{"id":4763,"date":"2020-03-23T16:29:21","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T15:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=4763"},"modified":"2020-03-23T16:29:21","modified_gmt":"2020-03-23T15:29:21","slug":"avoiding-brake-related-out-of-service-incidents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2020\/03\/23\/avoiding-brake-related-out-of-service-incidents\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoiding Brake-Related Out-of-Service Incidents"},"content":{"rendered":"

Because most fleets conduct robust brake maintenance, brake issues are more likely to be discovered by a roadside inspector than at any other time, resulting in totally inconvenient, largely unnecessary, expensive service delays. But if brake maintenance processes are solid, why are so many trucks being sidelined by inspectors?<\/span><\/p>\n

Inspection statistics show brake systems consistently are the biggest culprit for out-of-service declarations at roadside inspections. 2019\u2019s annual Roadcheck week by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, although focused on steering systems, was no exception, with more than 28% of reported out-of-service events related to brake systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

Any out-of-service declaration is not only inconvenient, but also has the added downside of impacting CSA scores. And given the attention on driver hours of service under new electronic logging device rules, downtime due to a roadside inspection includes the penalties of delaying service to a customer and complicating hours-of-service \u2014 all over a largely preventable occurrence.<\/span><\/p>\n

So how can a fleet, especially one with trucks operating across a wide geographic territory, prevent or reduce the possibility of its trucks being sidelined by a roadside inspection event?<\/span><\/p>\n

Review Your PM Process<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n

The first step is to ensure that a fleet\u2019s first line of defense, preventive maintenance, fully embraces the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration\u2019s Rule 396.17 on braking performance. A good summary starting point is a review of CVSA\u2019s Level I Inspection checklist. Using the 11 items related to braking systems, fleets can compare that to their own PM checklist.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both the CVSA and the Technology & Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations offer excellent resource material providing inspection and maintenance detail on each braking system component.<\/span><\/p>\n

One common misconception involves automatic slack adjusters, also called automatic brake adjusters. Just because they\u2019re automatic doesn\u2019t mean they are maintenance-free. In addition to requiring periodic lubrication at each PM, they can lose their adjustment criteria for mechanical reasons.<\/span><\/p>\n

Manually adjusting an automatic slack adjuster is never recommended, as doing so masks the underlying problem and may give the driver a false sense of security. The National Transportation and Safety Board has very strongly worded language against manually adjusting an automatic slack adjuster.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, within their PM process, fleets should always include an operational check of slack adjuster travel, regardless of slack adjuster type, and repair\/replace adjusters that fail to conform operationally. In the case of automatic slack adjusters, when they do not operate properly, it\u2019s very likely the cause lies beyond the adjuster itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Routine PM processes for a fleet should include these elements:<\/span><\/p>\n