The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Brake Safety Week occurs every year during September. The safety inspection blitz, dubbed Operation Air Brake, is focused mainly on detailed brake inspections. This year 20,067 trucks were inspected. Of those, 2,714 vehicles (13.5%) were placed out of service. With nearly 1 in 7 trucks with inadequate or poorly maintained brakes, 13.5% is the lowest out-of-service rating in the history of Operation Air Brake.
Last year 15.3% were placed out of service, with Virginia leading the charge with a 30% out of service rate. These numbers don’t include vehicles being placed out of service for any reason other than improperly maintained brakes.
In an interview with Fleetowner, the CVSA’s director of vehicle programs, William Schaefer said that they’ve been paying special attention to carriers with high CSA scores. “Such carriers are being targeted more yet brake violations keep going down; it’s a promising trend,” he said.
Despite the “promising trend,” Schaefer still noted that overall out-of-service rates are still unacceptably high at 20%. This means that for every five trucks that are inspected, one is an imminent hazard to public safety.
“That’s not so good and it still means we’ve got work to do in terms of enforcement, education, and regulatory understanding,” he explained.
Next Story: Head of FMCSA Rides Along In Truck For Two Days
Source: overdrive, fleetowner
Ray says
Wow, I had no idea the problem was so bad. 1 in 5 trucks has bad brakes? That’s incredible.
Andrew H says
I sometimes wonder if the inspectors are also getting seriously nitpicky too.
What driver has the time to spend 45 Minutes inspecting each brake with a caliper and index card, measuring the pound per square inch of the return springs, angle of the slack adjusters, and all that stuff? Most check for acceptable spacing, slack, padding, and do the air pressure check, and ensure the rest of the system isn’t bent, broken or damaged and that its properly mounted and secured and not leaking.
ConcernedCitizen says
I suspect the inspectors are taking trucks out of service over the slightest issue. Helps inflate the numbers and makes them look good. I bet most of the trucks taken out of service were a lot safer than most cars on the road. I know people riding around in cars with brakes to the metal and worn out shocks and tires. The police wont stop them or take their car “out of service”. That car in the wrong place at the wrong time could slam into the front tire of a truck and send it over into oncoming traffic. Even then the trucker would probably get blamed.
ironage says
I had a North Carolina DOT cop put me out of service for an air leak on a tire that was so small you could barely see it with the human eye. They find them by spraying soap on the tire and then looking for even the tiniest air bubble. The bad part is…..they are not abiding by their own laws. The law says the air leak must be audible to be placed out of service, and it certainly wasn’t!
When the tire service truck showed up….the driver looked at the “leak” and then looked at the DOT cop and said “You can’t be ####### serious”! He then took a picture of it and said he would be sending it to the Regional Commander of the State Police.
It’s all about revenue, folks. Safety has nothing to do with it. Never has, never will.
CGL says
That’s not what it says, Ray! Only 13.5% were OOS for brakes, the other 6.5% put OOS for other violations
John says
Brakes cost money just like any repair. Want to improve safety, improve rates .
Everything revolves around rates , equipment cost, wages, safety, and turn over.
You now have the cost of older trucks having to retro fit for emissions. This is not
Trucking companies are fundamentally unsafe .
Just that I think everyone is not fixing what’s not broke.
BrokenArrow says
This means that for every five trucks that are inspected, one is an imminent hazard to public safety.
BS BS BS.. I love the spin that the government puts on everything. I have been put OOS for having a nail in a tire. How is that an “IMMINENT” hazard to the public. Its reports like this that cause John Q Public to treat us with such disdain. And therefore gives FMCSA one more reason to regulate us into oblivion. I would love to challenge the public to an inspection run off. I dare DOT to pull over and inspect an equal number of NON CMV units and give some real eye opening information to the public.
Gordon A says
We have to consider too that not all inspectors are truly qualified or properly trained.
Many hedge on the side of error ( out of adjustment) just to look good as their name is on the OOS citation. I have seen that happen far too many times over the years..
It never ceases to amazes me why more company drivers will not demand better maintenance from their employer. If you even suspect your brakes are not quite right demand they be checked out by a qualified tech. Or your headlights are out of adjustment, Sloppy play in the steering wheel.
Every one around you demands you and your equipment be safe. Even newer trailers and tractors have defects.
To me ,if a driver shows some initiative and does a better job of keeping his or her company truck up to snuff, the company will eventually see that and the rewards may just begin to show up . It starts with a get out of the truck and do at least a walk around. kick the tires, check the lights. Pay attention to how the truck behaves going down the road. Even the little things grow to big expensive repairs later down the road. Just because it is not yours does not mean you don’t pay for repairs or fuel for excess idling. The more it cost the company, the less likely you are to get a decent raise.
tgtrotter says
Just because you’re placed OOS does not make you an imminent hazard. It’s my job to speak up whether it be to boss, dispatch, police or another driver. Every single time I kept my mouth shut I later regretted it. When I am wrong I don’t regret but listen.
ALWAYS point out faulty equipment. Never drive unsafe equipment or conditions. QUESTION every citation or negative inspection. You should demand and know exactly why you are being cited.
An example is I was OOS for loose pitman arm. Not true and officer said it was subject to his discretion. Same incident was told trailer supply line had pinhole leak. Again officer used soapy water and recently I learned air leaks are all subject to a 3 minute/ +4 lb. leakdown loss. I did not prevail at the shyster scale or with Data Q. However I learned a little more and am ready for the next sneaky-pete nitpicking government servant who God confronts me with.
Safe happy trips for all you Drivers
JJ says
The whole thing is, know the regulations..
Big Yellower says
The thing you guys got to remember if you look at law governing brakes maintenance .
It’s against the federal law for us drivers to touch or adjust brakes. You have to be trained by a
Federally trained instructor who is qualified to train drivers on brakes adjustment .. Unlike our counterparts to the north (Canada) they are trained in Class 1 school on proper brake adjustment.
They can’t get their CDL until they pass the hands on test. Also if drivers would use their Jake brakes more they wouldn’t have a brake issues.. I use mine all the time in the city , interstate, rural hiways. Most Cities and law enforcement mostly don’t care if you use your jake brake as long as it has a
Muffler..
todd says
taken out of service by a va state police..reason being inoperable brake…trooper lead me to shop where mechanic inspected and found no problem…put back in service..nice enough fellow..pulled me as a clearance light at top front of trailer wasnt working…..when he came up behind me i was on cruise control, 2 miles under the speed limit..he didnt pay a minutes attention to the cars passing me at that very moment exceeding the speed limit by no less than 10 and closer to 15 mph, as he was pulling me over !!!!..inspected again in ga, no problems…very nice fellow..waved to the side of the road for no reason….same thing happens in sc..then …once again in ga..an hour and a half of looking for something to write me up on i get taken out of service on a non working turn signal bulb on my trailer….no matter there were three other working signals on that same side of the truck…in the course of 7 weeks i get inspected 4 times, 2 level 1’s…this, after driving for 16 years without ever even being inspected…spend an average of 1-1 1/2 hours sitting at each one…overkill…yes…number inflation, probably…harrassment ? very questionable…pull me because im in a truck and probably out of inspection ?….really….their time would be much better spent riding in a truck watching the cars that pass, way too fast, while their drivers are drinking/smoking dope/texting/reading magazines/looking at their laptop/having sex/etc/etc