drain the air tanks?

The psss you hear is a purge if there is too much pressure in the system. You're supposed to drain them everyday but most drivers never do and there is no problem. Locate your air tanks and look for a a pin like thing to pull.

 

If your air dryer is working you never need to drain your tanks,ever.

 

Get under the truck and look for the tanks, you will see the ring and wire leading away from the bottom and follow them to where you see the handles then pull the handle to release the air. Get in the habit of draining the tanks daily with your pre trip.
I know you have had a rough start to your trucking career but read as much as you can here at this website and look at youtube for trucker videos, a lot of people out there are trying to help us so take advantage of it !

 

Assuming you can find the pull cables hidden here and there (if there even any still in place) pull them when you think about to see if there is any moisture leaving them. There probably won't be anything more than a "dry spit". That means your air dryer is working as intended. Today, air dryers rarely cease to work properly leaving moisture to accumulate in the tanks. And yes, winter is the worst time to have excessive moisture in the air system.

Twice a day? No, just when you think about it once a week or so, (especialy if you have to dig around to reach the cables), or if you simply want to alleviate any concerns you may have.

 

That works really good in climates that aren't too cold. but in the colder areas of the NE , the mid-west , the NW and Canada and Alaska , it doesn't hurt to drain them manually every time you stop....especially in the winter months and in temps that run in the single digits and below zero for prolonged periods. Maybe not absolutely necessary , but you know what "they say"..."an ounce of prevention keeps Johnnies truck from breaking down"

 

Very true, Surprising how much moisture still comes out of them even with an air dryer. Nothing like having to pull the air line off the compressor to dump a cap full of alcohol in the line on a sub zero morning when all you want to do is crawl back in bed.

 

I live in the far north (mile 50 Alaska Highway) with below freezing temps for 6 months/year...I never drain my tanks, everything is good, I've only had an air dryer quit working once in 25 years.

As said, nothing wrong with checking for water in the tanks before it gets cold.

 

Lucky guy....to each his own I guess....merely trying to give the OP some advice , going by my experiences...the way I look at it , getting into the habit of checking things out , and being a little proactive instead of having to be re-active after something breaks / freezes-up means that sooner than later you'll catch something that could have stranded you on the side of the road , or worse. Good inspection habits formed early on in a career are always , better than relying on a mechanical part lasting forever or trusting in "luck". Just my thoughts on it....