Brake Inspection Tips for Truck Drivers

Break To Inspect Brakes

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance just wrapped up their latest Brake Safety Week inspections on randomly select commercial vehicles. "During last year's CVSA Brake Safety Week, 12% of the 35,764 vehicles inspected were placed out of service for brake-related issues," said Fred Andersky, Bendix director – demos, sales, and service training.

This year's theme focused on brake hose and tubing chafing. As we hold our breaths in anticipation for this year's numbers, we must remind truck drivers about the importance of pre-trip, post-trip, and routine inspections of brakes with tips from our friends at Bendix.

Brake Inspection Tips from Bendix

Faulty brakes account for almost 30% of crashes involving semi-trucks and truck drivers on the road are usually the first ones to notice issues. These unfortunate scenarios could have been avoided for drivers that took the time to inspect their vehicles prior to jumping in their big rigs.

Mark Holley, Bendix director of marketing and customer solutions, Wheel-End, provides his recommendations below for daily, weekly, and monthly brake inspections ( Fleet Maintenance):

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.

"It's also worth greasing the S-cam brake tubes and automatic slack adjusters any time you've got a vehicle in the shop," Holley said.

Give Feedback to Technicians

As stated, if drivers notice a problem on the road, they will need to pull over and see a technician to diagnose the problem. To do that, pay attention to the warning signs of failing brakes to inform the technician including loud screeching noises when brakes are engaged, air leaks coming from the brakes, jerking of the vehicle and less or no resistance on brakes when the pedal is engaged.

Repairing Brake Systems on Commercial Vehicles

It's time to perform regular maintenance on your big rig. If you can't remember the last time you checked on your brake system, now's the time to pump the brakes on what you are doing and inspect them. If you need parts, check out our catalog of air brake parts and hydraulic brake parts for all types of heavy-duty makes and models.

"Poorly maintained brake systems can reduce the braking capacity and stopping distance of large trucks and motorcoaches, which poses a serious risk to driver and public safety," said CVSA President Capt. John Broers with the South Dakota Highway Patrol. "In those split-second emergency situations, the proper functionality of the brake systems on large commercial motor vehicles is crucial."