Heavy Duty Trucking, April 2018
REPORT FROM TMC HDT APRIL 2018 74 WWW TRUCKINGINFO COM Trailer fires attract a lot of media attention as they usually happen on a public highway The ensuing traffic jams and columns of black smoke always attract camera crews So TMCs S 6 Chassis Brake and S 7 Trailers Bodies Material Handling task forces have teamed up to find out why trailer wheel ends seemingly spontaneously combust The two task forces sent a survey to all TMC member fleets last fall to look at the frequency and severity of wheel end thermal events in combination vehicles The survey was sent to 600 JOINT TMC TASK FORCES STUDYING WHEEL END THERMAL EVENTS PHOTO ISTOCKPHOTO COM THEGIFT777 Raising Performance To New Levels Quality Liftgates for Every ApplicationSideloaders and Conventional models are all part of the THIEMAN line up For many years THIEMAN has been customizing liftgates to meet specific needs If a special need arises give us a call From 1000 lb to 6600 lb lifting capacities THIEMAN can provide a liftgate for almost every application 600 E Wayne Street Celina Ohio 45822Ph 800 524 5210 419 586 7727 Fax 419 586 9724Email info@ thiemantailgates com Website www thiemantailgates com Untitled 4 1 1 18 18 11 32 AMTMC member fleets and asked about fleet equipment demographics maintenance practices and whether the fleet had experienced a wheel end fire The data collected was deemed too small a sample to draw any specific conclusions but what the responses revealed may make coming to a firm conclusion about causal factors more difficult than previously believed Even in that small sample the results were mixed with no concrete trends emerging except one most of the fires occurred at the right rear wheel of the trailer Other responses showed that dual and wide base tire equipped vehicles were both involved as were both drum and disc brakes Responses reflected market penetration of both types of tires and brakes Other survey questions looked at maintenance practices in house or outsourced the presence of self returning trailer brake valves in tractors the thoroughness of driver pre trip inspections wheel end maintenance policies and practices tire inflation trends trailer PM intervals some were found to be astonishingly long trailer side skirts present or not the results of post fire investigations and other factors One of the problems with investigating this type of incident is the post event condition of the wheel end said S 7 Task Force Chairman Hank Schneider The damage caused by the fire and often the recovery efforts make an exact determination difficult
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