Anthea McGibbon, Staff Reporter

A truck laden with sugar cane makes its way uphill.

This is the fifth instalment of The Gleaner's new feature, 'How to ...', an instruction guide, giving practical advice on fixing many of those pesky problems that pop up - without paying an arm and a leg. Seize on info from industry experts and become a veritable Mr or Mrs Fix-it.

Large vehicles such as trailers, trucks and buses can be fascinating. Teenagers, especially, sometimes see manoeuvring big vehicles as a test of adulthood.

However, there are a few problems that one can encounter when travelling 'big' up or downhill.

Faulty brakes can pose an even greater challenge when travelling on narrow, winding or wet and slippery hills.

Air is released from this system when when pressure is applied to the brake pedal in some trucks.

This week, expert mechanic Linton Hughes, who has been driving trucks and buses for at least 20 years, provides tips on how to handle big vehicles in the event of a brake failure.

Try to get into as low a gear as possible by 'gearing down', a stage at a time. This means going from gear 4 to gear 3 to gear 2 and so on. If, for example, you are already in the fourth gear, and you are moving to first gear, slowly bring up the hand brake until the vehicle comes to a complete stop.

Be careful, not to bring up your hand brake too suddenly. If you do so, you will find that the vehicle will slide or spin, causing further complications.

Conduct regular check-ups on your brake system on the service-to-service dates. Do this again when going on a journey across Jamaica's hilly terrain.

Brake fluids should be clean and at the required level recommended by the manufacturer.

Avoid travelling when brakes are low.

Check tyres regularly. They should be no more than 70 per cent worn in order to reduce undue strain to the brakes.

Pedestrians should be mindful of large vehicles and the fact that drivers may not see everything.

The disc rotor is a critical component of the braking system in trucks.

USEFUL LINKS:

http://www.pensketruckrental.com/personal_rental/moving_guide/safety.html

www.nydmv.state.ny.us/broch/cdl/cdl10sec02.pdf

www.tax.state.nm.us/pubs/cdl2.pdf

Send your thoughts, questions and/or requests to anthea.mcgibbon@gleanerjm.com.