BRAKE SAFETY WEEK: HOW CARRIERS CAN PREPARE

Organized by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), this year’s annual Brake Safety Week is set for August 22 to 28. Across North America, enforcement officials conduct inspections to remove any commercial motor vehicles from service with brake-related violations. With trucks playing an integral part in the supply chain industry, we want to ensure all carriers are prepared to pass inspection during the event.

While the entire brake system and its components will be checked for road-ready condition, this year’s focus centers around brake hoses and tubing. Brake systems as a whole are a key component to safe driving and ensuring a truck is not a danger to its driver or the vehicles around it. Looking back at 2020’s Brake Safety Week, 12% of the 43,565 commercial motor vehicles inspected were taken off the road for brake-related violations

To pass inspection, carriers should prepare for routine visual checks and air brake tests, noting that the brake system efficiency must stay above 43.5 percent. With special attention placed on brake hoses and tubing, these components must be properly attached, undamaged, without leaks and appropriately flexible. In addition to hoses and tubing, visual checks to confirm proper attachment and integrity can also include cotter and clevis pins, the slack adjuster, air lines and the air brake chamber. Drivers can also perform these visual checks regularly.

Improperly installed or poorly maintained brake systems can reduce the braking capacity, which can hinder a truck’s stopping distance, so it’s imperative to regularly check a truck’s brake components throughout the vehicle’s lifespan. To not only prepare for Brake Safety Week but also maintain safety throughout the course of the year, carriers should practice routine maintenance. This includes regularly checking your brake system’s efficiency level to meet the required minimum, as well as understanding your own truck’s size and type of air brake chamber. This knowledge is imperative and will assist in making sure your truck receives proper attention and upkeep. 

Ahead of Brake Safety Week, take some time to check your truck’s brake system and components. Even better, maintain safety throughout each of your trips by practicing routine visual checks and brushing up on your knowledge of the truck’s specific brake needs to ensure full preparation while out on the road.