The brake system is an important safety component of a vehicle. It’s a crucial aspect that you should never take for granted. If your brakes fail, you can meet an accident, and brake failure constitutes 5.9% of car crashes in the US or about 300,000 instances.
While driving your truck, brakes act as a first line of defense. They may be complex, but maintaining them can be simple. As you run your trucking business or operate a private truck, consider the importance of a brake maintenance schedule.
The components of the brake system are working together to ensure a driver a safe ride. In your maintenance schedule, make sure that each part is inspected to employ necessary repairs. Here are the main parts to maintain:
Take note of these safety tips that will help you keep safe while on the roads:
Loading the truck with more than its capacity can seriously affect the brake system. Constantly overloading your vehicle can affect the performance of the brake pads and rotary wheel disk. It will also be hard for you to slow down or control the truck.
To maintain healthy brakes, always follow the speed limit. When you don’t drive too fast, you can avoid using your brakes frequently and abruptly.
If the boiling point of the brake fluid lowers, there is an effect on the braking performance. It is due to the water attracted by the brake fluid itself. Because of this, some parts inside can cause corrosion.
Therefore, your truck should flush brake fluids in regular intervals. Consider the type and model of your vehicle to determine when is the best time for flushing.
You can practice coasting to minimize your use of brakes. Coasting means that your truck will naturally slow down as you take off your foot from the gas. This will also avoid your brake from wearing, specifically the brake rotors and pads.
This is different from brake flushing in the sense that it involves the removal of air pockets from your brake system. Regular intervals for removal might depend on the condition of the parts involved. You can either do this when you notice that the brake pedal is spongy.
Your brake may have high quality but after extensive use, some parts need to be replaced. Some parts may already be worn-out and cannot work as intended. The performance can seriously be affected when some parts are too old.
Pre-trip inspections are vital in making sure that trucks have no issues before departure and minimize the possibility of accidents. The process may take only a few minutes to ensure that all parts are thoroughly inspected. Whether you are running a trucking business or operating a privately-owned truck, pre-trip inspection is a much-needed procedure.
To conduct a pre-trip inspection, take note of the parts that you need to check. You can prepare a list of these parts and then mark them on the paper one by one after checking. Here are the parts that you must thoroughly inspect:
You have to check if there’s any sort of leaks and see if every component isn’t broken. All components must be properly mounted and secured. Include these things when inspecting under the hood:
The inside part of the truck is also included in the inspection. It has to be clean and organized. Remember these things as you inspect the truck:
Don’t forget the back of the truck. There are a few more to check there.
As soon as you discover problems, apply necessary repairs. After fixing every issue, you can leave the hood open and start your engine. There should be no unusual noises. After confirming that all components work perfectly, the truck driver is good to go.
Here at Assured Standard, we want you and your trucks to stay as safe as possible. Learn more about trucks and commercial truck insurance by exploring the rest of our site today!
William Parker is a program administrator. He is very attentive to detail and has strong organizational skills. He studied Business Administration at Marymount California University.
