In May , the CVSA Roadcheck inspected 59,429 commercial vehicles in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. This resulted in 17,479 vehicles and 3,256 drivers being put out of service. The main reason for out of service violations is braking systems, accounting for 25.2%, followed by tires at 19.3% and defective service brakes at 14.1%.1
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Putting a vehicle or driver out of service for any reason is serious, but if it is for braking systems, there's potential serious safety lapses in the overall maintenance program and the required, daily driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR).
The safety factor is pure physics; without an adequate braking system, there is no way a driver can safely bring a vehicle — which weighs tens of thousands of pounds — to a complete stop. To put this in perspective, a fully loaded tractor trailer weighing 80,000 pounds and traveling under ideal (daytime, dry, flat) conditions at a speed of 65 mph will take 525 feet to stop — about the length of two football fields.2
The potential for liability is significant. For example, so-called “nuclear” verdicts against large trucking companies are becoming more common, reaching into the tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars.
Beyond direct liability costs, damage to the company’s brand could be just as ruinous and long lasting, resulting in the potential loss of customers and drivers. The cause in both instances is the same; the fleet is seen as unsafe.
This is only one leg of the liability stool. The driver and fleet will also likely be assessed CSA points — counted for 24 months following the violation — which goes against its safety score and could affect the company’s ability to get or retain business or affect its insurance premiums. The fleet’s CSA status is posted publicly by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This will reinforce in the minds of the public (who may be potential customers) that the fleet is unsafe.
The points value of a braking system violation isn’t the highest. For either a general brake violation or a brake(s) out of adjustment, the violation is 4 points each.3 But where there is one violation, it can be expected that others may follow. Often, a vehicle or driver may be found to have other violations, which could net even more points, and in worst-case scenarios, trigger a time-consuming and expensive audit of the fleet by federal regulators.
Finally, while the points will flag the fleet’s potential safety deficiencies at the time and could hurt the fleet (and its company)’s ability to do business, they also bring with them substantial fines reaching into the tens of thousands of dollars or more for each vehicle, depending on the seriousness of the infraction. For example, if the fleet continues to operate the vehicle even after it was cited for having faulty brakes, it could face a fine for that single infraction of $26,000 or more.4
Drivers are a key part of keeping braking systems in working order and should be doing their part due to the requirement to complete a daily pre-trip driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR). It's important for drivers to take the report and inspection seriously to ensure safety on the road.
Fleet staff should regularly check that their drivers are doing their vehicle inspections properly. This is an important part of the safety program that they are responsible for. Regular spot checks and training will keep the importance of the DVIR top of mind for drivers. In addition, there are electronic solutions that can help further strengthen the DVIR process.
While it’s crucial to hold drivers accountable for keeping their vehicles up and running, the truth is that most drivers are committed to having safe, well-maintained vehicles — since it is in their best interest. That means it’s incumbent on fleet and company leadership to create a culture that encourages and reinforces safety.
The direct benefit isn’t just a vehicle that is well maintained and productive; it is how a company will retain their best and safest drivers. In fact, a strong maintenance PM program should be one of the pillars of your driver retention plan.
With a truck driver shortage, finding and retaining good, safe, productive drivers is one of the biggest challenges facing the trucking industry today. Drivers leave companies for a number of reasons, including: poor pay, time away from their family, scheduling issues, conflicts with supervisors, and poor quality equipment.6
Keep in mind that a driver’s job is to operate a vehicle and transport a load from point A to point B safely and not time dealing with maintenance issues.7
Having trucks that break down constantly will cause drivers to be frustrated and affect their relationship and confidence in the company.6 And, worse, if drivers think their vehicles are unsafe, it will make it difficult to retain drivers and hire new ones.
In today’s connected world, word about the way a company treats its employees — both good and bad — will get out. You want to do all you can to get positive feedback from employees so you can recruit and retain the best drivers possible. Investing in maintenance is one of the ways you can stand out from the crowd.
During the PM process, collect data on the condition of all parts such as brakes to identify when replacements are necessary. This helps enhance the PM program by establishing maintenance benchmarks. This improves the PM program by setting benchmarks for maintenance.
Heavy-duty trucks and trailers employ air braking systems, which, as the name indicated, use air instead of hydraulic fluid. Because the system is based on air, you'll never run out of fluid or have major braking troubles due to a fluid leak. The vehicle may securely run in tandem with the trailer with the help of an air brake system. However, the large weight of these vehicles and their loads can cause additional safety problems with air brake systems. Heavy-duty truck brake problems are hazardous, putting operators and other drivers on the road at risk. Here are five symptoms that your heavy-duty truck's brakes are failing and require attention from a certified diesel mechanic immediately.
If you hear a high-pitched screaming sound coming from your brakes, it's probably time for brake pad replacement, which should be done every 50,000 miles.
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Grinding in your brakes means your brake pads have disintegrated, putting your rotors in danger. You'll want to move promptly at this stage to avoid having to pay for far more costly repairs.
Warped rotors are a typical source of braking vibrations, which is a prevalent problem owing to the enormous weights that heavy-duty trucks carry.
When you use the brakes, your vehicle should keep moving straight ahead. If the vehicle pulls to either side as you engage the brakes, you may have uneven brake pad wear or a problem with an air brake line. This is a safety issue that needs to be addressed as soon as feasible.
If you press down on the brake pedal and it readily falls to the floor, your brake pads are probably worn out. Another possibility is that an air brake line is leaking.
Before looking at what might go wrong, it's essential to understand how heavy duty-truck brakes work. The braking system on most heavy-duty trucks is made up of three elements. Air brakes, parking brakes, and emergency brakes. The entire system is well-designed and, in most circumstances, works flawlessly. Friction is provided to the brake pad to compress the air inside the truck's tank, which then pushes against a piston, putting pressure on the brake pad. Another system component is parking brakes, which prevent the vehicle from rolling away when parked, thus the name. Large machinery like huge trucks, as one would expect, need emergency brakes as well. Some rigs even have emergency brakes that activate automatically, while others must be manually engaged.
Some of the most prevalent reasons for heavy-duty brake problems include:
Brake shoes are sold in pairs. As a result, they're designed to wear evenly. However, they may become unbalanced and wear unevenly in certain circumstances. This weakens one side and might cause braking problems. Squeaking or scraping sounds or a vehicle that is less sensitive to braking than it should be are signs of this.
Properly loading a trailer is critical since improper loading may result in various complications, including increased brake ware and trouble stopping.
Brakes, like many other parts of a heavy-duty truck, must be serviced regularly to ensure that they are operating correctly. If a massive truck can't stop, we're not talking about a trivial issue. This is quite serious. Maintenance is thus essential, particularly for the braking system and emergency backups.
Drivers do not want to overwork the braking system by braking too hard or too often. Brake Fade happens when drivers mistakenly overheat the brake drums by braking too hard or pressing the brakes too hard. The air brake system has a flaw in the form of brake fade. Instead of holding the brakes for lengthy periods, use short, forceful, intermittent brake applications to prevent this problem.
This occurs when the truck's brake shoe gets jammed. A slow acceleration, almost as if the vehicle is being held back, is one sign. This is due to the shoe's inability to disengage after being engaged.
When specific elements of the truck's airline are punctured, fractured, or broken, the brakes might be damaged due to the air system. This indicates that the air is no longer appropriately pressured, resulting in inefficient braking.
Heavy duty-trucks range in weight from 35,000 to 80,000 pounds. Once it starts rolling, that's a lot of weight to stop, so a heavy-duty braking system is important. Everyone on the road is at risk when a vehicle’s braking system is broken, malfunctioning, or worn out. As a result, drivers must be aware of potential braking problems and know what indications to look for to avoid them.
Nothing is more terrifying for a truck driver than being unable to stop their vehicle due to their brakes not engaging. The following are some strategies that experienced drivers may use to mitigate these concerns and keep themselves and others on the road safe:
To ensure that the heavy-duty braking system is working effectively, keep all of the information listed above at front of mind. It is essential to seek the assistance of a heavy-duty truck repair specialist to get brake problems addressed as soon as they arise. Make sure that you do it immediately so that you can ensure the safety of yourself and your load on the road.
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