Gladhands: The Superheroes of Your Air Brake System

Your Tiny But Mighty Gladhands

The Mighty, Mighty Gladhands may sound like the name of a really cool band, but they're actually small coupling components that heavy-duty truckers use every day. And although it's easy to not give your gladhands much thought, they're more important to the safety and success of your journey than you realize.

Whether you're a short-haul or long-haul truck driver, if you drive a rig that uses an air brake system, you'll want to become comfortably acquainted with your gladhands.

What are Gladhands?

To understand gladhands, we have to take a step back and talk about the air lines. On every tractor-trailer combination are sets of colorful emergency and supply air lines. Often compared to as the arteries and veins of the air brake system, these lines deliver and sustain compressed air from the tractor to the trailer so the two units move and brake together. The service line is blue and the emergency line is red to avoid confusion as the hoses are being hooked up.

So, how do these hoses stay connected during the long hours of driving, hard turns, potholes, and more? This is where the tiny but mighty gladhands come into play. These hose couplings, also colored blue and red to correspond to their respective hoses, interlock and resemble a pair of hands shaking – hence the name. But while a tight grip is necessary to keep the hoses connected during the entire length of the journey, it's also important for drivers to be able to also disconnect the hoses without needing tools or a mechanic, so gladhands need to be designed for strength and durability but also for ease of use and quick disconnection.

What Happens When a Gladhand is Damaged?

Brake systems are one of the most heavily scrutinized systems by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance during safety inspections, and brake-related accidents are among the most common causes of truck crashes each year. When a gladhand or a gladhand seal is damaged or broken, some noticeable differences for the truck driver can include:

• Loss of brake pressure. If your brakes take longer than 45 seconds to reach operating pressure, that may be an indication of a leak in the air brake system
• Loud hissing or audible noise when the parking or service brake is utilized. This could also be a sign of an air leak.
• Reduced braking power. This is an important one to look out for. If your braking experience is noticeably weaker and you're having to apply more pressure to the brakes to get the truck to slow down, check the gladhands.
• Dirt and moisture contamination. When gladhands are loose or not stowed properly, this could potentially allow dirt, moisture, and other contaminants to enter the air system – which could cause trouble down the road (literally).

Types of Truck Gladhands

Like most truck parts, gladhands have evolved over time. North America uses a standardized system of gladhand sizes and blue/red coloring, but this critical component has also seen other advances including:

• Wrap-around connector plates that provide added strength
• Powder coating for corrosion resistance
• Quick-release design to improve trailer brake release by up to 50%
• Use with both ABS and non-ABS brake systems
• Stainless steel, cast iron, and adonized gladhand varieties for long service life and durability
• Improved brake response time
• Meet SAE J318 specifications

Gladhand Tips

Although gladhands are created to be user-friendly, there are still a few best practices that drivers should remember while connecting or disconnecting them:

• Ensure both tractor and trailer brakes are applied before replacing any component of the gladhands
• Make a gladhand check part of the pre and/or post-trip inspection process to look for signs of damage or corrosion.
• While many drivers receive comprehensive training on gladhand/gladhand seal replacement, keep installation manuals handy just in case – when you think you don't need it is when you'll need it the most!
• Rather than fitting your rig with gladhands that come at the lowest price point, invest in brands that focus on design, quality, longevity, and ease of use. The benefits will outweigh the cost later.

Where to Buy Gladhands

If you're in the market to replace your gladhands or simply upgrade to the latest gladhand technology, we've got truck gladhands to fit all your heavy-duty needs. We've got gladhands, gladhand seals, gladhand grips, and more from some of the best brands in the industry including Velvac, Phillips, Meritor, Haldex, and more!

Not quite sure what specs you need? Search our powerful e-commerce website by brand, part number, cross reference, and more to find exactly what you're looking for!