The total stopping distance for vehicles equipped with air brakes is made up of four factors: perception distance, reaction distance, brake lag distance, and braking distance. When braking at a speed of 55 mph while driving on dry pavement, the brake lag can add around 32 feet to the vehicle's total stopping distance.

If your vehicle has air brakes, the air compressor drive belt should be checked before each drive. Check the tightness of the belt and verify that it is in good condition.

If the low pressure warning signal activates while you are driving, it is important that you safely exit the roadway as soon as possible and park your vehicle. If the air pressure gets too low, the brakes will no longer work well enough for you to stop safely.

The most common type of foundation brake is an s-cam drum brake.

If you are unsure if a trailer is equipped with an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), look under the vehicle for the electronic control unit and wheel speed sensor wires coming from the back of the brakes.

In an air brake system, the air compressor governor controls when the air compressor pumps air into the air storage tanks.

On long and/or steep downgrades, you should primarily use engine braking to control the speed of your vehicle. Use your brakes only as a supplement to this effect.

If you need to make an emergency stop, you can use either the controlled braking method or the stab braking method. It's important to brake in a way that keeps your vehicle in a straight line but will still allow you to turn if necessary.

In an air brake system, a low pressure warning signal should activate if the pressure in the air tanks falls to a level below 60 psi. This signal may be in the form of a warning light or a wig wag.

To prevent the build up of oil and water in a vehicle's air tanks, manually operated air tank drains should be used at the end of each day of driving.

A visual low pressure warning signal should activate before air pressure drops to a level between 55 and 75 psi. This signal could be a light, a buzzer, or a wig wag.

All trucks, truck tractors, and buses must be equipped with emergency brakes and parking brakes. These brakes must be held by mechanical force.

Air brake system tanks must contain drain valves. These valves are used to drain accumulated oil and water from the tanks and may be either manually or automatically operated.

Compressed air usually contains a certain amount of moisture and compressor oil, which can build up in the air storage tanks and damage the brake system. The tanks should be drained to clean out these accumulations. On a tank with a manual drain valve, draining should be performed at the end of each day of driving.

A dual air brake system is made up of two separate air brake systems. If there is an air leak in one system, it may not affect the other.

Do not use the brake pedal when the spring brakes are on. This could damage the brakes by subjecting them to the combined forces of springs and air pressure.

In an air brake system, the air compressor pumps air into the air storage tanks. The air compressor is controlled by the air compressor governor.

The low air pressure warning signal must activate before the air supply pressure drops below 55 psi in the air tank. If the warning signal does not turn on when being tested during an inspection, the vehicle is not safe to drive.

If the low air pressure warning light turns on, you should stop and safely park your vehicle as soon as possible. Controlled braking will be possible only as long as enough air remains in the tanks.

A dual air brake system has two separate air brake systems that use a single set of brake controls. One system typically operates the regular brakes on the rear axle or axles. The other system operates the regular brakes on the front axle.

A dual air brake system is made up of two separate air brake systems. If there is an air leak in one system, it may not affect the other.

Some older vehicles with air brakes have front brake limiting valves. These valves were intended to reduce the risk of front wheels skidding. However, research has shown that such devices are unnecessary, so they should be left in the "normal" position.

Before driving a vehicle with a dual air system, allow time for the air compressor to build up a minimum pressure of 100 psi in both the primary and secondary systems.

When inspecting a vehicle with a dual air brake system, you should wait for air pressure to build from 85 to 100 psi in both the primary and secondary systems. This should take about 45 seconds.

Always apply the parking brake when leaving your vehicle unattended.