It’s Brake Safety Week in North America, which means two things. The first is that enforcement officials will be conducting roadside inspections from September 15th to the 21st, making sure that vehicles are not driving with critical brake violations. The second is a perfect reminder to make sure that the trucks in your fleet aren’t neglecting proper brake care.

According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), brake-system violations and out-of-adjustment brakes accounted for 45% of all out-of-service vehicle violations issued during 2018’s International Roadcheck campaign. Brakes are invaluable for safe, dependable day-to-day operations. For example, Roma Fuels offers a wheel-to-wheel refueling service, which can often rely heavily on the ability to navigate our trucks precisely and carefully. We take special care to make sure that our brakes are always dependable, allowing us to provide unparalleled and dependable service to our clients. This confidence in service only comes from rigorous and frequent inspection of our equipment.

How to Tell if Your Brakes Need Maintenance

Most people will be able to tell if there’s an issue with their brakes just by driving regularly. If a vehicle tends to pull to one side while the brakes are applied, that could suggest that one of the brake pad linings is wearing down faster than its counterpart. It could also hint at an issue with something stuck in the brake fluid.

If it takes more pressure and effort to get the vehicle to brake, there could be a fluid or air leak. Unusual vibrations can be indicative of several issues and may need a mechanic’s assessment to properly address. Finally, if your brakes sound or smell bad – that is, if screeching and grinding or a burnt smell occur when driving – this could be a sign that immediate action is required.

Basic Preventative Brake Maintenance

Brakes will wear differently depending on the weight of the loads they carry, the frequency they’re driven, and the temperatures they reach during use. Individual companies will no doubt have their own maintenance schedules that they follow, but it should, at the bare minimum, be no less than once a year. If there is not yet a finalized schedule and standard for regulations or inspections, refer to the safety manuals provided by the Ministry of Transportation.

When inspecting your brakes, consider the following questions:

Benefits of Brake Maintenance

It’s easy to get caught up in the humdrum of a daily check and forget the importance of the task at hand. There are many benefits to regular brake maintenance, not the least of which is the safety of the driver, other passengers on the road, and the cargo. However, you may also discover an unexpected boon to your finances. It’s much cheaper to maintain your existing brake system than to purchase a brand new one. Caring for your brakes will also help them last longer, which will in turn ensure that your vehicle remains road-worthy for a greater period. Finally, proper brake maintenance will help guarantee that no time is lost while on the job. There are few faster ways to a wasted afternoon than the smell of burning and a high-pitched screech, which can leave one of your fleet stranded on the side of the road, waiting for expensive repairs while your schedule slips farther and farther behind.

With regular consideration and attention, your brakes will propel your vehicles reliably through whatever work lies ahead. Maintain your citrate 50mg equipment and let Roma Fuel take care of supplying the fuel they’ll need to run. We offer several options for fuel delivery and refueling, such as generator tanks, the convenient and portable Transcube, or wheel-to-wheel refueling services when time is of the essence. We’re proud to serve the Golden Horseshoe area of Ontario, and our fleet is specially designed to fill your equipment directly.

Call us either at our local number (1-416-656-4189) or toll-free (1-877-656-4189) or contact us directly for more information on our on-site delivery, available fuel options, and wheel-to-wheel refueling services.