After speaking the Banks engineers, we learned that the SmartLock senses throttle position and controls braking engagement, improving efficiency. From inside the cab you can remotely cancel overdrive anytime, even in tow/haul mode. What this does is signals the transmission to engage the torque converter lockup clutch and simultaneously increases hydraulic line pressure, which reduces slippage under extreme braking. When you tap the throttle, the SmartLock disengages.

Unlike gas engines, diesels control speed and power by governing the amount of fuel injected into the combustion chamber. A diesel has no air throttle like a gas engine has, so when you lift off the accelerator of a diesel truck, the engine doesn't brake because there is no pumping loss to retard the engine speed. On steep downhill drives with a large trailer in tow, this can be unnerving to even the most experienced driver, and you leave to chance the possibility that your brakes will overheat and then fade. That's why exhaust brakes, such as the Banks Brake, have become so popular.

Banks also offers an exhaust brake kit for other makes and models of trucks, including its latest product, the SpeedBrake, which is a plug-and-play, all-electronic system that can cut downhill speeds by 78 percent without using your foot brake.