Passenger Bus With a Smoking Wheel Bearing on a Mountain Route
You are driving a 40-foot motorcoach with 38 passengers on a mountain route. After a long climb, you stop at a scenic overlook. As you walk around the coach, you notice smoke coming from the right rear wheel area and feel heat radiating from the hub. The wheel is too hot to touch. The passengers are restless and asking to continue so they can reach their connection. Your schedule has 30 minutes of slack. The next town with a repair shop is 18 miles downhill, and the road has several steep curves.
1. What does the hot wheel and smoke indicate, and can you continue to the next town?
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Smoke and a hub too hot to touch indicate a dragging brake, a failing wheel bearing, or a seized brake component. Continuing risks a wheel fire, a bearing failure, or loss of the wheel, any of which could cause a crash with passengers aboard. You should not continue to the next town. Park safely away from traffic, keep passengers away from the smoking wheel, and use a fire extinguisher if flames appear. Let the wheel cool and do not pour water on a hot hub. Call for roadside repair or a replacement coach. Explain the delay to passengers and do not let schedule pressure override safety.
2. How should you manage the passengers and the scene while waiting for repair?
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Move passengers to a safe area away from the coach and traffic, especially away from the smoking wheel side. Account for all passengers and keep them together. Notify your dispatcher and the repair service with your location and the problem. Set out warning devices if you are on or near the roadway, and keep the hazard lights on. Do not allow passengers to stand in the travel lane or wander onto the road. If there is fire or a risk of fire, evacuate further and call emergency services. Do not resume the trip until the wheel and brake are inspected and cleared by a qualified mechanic.