84 OOS Brake System Violations

CVSA Brake Safety week is coming Sept 16-22 2018.  Nationwide, Officers will be conducting full Level 1 DOT inspections on Commercial Vehicles focusing on brake system violations.  While the general violations are found in the green " DOT " book , the violations that can shut you down are in the North American Standard Out of Service Criteria book.  This book ( comes out every April at CVSA.org) is what officers in all 50 state sand Canada will use in determining if a violation is an OOS. 

  At 12  1/2 pages, it is the longest section on any one area.  Whether air , hydraulic, electric or disc , its all here.  There are a grand total of 84 out of service violations listed. Everything from adjustment, leaks, linings, drums, missing/worn parts, air lines, compressor , low air warning and air gauges.   Some violations only require one instance to be an OOS ( non-manufactured hole in a spring brake chamber).  Others require a percentage of defective brakes ( 20%) while others like lining cracks must meet a minimum length or width. Steering axle violations are tougher than non-steering.

  As a former roadside DOT Officer, I have been dealing with this since the 1990's.  I inspected MANY trucks and found/wrote up and placed many trucks out of service for brake system violations.  I now am retired from that and help companies avoid such issues through both education of drivers and mechanics as well as writing up a Data Q challenge when the officers claim does not meet the Federal Standard.  To date, I have filed 18 challenges and won 13.

  Besides being a DOT Officer for may years, I was also a Cargo Tank/ Haz-Mat inspector, Weighmaster. I now have my Class A CDL and am a 3rd party  CDL Driver Examiner for the DMV.  I conduct Commercial Vehicle Safety Training for all kinds of companies using my background as an officer and now being involved in private industry.  I am based in the Central Pennsylvania area but have been to various states over the past 7 years with a 1 1/2 day seminar coming up Sept 5/6 in Fresno California.  www.acofas.com 

  If I can help you company in the confusing and exception riddled area of DOT transportation regulations, contact me.  I have stayed right in the middle of the regulations and rules which for DOT purposes, are virtually the same in all 50 states and Canada.

If you just have a question about a violation, don't understand what the officer wrote or want an opinion on whether or not a data Q challenge should be filed, contact me. I won't sugarcoat it and I won't take either side until I know the facts.

[email protected]     717-324-2555  with texting.

Andy Blair      DOT Safety Checkups LLC