Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Brake Safety Week kicks off Sunday. The week-long blitz this year will be held from Aug. 24-30.
Last year, 13% of all trucks inspected during Brake Safety Week were parked with an out of service violation – about 10% better than the number of trucks parked during Roadcheck 2024. The average OOS rate during Brake Safety Week dating back to 2020 is 13%.
Almost 400 trucks (8.7% of all trucks inspected) were placed out of service with brake-related violations as part of CVSA’s unannounced one-day brake safety inspection and enforcement event in April.
[Related: Electronic brake systems offer safety boost, ease of maintenance]
Inspectors identified 237 (59.5%) commercial motor vehicles April 22 that met the 20% defective brakes criterion, which is when 20% or more of the vehicle’s (or combination of vehicles’ brakes) have an OOS condition.
In addition, inspectors identified 77 out of service violations related to brake hoses and/or tubing, 48 vehicles had steering axle OOS violations, 38 vehicles failed an air loss rate test, and there were 112 other OOS brake violations, such as worn brake lines/hoses, inoperative tractor protection system, inoperative low-air warning device, air leaks, hydraulic fluid leaks, etc.
Brake Safety Week 2024 brake rotor/drum violations by type.CVSA
“What goes on in the wheel-ends and braking system directly impacts multiple aspects of safe vehicle operation – there’s no overstating the importance of keeping up with maintenance and inspection of those areas,” said Brian Screeton, manager – technical training and service at Bendix.
What are inspectors looking for?
The emphasis for this year’s campaign is drums and rotors, but CVSA-certified inspectors will conduct routine commercial motor vehicle inspections throughout the week, focusing on brake systems and components and in search of:
- Air leaks around brake components and lines
- Air pressure in the target range of 90-100 psi when checking for air leaks
- Broken springs in the spring brake housing section of the parking brake
- Holes in tubing caused by rubbing
- Mismatched air brake chamber sizes across axles
- Missing, nonfunctioning, loose, or cracked parts
- Proper operation of the tractor protection system
- Proper brake chamber pushrod travel
- Drum brake S-cam has “cammed over”
- Slack adjusters on the same axle are not at the same length
- Warning device functionality (such as antilock braking system MIL – Malfunction Indicator Light)
“Any indication of something out of compliance can be a sign of potentially wider maintenance issues. Taken individually, everything inspectors are looking for – such as a kink in an air hose or an active full-stability light on the dash – may seem inconsequential,” Screeton said. “But it’s critical to take this holistic approach to upkeep when considering the complex interconnectivity of the entire brake system and more advanced safety technologies. One small sign of something out of compliance can be an indicator of more widespread maintenance issues.”
