Bendix hosts Stopping Distance Seminar

Bendix experts will discuss the federally mandated reduced stopping distances for commercial vehicles, as well as the braking solutions designed to meet the new standards, at the 2013 Great Lakes Truck Expo in Cleveland, Ohio. Presented by Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, the session will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, the second day of the two-day event at the Cleveland Convention Center.

Gary Ganaway, director of marketing and global customer solutions at Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC (BSFB), and Frank Gilboy, product manager at BSFB, will lead the one-hour seminar. BSFB is a joint venture of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC and Dana Commercial Vehicle Products, LLC.

The Great Lakes Truck Expo is Northeast Ohio’s premier truck show, drawing major truck, engine, trailer, body, and component manufacturers, as well as product and service suppliers. This year’s show will feature added focus on natural gas-powered vehicles and vocational trucks for refuse, cement mixing, and snow/ice applications.

Bendix’s presentation will review the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Reduced Stopping Distance (RSD) mandate, which took effect in August 2011 for new three-axle tractors with Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings (GVWRs) up to 59,600 lbs. Phase two of the mandate, aimed at tractors with two axles, as well as severe service tractors with GVWRs above 59,600 lbs., took effect Aug. 1, 2013.

In addition to explaining the new regulation, the seminar will offer an in-depth look at advancements in brake technology and important considerations for servicing the new designs to maintain performance and safety.

“Fleets and drivers face a mountain of information – and often misinformation – about braking systems, maintenance, and equipment compliance under RSD,” said Ganaway, who co-authored a newly updated Bendix white paper on the impact of the mandate. “With today’s high performance brakes engineered to meet and exceed the stringent new standards, factors such as proper upkeep and the right replacement friction are more important than ever to safe and effective operation.”

In addition to offering training and educational programs and seminars at trade shows, conferences, and industry associations, Bendix keeps fleets, drivers, and technicians in the know through its Brake Training School and its comprehensive on-line brake school at www.brake-school.com. As the leader in the development and manufacture of leading-edge active safety and braking system technologies, Bendix has, for more than 50 years, also been a trailblazer in commercial vehicle training programs and technical education.