Brake Safety Day Sidelines Over 1,100 Trucks

Brake Safety Day 2021 Violations

While some heavy-duty truck drivers may not have noticed that there was a one-day brake inspection blitz this past May, 1,151 vehicles learned about Brake Safety Day the hard way – by being put out of service.

Commercial vehicle inspectors across the U.S. inspected 8,658 vehicles during the event on May 26^th and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) President said in a previous statement, "We are sharing the results to call attention to the importance of commercial motor vehicle brake safety."

Although the U.S. saw a lot of vehicles put out of service for brake-related violations, Canada and Mexico conducted inspections of their own, and the rate of brake-related out of service vehicles for all North America was 12.6%. For the U.S. alone it was 13.3% while Canada had 11.4% and Mexico had 2.9%.

Summer Brake Maintenance

Brake/hoses and tubing were the main focus of this year's Brake Safety Day, and inspectors noted a total of 1,725 violations across all of North America, according to the CVSA. Although Brake Safety Day is an unannounced event, there is still time to get ahead of Brake Safety Week, which is scheduled for August 22-28^th this year.

It's no secret that extreme temperatures cause your truck's brake components to wear down, but here are a few things that fleet owners and operators should keep top of mind during the rest of the summer:

• Replace your brake pads. Don't wait til there's nothing left to stop the vehicle. Stay ahead of brake pad wear to ensure your vehicle can safely come to a full stop and also to prevent damage to the rotors.
• Don't ignore squealing or vibration from the brakes. No matter how low-priority these sounds or feelings might seem, the best offense is a good defense, as the saying goes. Catch signs of brake wear early and save yourself unexpected cost, labor, downtime, and inspection violations later.

Other Truck Parts to Consider This Summer

There's a lot of focus on brakes right now, but that doesn't mean your vehicle's other systems should be ignored. Spending long hours driving in the heat and between different climates is tough on your truck. Even if it doesn't seem like anything's wrong, it's a good idea to give these parts your full attention this time of year:

• Tires. Extreme temperatures can damage tires and even cause them to completely blow out.
• Oil/Oil Filter. When it's hot out, oil breakdown can accelerate. This makes it less effective at doing its job of lubricating your engine's moving parts .
• Engine Cooling System. One of the most common causes of breakdown during the summer is an engine that's overheated.
• HVAC . This one's a given, but whatever you can do to not have the AC go out on you in the middle of a trip is worth it!
• Battery . Hot temps can also cause truck batteries to corrode more quickly and weaken the voltage.
• Hose/Belts. It's always a good idea to prevent leaks and other issues by inspecting for cracks, punctures, and other damage.
• Cleanliness – inside and out. This not only keeps drivers safe and healthy, but it can improve your vehicle's aerodynamics to get that excess dirt and debris off. Additionally, metal joints, panels, and shafts can degrade from road chemicals if they're rarely cleaned.

Replacement Truck Brakes

Whether you know you're in the market for new truck brake parts or if this blog is making you wonder if you should stock up on brake pads just in case, our full haul of heavy-duty everything includes brake components from some of the top names in the industry including Haldex, Bendix, Meritor, and more!

Don't let CVSA violations be your motivator to stay on top of the vital systems in your truck; with our powerful e-commerce website, you can get the parts you need where you need them with easy ordering and fast shipping.

CREATE AN ACCOUNT