Letter to the Editor: Jake Brake Noise

I came across your article concerning truck engine (jake) brakes and the concern about noise with their use. I think you need to look at the fact that the “jake” is much of the time needed to slow a truck to safe operating speeds. The regular service brakes on most tractor-trailers are not enough to stop 70,000-80,000 pounds of metal. The service brakes would have to be replaced every week if the jake did not exist.

The thing that amuses me is that people complain about trucks (their noise, pollution and size) all the time, but what do they do about alternate modes of transporting their goods or creating truck routes around “historic areas”? Nothing. They sit there, whine, then blame the trucks for the problem. If you ask me, if a community doesn’t like the jake brake problem, then they should petition for a truck route to be built around the area in question.

Scott Kobylenski

This letter appeared in the Dec. 10 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.