steep hills and no jake break??

[rgwilliams]

I don't know who commissioned this report but it does answer some of the questions on a few states - with statute numbers for reference.

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2004/rpt/2004-R-0741.htm

[bobofthenorth]

What really bugs me is towns that put a stop sign/red light at the bottom of a steep entrance into town and then put up "No Jake" signs.  I ignore those signs completely and in fact probably go out of my way to use my Jakes in those situations.  If I should happen to ever get cited for that use I'll definitely make the court appearance because I'd really like to meet the judge who is stupid enough to let that ticket stand.

[Iceni John]

I have attached a photo of the sign on I80 in Utah prohibiting engine brakes.

That sign says "restricted".   That's not exactly the same as "prohibited".   A good lawyer could have some fun with that.

Essentially what's being sanctioned (now there's another ambiguous term) is unmuffled exhausts, not Jake brakes per se.   Like so many vehicle requirements, enforcement is capricious and inconsistent, and more focused on generating quick revenue than promoting safety.

John

[Lin]

You can tell when an unmuffled truck is running Jakes.  I doubt anyone could say the same about a muffled bus.

[belfert]

I have attached a photo of the sign on I80 in Utah prohibiting engine brakes.

That sign says "restricted".   That's not exactly the same as "prohibited".   A good lawyer could have some fun with that.

Without a definition of what "restricted" means I take it as a prohibition against the use of engine brakes.  If they only want to restrict unmuffled engine brakes they should say so.

[BRUISER]

just wanted to post an update..

ended up taking a different route due to others going with us and went up Fancy Gap instead of Black Mountain.. Bus pulled fancy gap in 3rd gear with no issues at all. and went back down on way home in 3rd also..

trip was great minus the blown tag axle tire on way out.. but was still great.. but I am now looking for jakes breaks as I could see the difference my buddy had with them going home down the mountain..

[Oonrahnjay]

  ended up taking a different route due to others going with (snip)

     Good, I came down the I-40 hill last Weds.  The construction barriers are still up.  If there's any traffic at all, it gets very tense.  You prolly did the right thing.

[Busted Knuckle]

Back when I was trucking I got ticketed more than once for the "no jake brakes" signs!
Salt Lake was the first one. I did as usual I contacted a lawyer and told him what I had gotten the ticket for and why I wanted to fight it.

It wasn't to keep it off my record, or to save $ but more of the principal of the fact that I was ticketed for using a safety device.

He took my information and said he'd call me back. Later that day he asked me if there was anyway I could come through Salt Lake and meet up with him anytime soon.
I told him I most likely could on my way back depending on what kind of load I got and where it was going to.

Well the next day I unloaded in Seattle and reloaded back to FL and called him and told him I'm meet him on my way down.
We decided to meet @ the Sap Bros Truck on California Ave off I-15.

I spent the night there and in the morning he arrived @ the time we agreed upon and went inside to "meet" over breakfast. First off he was amazed that they had a "smokers club" dining room for CDL drivers only.
Then we talked over b-fast and discussed the exact details of the citation, trucks in general, fake brakes & how they worked, and other exhaust brake systems.
After b-fast he asked me to ride out to the site where I was ticketed with him.
We talked more as we drove and every once in a while I'd hear a truck using the jake brake and would tell him that is what he was hearing.
When we got to where the sign is he hummed something and laughed while taking notes. All the while trucks going by and turning on the jakes as they went by.

As we started down the hill he pointed out that on the other side of the wall was the most exclusive country club in the Salt Lake area.

He said he'd check farther into it for me and took me back to my truck which he immediately fell in love with the 10" straight stacks, the 8" Stainless drop sun-visor (dropped 8" down over the stock one), and all the other stainless, chrome & chicken lights my truck had.

When he called me back he said he was going to fight my ticket for me on a $500 retainer, but he was going to find other drivers to join in on the fight and if he did I would get all my $ back and we'd file a class action suit against the city. (he despised the country club & most of it's members)

He fought the tickets and won. Well actually the judge threw them out the minute he presented proof that jake brakes are indeed a safety device that assists and saves the service brakes. The class action suit was denied because all of our tickets had been dismissed.

But I got several other tickets in different states and he took care of all of them for me @ no charge and told me I'd put him on to a $ market of fighting them and he made $75-100 off from every one he fought and all he had to do was call the local prosecutor where ever the ticket was and as soon as he explained to them who he was, why he was calling and that he was willing to find enough drivers to make it a class action suit they dropped the ticket.

SO yes they will ticket drivers for using them. But they are mostly aimed at guys like me that have had straight stacks and deliberately used to rattle all the windows in town and set off alarms in cars and buildings all along the main street.
  BK 

[Lin]

Thanks for the story BK.  It's good to have a happy ending once in a while with things like this.

[Busted Knuckle]

Thanks for the story BK.  It's good to have a happy ending once in a while with things like this.

I don't know if he ever got his class action suit he wanted or not.
He wanted one bad and told me so, said he could retire of the fees if he ever got & won one.

I gave up trucking 11 yrs ago.
  BK 

[belfert]

I'm a bit confused on how this lawyer was going to hit it big on a class action suit regarding traffic tickets.  Was he planning to charge each defendant a few hundred dollars?  Most class action suits are against companies for monetary damages with the lawyers getting a chunk of the settlement.  There are no monetary damages to be had here.

[white-eagle]

bw, thanks for confirming the method i use on my brakes when needed.  We bought jakes a few years ago.  ended up costing about $3000 installed, but well worth the money as we full time.  when i left colorado, we had to go over a 12000 foot pass, from 8500 up, then down into denver.  pulling the van which is about 7000 lbs with the bus (about 39000).  i barely touched the brakes and we went up at 20mph, then down at 20mph.  1st and 2nd.  We have a 740 automatic.

[TomC]

Personally-no such thing as a too quiet truck.  Now with the Detroit DD engines having a separate camshaft (dual overhead cams) to power the Jakes, they are both powerful and very quiet in operation.  And with all the smog devices on the exhaust that you can't touch by law-no such thing as straight pipes anymore.  Good Luck, TomC

[Busted Knuckle]

Brian,
As I said I don't know his plans or methods to his madness. Just that he said if he could ever get and win one he could retire from it.

TomC If you remember correctly I was a chicken hauler! (and a damn good one at that!)

I gave up trucking in 1999/2000 and haven't looked back since!

I did get pulled into the Winterhaven, CA weigh station early one AM (like 3 AM) when 3 of my trucks were running together.
I told my drivers on the CB to go ahead and go up to the rest area in the center a ways up the road and I'd be there soon.

The officer had his CB on and responded "yeah he won't be long just a quick level 2 inspection and he'll be on his way!"

So I went around back and parked and by the time I opened the door there he was. He asked for my paper work, glanced @ the log book and handed it back to me. Saying "won't be needing this for what we're doing." And stuck my license, registration and BOL's under the clip on his clip board and said "I will need info of these for the citation."
So then I sat in the truck while he walked around the truck checking lights, tires and brake stroke. Then he came back up front and asked me to open the hood.
He said "I see ALL your lights work, you have great tires & brakes and it looks good under here. I just need to get a ladder and look down those huge exhaust pipes and make sure there is a muffler down in there!" (10" straight stacks remember?)
I told him "Of course there is that's why they are huge to hide the muffler and look like straight stacks."
He said "I still gotta look. by the way this sure is a pretty truck and it shows you keep up on maintenance."
About that time he showed back up with a 6' step ladder and a pole with a mirror on it! He stood about 1/2 way up on the ladder stuck his pole up near the top of the stack and shined a light on the mirror and said "Yup sure is a muffler in there! That's a pretty clever way to hide it!"
I said "yup, what's next?" He said "nothing I just gotta fill out a report showing you passed an inspection" which he did and I left laughing all the way!
  BK 

[Lin]

So if the other trucks were heading west on I-8 there, the rest stop they pulled over at was at the Algodones Sand Dunes.  I hope you got a look at it in the light.  The area is quite spectacular and has been used as a movie set.  "Stargate" comes to mind.  I once was driving past there and got caught in a massive sand storm.  There was zero visibility.  The only thing anyone could do was pull over and wait for it to pass while hoping no idiot was going to slam you from behind.  Of course, if you were heading east, ignore what I said.