Operating During Brake Safety Week, August 23-29

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) announced that Brake Safety Week will proceed as scheduled from August 23-29. As a part of this, enforcement officials will inspect carrier vehicles for critical out-of-service brake violations and other out-of-service violations. 

According to the CVSA, “checking brake system components is always part of the roadside inspection process; however, inspectors will be paying special attention to brake hoses/tubing during this year’s Brake Safety Week to highlight the importance of those components to vehicle mechanical fitness and safety.” 

This year’s focus on brake hoses and tubing is carried over from last year, likely due to the magnitude of violations from the previous year. During the 2019 CVSA’s International Roadcheck inspection, brake system and adjustment issues accounted for 45.1% of all out-of-service violations – more than any other category inspected. It was also reported that 13.5 percent of the commercial vehicles inspected were removed from the roadways because of brake maintenance-related violations. 

“Proactively ensuring that break system components are in safe and good working order not only helps prevent accidents and improve safety for drivers and the motoring public, but can also help fleets avoid non-compliance penalties, out-of-service time, and remain active in the marketplace” said Lorin Seeks, Director of Carrier Quality and Compliance at Convoy. 

Advice from Convoy Carriers

“The most common issues we’ve run into are broken brake chambers and worn down pads. I highly recommend that drivers do a pre and post inspection after every shipment to make sure their brakes are in tip top shape.” – Isaac Wilke, Starlight Transportation Services LLC. 

“For my truck, brake hoses are always the first thing to go because they experience a lot of wear and tear. I make it a habit to check my airlines before a shipment to make sure they are not dry, cracked, or have leaks coming from the hose or the coupling point” – Robert Key, Bizzyb Transport LLC