The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual Brake Safety Week is coming up on August 25-31, 2024.
During this week-long enforcement campaign, inspectors across North America will conduct intensive brake system inspections on commercial vehicles. Every brake violation they find could place vehicles out of service until the issues are corrected.
Brake violations are consistently among the top reasons vehicles are placed out of service during roadside inspections. In last year’s International Roadcheck inspection blitz, brake system violations comprised about 25% of all vehicle out-of-service violations.
And during this year’s unannounced Brake Safety Day on April 30, more than 11% of inspected vehicles were placed out of service due to brake issues.
Preparing for the 2024 event
The 2024 Brake Safety Week will focus on brake lining/pad conditions. This may have something to do with the fact that during the April 30 Brake Safety Day, inspectors found 185 violations specifically related to brake linings and pads on vehicles inspected.
At Whip Around, our mobile app and cloud-based software make it easy to thoroughly document brake inspections and quickly identify potential issues before they lead to violations. As you prepare for this year’s Brake Safety Week crackdown, keep these five tips in mind:
- Conduct thorough brake inspections frequently. Consistent pre/post-trip inspections by drivers using a specialized app, plus regular brake system checks by technicians, are crucial.
- Carefully examine brake linings/pads. With easy-to-use mobile inspection forms, technicians can closely inspect for cracks, contamination, and other brake lining issues cited as top violations — then document them by snapping a photo.
- Document all brake system observations. Software tools like Whip Around provide an easy way to capture photos, notes, and inspection details on brake components like drums/rotors, slack adjusters, air lines, and more.
- Track brake maintenance/repairs. Make sure all of your inspection data is tracked and stored securely so you can monitor when brake parts were last replaced and prioritize maintenance before downtime-causing issues arise.
- Streamline the inspection process. Whip Around eliminates paper forms so inspections are faster, reports are standardized across locations, and fleets have full visibility into maintenance.
By leveraging Whip Around’s mobile inspection platform, fleets can improve their brake maintenance programs, catch potential violations sooner, and increase their chances of passing inspections during Brake Safety Week 2024 (and year-round).
Learn more about optimizing your inspections and maintenance with Whip Around.
