dot violation

It means your brake shoe didn’t contact the drum on your rear axle when you applied the tractor foot brake. Yes it is serious, two brakes out of adjustment and you are put out of service. The way you check it is applying 90 psi of brake pressure then measuring the amount of stroke movement. If you see a gap, it’s way out. Here’s a video that shows a little more in depth.

See that gap? It shouldn’t be there. Yes it will be on your psp score.

 

It's serious.

IF you crawl under there with chocked drive wheels and in gear engine off parking brakes set... and see 10 of them not making contact with drum you know that the next time you go downhill in your Life, it's the last time you ever will do it.

Now you will do those easy pretrips eh? All you have to do is look. The brakes and wheel knows....

 

1. Stop worrying about CSA! Yes this is serious and should be addressed and fixed then steps taken to NEVER allow to happen again! Because if you continue to run a truck in ths way CSA will start to be something you will be VERY worried about!
2." is this something that i could check for prevention as a driver ?" hmmm YES it is. As a professional Truck driver you should check your brakes for proper settings. If you don't know how I HIGHLY recommend you find out how!

 

You can look on YouTube there are videos showing how you check the brake Rod travel.

But also what you need to keep in mind as most of the trucks nowadays have automatic slack adjusters.

So at least once a week and most definitely before you get inspected, you need to make sure you have over 90 PSI pressure and while you are sitting still push hard on the brake pedal like you're trying to stop as fast as possible.. Sometimes while you are driving you don't apply the brakes hard enough for them to click to the next adjustment.

And whoever is working on that truck or trailer needs to keep them greased and check to make sure that they're adjusting and not stuck. They can get stuck and not adjust anymore.

 

Automatic slack adjusters. Invention of the devil trucker stamping about his cab angry at the DOT man coming on his Judgement day sitting in a rig full of sins fixing to write on after a little look and walk around.

(Mash the service brake pedal 8 times before DOT man walks all the way to the end spot you picked the farthest from the coop, follow me savvy?)

Makes me wonder what God would have to say when I show him my life... (Never mind...)

 

Looking is really easy. Now when you get to measuring.. that's something that needs something called MaF. (Math) hopefully you have had that. (//More TEASING...)

Seriously..

DOT violations is nothing more than a all expenses paid Pre-Trip issued by the State with the possibility of gaining even more money OUT of YOUR WALLET for the lessons behind the chicken coop.

Learning Pretrips should be so easy. Memorize the DOT violations stack with the regulations jewelry at the end of them)

Then take a look at your tractor trailer a few minutes. Maybe under it too if you are really particular about it. If you don't SEE anything matching that DOT violations list (Such a mind of a DOT man...) then you are good to go. Otherwise have Mr Wrench fixit.

 

THIS is the right attitude. Learn every chance you get.

 

In CDL schools they are supposed to teach you about proper brake adjustment and pre-trip inspections. You should also be tested on the basics of this prior to getting your CDL. It's a VERY crucial part of the inspection process because it can mean life or death in an emergency braking situation. I'm flabbergasted that you were not coached on this subject prior to being allowed to operate a CMV. Did you learn to drive truck at a CDL mill, or were you sleeping through the part where they teach about it???