Equipment
Stop and Think: Strategies to avoid brake violations
Despite steady enforcement initiatives such as Brake Safety Day, a part of the CVSA’s Operation Airbrake Program, brake-related defects continue to be a leading cause of out-of-service violations. But fleet maintenance departments have a direct impact on a fleet’s violation rate, since routine maintenance can prevent many of the defects found at roadside.
Want to spot brake defects? ‘Bend at the waist’
Brakes are a focus of roadside enforcement officers every day of the year, but the focus will intensify later this month during Brake Safety Week. Scheduled for Sept. 16-22, the week coordinated by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) combines education initiatives and inspections alike, depending on the jurisdiction. It has traditionally allowed enforcement teams to shine a light on a variety of systems and issues.
Break Down the Breakdowns: Controlling on-road maintenance
TORONTO, Ont. -- Mike Gomes, the vice-president of maintenance for Bison Transport, summarizes his fleet’s on-road repair process in six simple words: “Truck broke. Fix truck. Send money.” It’s a joke, of course, but there’s still a ring of truth to it. Each step in the process – especially as it relates to controlling costs – makes a roadside breakdown much more difficult to manage than work in your own shop.
