Trailer Brake (TBRK)
Know the condition of every trailer brake
Trailer brakes are critical for safety, vehicle availability and maintenance costs.
The Trailer Brake Parameter Group provides detailed information about brake lining condition and brake temperature throughout the trailer.
Instead of waiting for a workshop inspection or a warning light, fleet and maintenance applications can remotely monitor the condition of individual brakes across multiple axles.
This helps identify wear, abnormal temperatures and developing brake problems before they result in unnecessary downtime.
Specifications
Name: Trailer Brake
Header: $TRAILERBRAKE1
Subscription: Yes
Solution: Trailer Box
Trigger: Engine On, every 30 seconds while the engine is running, and Engine Off
Output port: Modem
The message is generated individually for each trailer. In multi-trailer combinations, the trailer number is reflected in the message header, for example $TRAILERBRAKE2 and $TRAILERBRAKE3.
Key Parameters
Brake Lining Condition
Monitor the remaining brake lining for individual brakes throughout the trailer.
The Parameter Group can provide brake lining information for:
- Up to six axles
- Up to four brake positions per axle
- Individual brake lining condition in %
This provides a detailed picture of brake wear instead of only a general brake warning.
Brake Temperature
Monitor individual brake temperatures across the trailer.
Temperature information can help identify:
- Overheating brakes
- Abnormal temperature differences
- A brake that may remain applied
- Uneven braking behaviour
- Developing mechanical problems
Temperature can be monitored individually for up to four brake positions on each of six axles.
The complete Parameter Group and parameter definitions are available to Squarell partners.
From individual brakes to maintenance information
The real value comes from comparing the individual brake positions.
For example, a maintenance application can identify:
Axle 1 → Brake 1 → Lining 72% → Normal Temperature
Axle 3 → Brake 2 → Lining 18% → Elevated Temperature
This immediately directs attention to the brake that requires inspection instead of requiring the workshop to first determine where the problem is located.
ISO 11992 & Squarell Checker Box
ISO 11992 is a point-to-point communication network between truck and trailer. The Squarell Trailer Box therefore reads the active communication non-intrusively through CANcliQ, without interfering with the truck-to-trailer connection.
When the trailer is disconnected, the Squarell Checker Box can communicate actively with the trailer to retrieve additional information that may not be available during normal operation.
Together, these technologies allow Squarell to obtain both live and additional trailer information while respecting the special architecture of the ISO 11992 network.
Typical Applications
The Trailer Brake Parameter Group supports applications such as:
- Brake wear monitoring
- Preventive maintenance
- Condition-based maintenance
- Workshop planning
- Brake temperature monitoring
- Remote trailer inspection
- Abnormal brake detection
- Multi-axle trailer maintenance
- Trailer fleet health monitoring
From scheduled to condition-based maintenance
Trailer brake maintenance is traditionally based on periodic inspection.
But brake wear depends heavily on how a trailer is actually used.
A trailer operating in mountainous terrain or intensive distribution traffic may experience very different brake wear from a trailer covering the same distance on motorways.
Trailer Brake provides actual component information that can support the transition from fixed inspection intervals towards condition-based maintenance.
Instead of only asking:
“When is this trailer scheduled for inspection?”
the fleet can increasingly ask:
“Which brake actually requires attention?”
Business Value
The Trailer Brake Parameter Group helps fleet operators to:
- Detect brake wear remotely
- Identify individual brakes requiring attention
- Detect abnormal brake temperatures
- Improve workshop planning
- Reduce unnecessary inspections
- Prevent unexpected brake-related downtime
- Improve trailer safety
- Support condition-based maintenance
- Extend useful component lifetime
- Reduce maintenance costs
Why Squarell?
Trailer brake information can be distributed across multiple messages on the ISO 11992 network and may differ between trailer systems.
Squarell collects the available information and converts it into one harmonised Trailer Brake Parameter Group.
Instead of processing individual ISO 11992 messages, fleet applications receive meaningful information about the condition of individual brakes, organised by trailer, axle and brake position.
This turns complex trailer network data into information that fleet managers and maintenance applications can actually use.
Related Product
Trailer Box
The Squarell Trailer Box provides non-intrusive access to the ISO 11992 communication between truck and trailer and converts the available information into harmonised trailer Parameter Groups.
Combined with integrated modem communication and ExpertView Device Management, brake condition information can be made available remotely throughout the trailer’s operational life.
Trailer Brake — Know which brake needs attention before the trailer reaches the workshop.
