Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Aug. 19, 2024:
Get ready: Brake Safety Week kicks off August 25
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's Brake Safety Week inspection event is set for Aug. 25-31, featuring a nationwide campaign aimed at both education and enforcement around brake inspection and maintenance procedures. Overdrive has a variety of resources to help in prep for the event, from this round-up of all of our brake-related and other maintenance coverage from the last years to an in-depth look at perhaps the biggest brake violation among the bunch -- brakes out of adjustment, which can put a truck out of service via the 20% rule, as detailed in this past edition of Overdrive Radio:
Care of Overdrive sister publication Trucks, Parts, Service, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems adds to that with tips for making sure your truck or trucks are up for the challenge.
"During last year's CVSA Brake Safety Week, nearly 13% of the 18,875 vehicles inspected -- a total of 2,375 -- were placed out of service for brake-related issues," said T.J. Thomas, Bendix director of marketing and customer solutions for controls. "So many violations are preventable through proper maintenance practices and regular equipment examination. You simply can't overstate the importance of keeping up with maintenance and examination of the wheel-ends and braking system."
Brake Safety Week is part of Operation Airbrake, an outreach and enforcement campaign that hopes to reduce the number of crashes caused by faulty brake systems on commercial motor vehicles. Throughout the week, roadside inspectors will conduct North American Standard Inspections. Inspectors will look for:
- Missing, nonfunctioning, loose or cracked parts.
- S-cam flip-over.
- Air leaks around brake components and lines.
- Slack adjusters not at the same length.
- Mismatched air chamber sizes across axles.
- Air pressure in the target range of 90-100 psi.
- Holes caused by rust and through rubbing and friction.
- Broken springs in the spring brake housing section of the parking brake.
- Proper pushrod travel.
- Warning device functionality.
- Proper operation of the tractor protection system, including the bleed-back system on the trailer.
- The breakway system being operable on the trailer.
[Related: Ways to avoid trouble at the scale house]
This year, Bendix says inspectors will focus on contaminated, worn, cracked and missing linings or pads.
"Any indication of something out of compliance can be a sign of potentially wider maintenance issues," said Thomas. "It's critical to take a holistic approach to upkeep when considering the complex interconnectivity of the entire brake system and more advanced safety technologies. One small sign of something out of compliance can be an indicator of more widespread maintenance issues."
Find further tips from Bendix on preparation, inspection and more via TPS.
[Related: Outrun inspectors with maintenance topics in Overdrive]
NACFE to focus on ‘messy middle’ in long-haul with next Run on Less event
The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) announced last week its fifth Run on Less event will take place this fall with a focus on the long-haul segment of the trucking industry.
This year’s event will combine the Run on Less series with NACFE’s work on the "messy middle" as it relates to the multifuel future of heavy-duty tractors, NACFE Executive Director Mike Roeth said.
Run on Less -- Messy Middle will feature on-highway fuel-mileage tests conducted in the real world environment and involving both trucks that return to base and those in over-the-road duty cycles. It will feature fleets deploying Class 8 day cab and sleeper trucks with a variety of alternative fuel powertrains and energy-efficient technologies.
Roeth said this next Run on Less test and demonstration will "explain the various decarbonization efforts, including alternative fueling options, and explore the impact of duty cycle on powertrain selection. Previous runs have focused on vehicles in local deliveries or regional haul.”
[Related: Trucking to EPA: Send CARB 'back to the drawing board' for its ZEV truck-purchase mandates]
Trucking Cares Foundation donates $25K to fight human trafficking
The Trucking Cares Foundation, the charitable arm of the American Trucking Associations, last week donated $25,000 to TAT, formerly known as Truckers Against Trafficking.
“The depravity of human trafficking is unfathomable. By partnering with law enforcement, motor carriers and truck drivers can vastly expand the reach of rescue efforts, bringing eyes and ears to every corner of the country,” said American Trucking Associations Senior Vice President of Federation Relations John Lynch. “The training that TAT provides harnesses truck drivers’ innate sense of compassion and routine vigilance to help them spot victims along their routes over the nation’s highways. This partnership has saved countless victims from exploitation. The Trucking Cares Foundation is proud to support TAT’s lifesaving mission through this donation.”
TAT is a nonprofit organization that educates, equips, empowers, and mobilizes members of the transportation industry to combat human trafficking. TAT also partners with law enforcement and government agencies to facilitate the investigation of human trafficking in order to aid in the rescue of victims and arrest of perpetrators.
To date, 1,824,807 transportation and law enforcement professionals have received TAT training.
“We are incredibly grateful for partners like the Trucking Cares Foundation, who championed this work early on and has faithfully grown in engagement and action over the years,” said TAT Executive Director Esther Goetsch. “Thanks to their faithful support, TAT can continue developing new training resources, assist companies in implementing more effective anti-trafficking initiatives, and, most importantly, reach more critical front-line workers with this life-saving information.”
[Related: Truckers' anti-trafficking efforts as eyes, ears making a difference, leading to major arrests]
