If the brakes on your truck are in need of work, you have but a few hours to do it or have it done.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Brake Safety Week begins Sunday and runs through Sept. 22. At that time enforcement personnel will conduct roadside inspections, according to the organization, to identify and remove CMVs with brake violations.
During Brake Safety Week, inspectors will primarily conduct the North American Standard Level I Inspection, which includes an examination of driver operating requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness, according to the CVSA. Inspections conducted will include inspection of brake-system components to identify:
- loose or missing parts
- air or hydraulic fluid leaks
- defective rotor conditions
- measurement of pushrod travel
- mismatched air chamber sizes across axles
- air reservoir integrity and mounting
- worn linings, pads, drums or rotors
- required brake-system warning devices
- other brake-system components.
Vehicles with defective or out-of-adjustment brakes will be placed out of service, according to the CVSA.
Last year, the CVSA conducted a one-day Brake Safety Day, during which 14 percent of all inspections resulted in a CMV being placed out of service for brake-related violations.
