A fully loaded haul truck can weigh 350–400 metric tons. At that mass, even a “slow” downhill speed stores an enormous amount of kinetic energy (½mv²). When the service brakes fail, that energy has only a few places to go. Most mining trucks rely on multi-layer braking systems: • Service brakes (hydraulic) • Retarders (engine or electric braking) • Emergency/parking brakes • Runaway ramps (last-resort physics) If those systems can’t dissipate energy quickly enough, the brakes overheat. Friction turns motion into heat, brake pads glaze, fluids boil, and stopping force collapses — a classic case of thermal runaway. At this point, gravity is doing continuous work on the truck. Every meter downhill adds energy faster than the brakes can remove it. The result? ➡️ Increasing speed ➡️ Structural stress on tires and axles ➡️ Potential tire explosions from heat ➡️ Complete loss of control That’s why mines design escape ramps filled with gravel, uphill grades, and strict speed limits. You do...