We’re in the midst of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Brake Safety Week. It started on August 24 and runs through August 30. During this week, law enforcement personnel in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico are conducting truck safety inspections. They’ll be doing their typical inspections but also paying special attention to brake systems and components. More specifically, this year they are focusing on brake drums and rotors.
Brake Safety Week is an annual event that the industry is alerted about well in advance. Yet during 2024’s Brake Safety Week, 16,725 trucks were inspected and 12.8%—2,149—were taken out of service for brake-related violations.
In the past, I’ve talked about how I think there is more that fleets can be doing to bring the percentage of out-of-service violations down, especially during these announced safety blitzes. We get plenty of notice about them, which should allow us plenty of time to get our trucks into the shop and inspected to ferret out any developing problems. And yet every year, there are still trucks that get taken out of service during these inspection blitzes.
I am sure some people would argue that 12.8% is not a bad percentage. I beg to differ, especially because we know about these inspections. During unannounced, surprise safety blitzes, the percentage of vehicles taken out of service can be even higher, but when we have fair warning that a targeted inspection is going to take place, we have time to prepare and ensure that we are actively addressing the area being focused on.
See also: An evolving safety program has proven the strength of this fleet’s safety culture
If your fleet is experiencing regular out-of-service violations during safety inspections, maybe you need to overhaul your vehicle inspection process. I suggest starting with reviewing your pre- and post-trip inspections.
Are your drivers aware of how much importance you place on those inspections? If not, you need to educate them about the fact that you rely on their pre- and post-trip inspections as your first line of defense in spotting developing problems.
Work with drivers and technicians to make sure both groups understand the value of the driver-vehicle inspection report (DVIR). The better job the driver can do describing and explaining the issue they found, the easier it will be for the technician to troubleshoot. And technicians need to make sure they listen to drivers and pay attention to issues raised in the DVIRs in order to fix problems before the truck goes back on the road.
When it comes to safety-related items on your vehicles—or anywhere in your operation—attention to detail demonstrates your commitment to safety as a core company value. And, as I have said before, for a fleet to truly have a safety culture, the top levels of management need to embrace all aspects of safety and ensure that the safety message is heard and heeded throughout the organization.
Not being taken out of service during Brake Safety Week is a goal we should all aspire to. We need to begin making plans now for avoiding brake-related citations today and tomorrow. Consider talking to your drivers and technicians to get their input on how you can make the inspection process more rigorous and to get their suggestions on reducing out-of-service violations all year long.
