Author: staff@jalopnik.com (Chino Ortiz)

Siwakorn1933/Shutterstock You are driving a loaded diesel rig down a mountain pass, foot hovering over the brake pedal, heart racing. How do you slow 20,000 kilos safely without cooking your brakes? Cue the exhaust brake -– the unsung hero of diesel descents. Consider it like this — an exhaust brake slows the truck by trapping exhaust gases, forcing the engine to work against back pressure. That resistance helps decelerate the vehicle, easing the load in your regular brakes, turning the engine into its own air-powered anchor. This is not guesswork – back pressure during exhaust braking can reach as much as 60…