Brake Safety Week Begins Sunday 9/15/2019

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Brake Safety Week is scheduled for mid-September. Between Sunday, September 15 through Saturday, September 21, CVSA officials will conduct roadside safety inspections on commercial vehicles throughout North America. Any Commercial vehicles with critical brake violations, or other inspection violations will be restricted from traveling until violations are corrected. Vehicles that pass inspection will be awarded a CVSA decal for display.

The focus for this year’s Brake Safety Week will be on brake hoses and tubing. Brake hoses and tubing are essential components of the brake system. These parts must be properly attached, undamaged, without leaks and have appropriate flexibility. Officials will be using performance-based brake testers (PBBT) to measure vehicle brake efficiency. CVSA reported out-of-adjustment brakes and brake systems violations represented 45% of all out of service vehicles issues during last year’s road check.

What does this mean for shippers?

• Roads will become safer as non-compliant vehicles are identified and serviced.
• Capacity could tighten during the road check.
  • While drivers are being inspected they are considered “on duty”, reducing the available hours of service.
  • A significant number of trucks are expected to be placed out of service for brake violations thus lowering the number of available trucks.
• Consideration may have to be given for any additional costs incurred by shippers and receivers as a direct result of transit delays causing overtime pay, lost production and lost revenues.

Keeping Everyone Safe

Cumulatively, these road safety campaigns are to help ensure the safety of truck drivers and passenger car drivers while also helping vehicles deliver their cargo safely and securely.

“These periodic inspections go a long way in helping to make our roads safer,” says Joanne Marquis, Sr. Director of SHE&S (Safety Health Environment & Security) at Odyssey Logistics, “and to reduce the number of accidents and preventable incidents that take place on our highways.”

Odyssey Logistics is committed to developing a safe work environment and logistics network for its employees and customers, and will continue to bring you the latest updates and results of these safety checks.