Operating During Brake Safety Week, August 22-28

According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, Brake Safety Week will be held from August 22 to August 28 as planned (CVSA). As part of the inspection, enforcement officers will look for critical out-of-service brake violations as well as other out-of-service violations. The findings, which will be released later this year, will include information on chafing air brake hose/tubing violations, which are the subject of this year's Brake Safety Week.

“Although inspection of a vehicle’s brake system and its components is always part of the roadside inspection process, Brake Safety Week aims to highlight the importance of brake systems and proper brake maintenance, operation, and performance,” said CVSA president John Samis.

CVSA-certified inspectors will conduct North American Standard Level I and V inspections throughout Brake Safety Week. The inspector will do the following when inspecting the brake system and its components:

• Check for missing, non-functioning, loose, contaminated, or cracked parts on the brake system.
• Check for S-cam flip-over.
• Listen for audible air leaks around brake components and lines.
• Check for improper connections and chafing of air hoses and tubing.
• Ensure slack adjusters are the same length (from center of S-cam to center of clevis pin) and the air chambers on each axle are the same size.
• Ensure the air system maintains proper air pressure.
• Look for non-manufactured holes (e.g., rust holes, holes created by rubbing or friction, etc.) and broken springs in the spring brake housing.
• Mark and measure pushrod travel.
• Inspect required brake systems warning devices, such as anti-lock braking system malfunction lamp(s) and low air-pressure warning devices.
• Inspect the tractor protection system, including the bleed-back system on the trailer.
• Ensure the breakaway system is operable on the trailer.

Inspectors may check cargo securement, coupling devices, driveline/driveshaft components, driver's seat (missing), exhaust systems, frames, fuel systems, lighting devices, steering mechanisms, suspensions, tires, van and open-top trailer bodies, wheels, rims, and hubs, windshield wipers, and other items in addition to brake systems.

ADVICE FROM ABDI TRANSPORT INC

What you do in the shop and during pre-trip walkarounds—looking at every aspect of your vehicle—can make an important difference on the road and during a brake system inspection, simply by catching brake-related issues before they become problems.

Every day:

• Check for damaged or loose-hanging air chambers, pushrods, or slack adjusters.
• Make sure slack adjusters on each axle are extended out to the same angle. Different angles can indicate an out-of-adjustment brake or a broken spring brake power spring.
• Examine tubing and hose condition, positioning, and connections.

Every week:

• Perform a 90- to 100-psi brake application with the wheels chocked and the parking brakes released, and listen for leaks.
• Check air disc brake rotors for cracks.
• Inspect drum brake linings for wear and cracks.

Every month:

• Check for moisture in the air system to prevent contamination that leads to component deterioration and system leaks.

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During a Level I or V Inspection, if no critical vehicle inspection item violations are discovered, the vehicle is eligible for a CVSA decal. Vehicles with critical vehicle inspection item violations, on the other hand, maybe placed out of service if the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria are met. Before the vehicle may move further, the violations must be corrected.

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