TORONTO, Ont. — Commercial vehicle inspectors will be out in full force throughout North America starting today and running through June 7.

It’s the annual 72-hour Roadcheck inspection blitz, conducted by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) throughout North America.

About 10,000 CVSA-certified inspectors at 1,500 locations will perform about 14 truck and bus inspections every minute over the next 72 hours.

Bendix has provided a couple last minute tips to help truck fleets and owner/operators stay out of trouble during Roadcheck and throughout the year. The company says to focus on scheduled maintenance and also to conduct a thorough pre-trip inspection. Brakes, Bendix notes, remain the top deficiency and cause of out-of-service penalties during roadside inspections.

“Brakes should receive careful attention during these inspections. Brake-related violations make up more than half of the out-of-service violations cited during Roadcheck,” said Gary Ganaway, director of marketing and global customer solutions for Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake (BSFB). “For foundation drum brakes, fleets should follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding adjustment of slack adjusters during maintenance. Each manufacturer takes a different approach, so adjustments will differ. Also check for lining wear. Most air disc brakes are sealed for life and require less maintenance, so the primary concern with them is pad wear.”

Bendix also suggests sticking with OEM-approved replacement parts to reduce the risk of being placed out of service.

“Deviating from original equipment very often introduces problems,” Ganaway said. “For example, during brake relines, we encourage the continued use of lining specified to meet the OE requirements. Today’s higher performing drum brakes – designed to meet the federal reduced stopping distance requirements – use new, higher technology friction material. Incorrect or inferior replacement friction material will likely reduce performance, wear out faster, and create a safety hazard. The same is true for the other components on a vehicle as well.”