Whether you’re going down the steepest grades on the Grapevine or driving through a school zone, there’s never a good time for a brake failure. So it’s understandable that compliance, safety, and accountability (CSA) violations involving proper brake maintenance are so severe. Violating air brake restrictions alone will get a driver assessed with 8 CSA points — 10 if the problems warrant an out-of- service (OOS) order. That’s the same level of penalty as a reckless driving charge. To prevent such disastrously bad assessments and protect your right to drive, it’s important to always follow through with thorough pre- and post-drive inspections. While assessing your brakes, make sure you aren’t buying into the following myths that are dangerously common in commercial driving circles. BRAKING MYTHS STOP THESE MISCONCEPTIONS IN THEIR TRACKS
HAVE A LAUGH
MYTH 1: NOT ALL PUSHRODS ARE MARKED.
PUZZLE
False: All truck brake manufacturers are required by law to use indicator markings. Checking for these built-in warning signs is your best bet to spot the need for an adjustment early and stay ahead of the inspectors.
MYTH 2: BRAKES CAN SLIP OUT OF ADJUSTMENT IN A SINGLE TRIP.
This excuse isn’t going to fly. An indicator visible enough to warrant a violation takes a significant amount of time. So long as you are doing regular inspections, there’s no reason to let this problem sneak up on you.
MYTH 3: ADJUSTMENTS CANNOT BE CHECKED WHILE BRAKES ARE HOT.
This falsehood has been around almost as long as we’ve had 18-wheelers, probably because it sounds believable. While it is true that stroke measurements are longer when the brake chamber diaphragms are hot, this does not affect pushrod indicators. Hot or cold, if an inspector can see those markings, you’re in trouble. The truth is that there’s no way around it; commercial drivers have to remain vigilant for brakes that need adjusting. Oversites happen, and that’s true of truckers and inspectors alike. If you need to correct a CSA score attributed to your DMV report, an experienced traffic attorney can help guide you through the hearing process. Our firm has assisted many drivers through this process.
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