The Louisiana State Police (LSP) shared an informative video to give truckers a better idea of what inspectors will be looking for during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Brake Safety Week.
CVSA Brake Safety Week is taking place August 20 through 26 throughout the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. The area of special emphasis for Brake Safety Week 2023 is brake lining/pad violations.
In the video below, a LSP trooper gets underneath a truck to show you exactly he’s looking for when he performs an inspection.
Here’s what CVSA inspectors will be checking during Level I or Level V inspections during Brake Safety Week:
- Check for missing, non-functioning, loose or cracked parts.
- Check for contaminated, worn, cracked and missing linings or pads.
- Check for S-cam flipover.
- Listen for audible air leaks around brake components and lines.
- Check that slack adjusters are the same length (from center of S-cam to center of clevis pin) and the air chambers on each axle are the same size.
- Ensure the brake system maintains air pressure between 90-100 psi (620-690 kPa) and measure pushrod travel.
- Inspect for non-manufactured holes (e.g., rust holes, holes created by rubbing or friction, etc.) and broken springs in the spring brake housing section of the parking brake.
- Inspect required brake system warning devices, such as anti-lock braking system (ABS) malfunction lamp(s) and low air-pressure warning devices.
- Inspect the tractor protection system, including the bleedback system on the trailer.
- Ensure the breakaway system is operable on the trailer.
During Brake Safety Week 2022, 38,117 CMV inspections were conducted throughout North America. Of those inspected vehicles, 13.3% were placed out of service for brake-related critical vehicle inspection item violations.