An Unannounced Brake Safety Day by the CVSA Led to OOS Orders

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) conducted an unannounced on 19 July 2021. Nearly 90 percent of the trucks inspected received an overall satisfactory rating. That’s up nearly four percent over the last inspection in 2019.

The 1,151 trucks removed from US highways temporarily due to an unpublished CVSA inspection, out of the 10,091 inspected, amounted to 13.3 percent of the US CMVs with out-of-service (OOS) orders. Mexico had 487, and Canada 946 CMVs received an OOS order.

Maintaining the Brakes on Your CMV to Avoid a CVSA OOS Order

Although many fleets use fleet mechanics, some use a fleet repair service. Owner operators can benefit from using a fleet repair service as well. Though it may seem cheaper to DIY, the time you spend could be better spent with family.

However, if you look in the CA Commercial Driver Handbook for 2019-2021, Section 5 goes over most of what you need to know about servicing your brakes so that they will pass a CVSA inspection and work as they should. These are also things you’ll need to know to pass the inspection portion of the hands-on CDL test. Also, check YouTube for videos like this one, Basic CDL Air Brake Components by Dr. Rick August. If you need to see it to understand it as many do.

Another excellent video is DIY Air Brake Adjustment and Inspection. Don’t get put out of service by the DOT, uploaded by Koon Trucking, but you can find plenty more to help you avoid an OOS order in your CMV by the CVSA.

Before you can drive a CMV on your own with a CDL, you will need to take a hands-on inspection test. Section 11 goes over the Vehicle Inspection Test and includes a Memory Aid to assist with that test at 11-12. You must maintain a completed daily/driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR) as part of your logbook when you're on the road. Most safety-related items that you found not working must be fixed or signed off as “serviceable” or working by the fleet mechanic.

Of course, no matter how well you prepare for your road trip, things will go wrong along the way, and like it’s fate or something, that will happen right before you get pulled into the weigh station on the Donner Pass on I-80 near Truckee, CA, or “chicken coop” as some truck drivers are fond of calling it. Contact a CA traffic attorney to challenge that alleged violation when you get a traffic ticket or roadside violation due to a CVSA inspection.

CA Traffic Attorneys Who Can Help You Resolve Traffic Tickets in Truckee, CA

When you have a traffic ticket either on I-80 or another CA freeway, call Bigger & Harman, (661) 349-9300. Se habla Español (661) 349-9755.

We are here to assist CDL holders with traffic tickets or violations gathered at roadside inspections. We offer a free initial consultation to CMV drivers with CA traffic tickets and those who need representation at a DMV NOTS hearing.

Get your copy of The Daily Driver flipbook online from Bigger & Harman, APC.

Email: attorney@biggerharmanlaw.com.

References:

The 2019-2021 CA Commercial Driver Handbook.pdf