Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, July 9, 2020:
CVSA sets annual Brake Safety Week for late August
Carriers will need to make sure all of their trucks’ brake systems are in order in late August, as enforcement officials will hold a week-long enforcement spree focused on all things brakes.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance announced Wednesday its annual Brake Safety Week will proceed as scheduled on Aug. 23-29. Inspectors will be looking for critical out-of-service brake violations, along with other OOS violations.
Checking brake system components is always part of the roadside inspection process; however, inspectors will be paying special attention to brake hoses and tubing during this year’s Brake Safety Week to highlight the importance of those components to vehicle mechanical fitness and safety.
CVSA says hoses and tubing must be properly attached, undamaged, without leaks and appropriately flexible.
During the 2019 International Roadcheck inspection blitz, brake system and adjustment violations accounted for 45.1% of all OOS violations. During last year’s Brake Safety Week, 13.5% of all trucks inspected had brake-related violations and were placed out of service.
In addition to CVSA’s Brake Safety Week, August is also Brake Safety Awareness Month. Along with inspections and enforcement, law enforcement agencies also engage in outreach and awareness efforts to educate drivers, motor carriers, mechanics, owner-operators and others on the importance of proper brake maintenance, operation and performance.
TCA opens Best Fleets nomination period
The Truckload Carriers Association is asking company truck drivers and owner-operators for submissions into the annual Best Fleets to Drive For contest.
The annual contest and survey evaluates and identifies carriers that provide exceptional workplace environments within the trucking industry. For the first time in its 13-year history, the nomination dates will be earlier than normal – July 6 through September 6, 2020 – as TCA’s annual convention will be held in January 2021. Nominations can be made here.
By nominating a fleet, a driver is recognizing the things about the company’s culture that he/she likes, such as outstanding compensation, safety practices, benefits, equipment, training and more. If the company accepts the nomination and agrees to participate, the survey then digs deeper into its policies and practices, bringing to light the things it does that are innovative and/or successful.
To be eligible, a fleet must operate 10 or more tractor-trailers in the U.S. or Canada. TCA membership is not required. Participants will answer questions about their current human resources practices, both electronically and through phone interviews with senior management and a random sampling of their drivers. The top 20 finishers will be identified as Best Fleets to Drive For. From this pool, companies will then be divided into both “small” and “large” categories, and two overall winners will be selected.
The Top 20 winners, and two overall winners from each respective category, will be recognized January 23-26, 2021, during Truckload 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee.
