driving combination vehicles requires more skill than driving single commercial vehicles. Combinations are generally longer, generally heavier, and are more vulnerable to rollover.

If your vehicle gets stuck on railroad tracks for any reason, you should immediately exit the vehicle and walk away from the tracks. Contact the proper emergency authorities.

To reduce the risk of a surge in a tank vehicle, slow or stop while keeping a steady pressure on the brakes and do not release the brakes too early. Brake well in advance of a stop and increase your following distance.

Bobtail tractors are tractors that are not attached to any semitrailers. When operating a bobtail, you should be aware that stopping can be difficult and that it will take a longer distance to come to a complete stop than a tractor attached to a loaded semitrailer.

When backing a vehicle with a trailer, you must turn the steering wheel in the direction opposite of where you want to go. Once your trailer starts to turn, you should turn the steering wheel the other way to follow the trailer.

The tractor protection valve keeps air in the trailer's braking system should the trailer break away or develop a leak. A loss of air pressure in the emergency line will cause the tractor protection valve to open and the emergency trailer brakes to activate.

If a parked trailer does not have spring brakes, wheel chocks should be used to prevent it from moving.

When positioning trailers in a combination, the most heavily-loaded trailer should be the closest to the tractor. The lightest trailer should be positioned in the rear.

Shut-off valves are used in air supply lines to control the passage of air from one trailer to another. The rear shut-off valve should always be closed to prevent air from leaving the braking system.

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