Category Archives: news

CVSA’s Brake Safety Week Scheduled for Aug. 20-26 

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has scheduled this year’s Brake Safety Week for Aug. 20-26 with a focus on brake lining/pad violations. 

During Brake Safety Week, commercial motor vehicle inspectors highlight the importance of brake systems by conducting inspections of their components and removing commercial motor vehicles found to have brake-related out-of-service violations from our roadways until those violations are corrected. 

Throughout Brake Safety Week, CVSA-certified inspectors will conduct their usual inspections; however, in addition, they will be reporting brake-related inspection and violation data to the Alliance. CVSA will compile that data and publish a press release this fall with the results. 

“The focus of this year’s Brake Safety Week is on the condition of the brake lining and pad,” said CVSA President Maj. Chris Nordloh with the Texas Department of Public Safety. “Brake lining and pad issues may result in vehicle violations and could affect a motor carrier’s safety rating.” 

When inspectors conduct the brake portion of a Level I, IV or V Inspection, they will: 

  • Check for missing, non-functioning, loose or cracked parts. 
  • Check for contaminated, worn, cracked and missing linings or pads. 
  • Check for S-cam flipover. 
  • Listen for audible air leaks around brake components and lines. 
  • Check that slack adjusters are the same length (from center of S-cam to center of clevis pin) and the air chambers on each axle are the same size. 
  • Ensure the brake system maintains air pressure between 90-100 psi (620-690 kPa) and measure pushrod travel. 
  • Inspect for non-manufactured holes (e.g., rust holes, holes created by rubbing or friction, etc.) and broken springs in the spring brake housing section of the parking brake. 
  • Inspect required brake system warning devices, such as anti-lock braking system (ABS) malfunction lamp(s) and low air-pressure warning devices. 
  • Inspect the tractor protection system, including the bleedback system on the trailer. 
  • Ensure the breakaway system is operable on the trailer. 

Brake safety awareness, education and outreach are major elements of the Brake Safety Week campaign. CVSA has outlined the brake-system inspection procedure (noted above) so that drivers and motor carriers know exactly what inspectors will be checking during roadside inspections. This transparency aims to remind drivers and motor carriers to take proactive steps to ensure their commercial motor vehicles are safe and compliant with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. Improperly installed or poorly maintained brake systems can reduce the braking capacity and stopping distance of trucks or buses, which poses a serious safety risk. 

CVSA’s Operation Airbrake Program is dedicated to improving commercial vehicle brake safety throughout North America. The goal is to reduce the number of highway crashes caused by faulty braking systems on commercial motor vehicles by conducting roadside inspections and educating drivers, mechanics, owner-operators and others on the importance of proper brake inspection, maintenance and operation. 

Operation Safe Driver Week

Operation Safe Driver Week is a safe-driving awareness and outreach initiative aimed at improving the driving
behaviors of passenger vehicle drivers and commercial motor vehicle drivers through educational and traffic
enforcement strategies and interactions with law enforcement.
The next Operation Safe Driver Week is scheduled for July 9-15, 2023.
Throughout Operation Safe Driver Week week, law enforcement personnel will be on the lookout for
commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in risky driving. Identified unsafe
drivers will be pulled over and issued a citation or warning.
Data shows that traffic stops and interactions with law enforcement help reduce problematic driving behaviors.
By making contact with drivers during Operation Safe Driver Week, law enforcement personnel aim to make
our roadways safer by targeting high-risk driving behaviors.
• Speeding has been a factor in more than a quarter of crash deaths since 2008. (Source)
• Speeding of any kind was the most frequent driver-related crash factor for drivers of commercial motor
vehicles and passenger vehicles. (Source)
• Speeding was a factor in 26% of all traffic fatalities in 2018, killing 9,378 people or an average of more
than 25 people per day. (Source)
• Distracted driving claimed 3,142 lives in 2019. (Source)
• Of the 22,215 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2019, 47% were not wearing seat belts. Seat belts
saved an estimated 14,955 lives and could have saved an additional 2,549 people if they had been
wearing seat belts, in 2017 alone. (Source)
• Every day, about 28 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes — that’s one person every
52 minutes. In 2019, 10,142 people lost their lives due to drunk driving.

10% of CMVs placed out of service in Canada during CVSA’s Brake Safety Day 

Ten percent – 88 vehicles – of the 894 commercial motor vehicles inspected in Canada were placed out of service for brake-related violations during Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Brake Safety Day on April 19. 

CVSA inspectors inspected 6,829 commercial motor vehicles throughout Canada, Mexico and the U.S. Inspectors found brake-related critical vehicle inspection items on 11.3% of the vehicles inspected, indicating those vehicles were unfit and unsafe for roadways, according to a news release. Inspectors restricted those 773 commercial motor vehicles from travel until the violations were corrected. 

During this one-day unannounced inspection and enforcement campaign, certified commercial motor vehicle inspectors conducted their usual vehicle and driver inspections. They reported brake-related data to CVSA for a one-day snapshot of the state of brake systems on the commercial motor vehicles traveling our roadways every day. 

Top three 

The top three brake-related out-of-service conditions were: 

  1. 20% brakes violations: 497 – A vehicle or combination of vehicles is declared out of service when 20% or more of its service brakes have an out-of-service condition resulting in a defective brake, such as a brake out of adjustment, an audible air leak at the chamber, defective linings/pads, a missing brake where brakes are required, etc. 
  1. Other brake violations: 368 – Other out-of-service brake violations are worn brake lines, broken brake drums, inoperative tractor protection system, inoperative low air warning device, air leaks, hydraulic fluid leaks, etc. 
  1. Steering brake violations: 81 – Automatic standalone out-of-service steering axle brake violations include inoperative brakes, mismatched brake chambers, mismatched slack adjuster length, defective linings, etc. 

In the U.S., inspectors placed 679 (11.5%) of the 5,901 total commercial motor vehicles inspected out of service for brake-related violations. And in Mexico, 34 vehicles were inspected. Six (18%) had brake-related out-of-service violations and were placed out of service. 

6,829 vehicles inspected 

Of the 6,829 commercial motor vehicles inspected, 108 power unit and 87 towed unit lining/pad violations were identified, for a total of 195 combined lining/pad violations. 

In addition, eight of the CVSA member jurisdictions with performance-based brake testers (PBBTs) used those machines on Brake Safety Day to assess the braking performance of commercial motor vehicles. Those participating jurisdictions conducted 92 inspections with PBBTs. There were four failures (4.35%), which meant those four commercial motor vehicles were placed out of service for overall vehicle braking efficiency. 

CVSA’s Operation Airbrake Program holds two annual brake safety campaigns each year – this initiative, which is the one-day unannounced brake safety inspection and enforcement initiative, and Brake Safety Week, which is scheduled for Aug. 20-26. 

Today’s Trucking  May 26, 2023 

International Roadcheck Is May 16-18 with Emphasis on ABS and Cargo Securement 

FEBRUARY 28, 2023 

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has announced May 16-18 as this year’s International Roadcheck. International Roadcheck is a high-visibility, high-volume 72-hour inspection and enforcement event where CVSA-certified inspectors in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will conduct inspections of commercial motor vehicles and drivers at weigh/inspection stations, designated inspection areas and along roadways. 

This year, inspectors will focus on anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and cargo securement to highlight the importance of those aspects of vehicle safety. Although ABS violations are not out-of-service violations, ABS play a critical role in reducing the risk of collisions by preventing the wheels from locking up or skidding, allowing a driver to maintain control of the vehicle while braking. In addition, improper cargo securement poses a serious risk to drivers and other motorists by adversely affecting the vehicle’s maneuverability, or worse, causing unsecured loads to fall, resulting in traffic hazards and vehicle collisions. 

During International Roadcheck, inspectors will conduct their usual roadside safety inspections of commercial motor vehicles and drivers. Data will be gathered from those three days and shared later this year, as a snapshot of the state of commercial motor vehicle and driver safety. 

International Roadcheck also provides an opportunity to educate the motor carrier industry and general public about the importance of safe commercial motor vehicle operations and the North American Standard Inspection Program. 

During a routine North American Standard Level I Inspection, inspectors focus on two areas – driver and vehicle safety compliance. 

  • Vehicle safety – Inspectors will ensure the vehicle’s brake systems, cargo securement, coupling devices, driveline/driveshaft components, driver’s seat, fuel and exhaust systems, frames, lighting devices, steering mechanisms, suspensions, tires, wheels, rims, hubs and windshield wipers are compliant with regulations. Inspections of motorcoaches, passenger vans and other passenger-carrying vehicles also include emergency exits, seating, and electrical cables and systems in the engine and battery compartments. 
  • Driver safety – Inspectors will check the driver’s operating credentials, hours-of-service documentation, status in the drug and alcohol clearinghouse, seat belt usage, and for alcohol and/or drug impairment. 

Vehicles that successfully pass a Level I or Level V Inspection without any critical vehicle inspection item violations may receive a CVSA decal, which is valid for three months. If the inspector does identify critical vehicle inspection item violations, as outlined in the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria, the vehicle will be restricted from operating until the identified out-of-service conditions have been corrected. Inspectors may also restrict the driver from operating if the driver is found to have driver out-of-service violations, such as not possessing a valid or necessary operating license or exhibiting signs of impairment. 

CVSA’s law enforcement member jurisdictions in cities, states, districts, provinces and territories in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. participate in International Roadcheck with support from trucking associations, transportation safety organizations and federal agencies, such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Transport Canada and Mexico’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation. 

Financial Update

MEOA Financial Update2022

Financial Update

Your MEOA Executive Committee has planned events in 2022 including:*2022 MEOA PD Day, May 26 – Oxford Hills Golf Club*2022 AGM/Spring Meeting, June 21-22 – Hilton Meadowvale Mississauga

.

Payment of membership fees for all members will be required in 2022.*

New for 2022 is a restructuring of membership to include a corporate membership fee structure as follows:Individual Membership – $75Corporate Membership – Up to 5 members – $325Corporate Membership – Up to 10 members – $6002021 Financial ReportRevenues include $1,750 in miscellaneous revenues form job postings.

Administrative expenses including items related to web site fees and insurance total $4,255.38HST payments of $5,889.28 (2019 & 2020)Reconciled Bank Balance Jan 1, 2021 – $27,433.25Reconciled Bank Balance December 31, 2021 – $17,322.67*

Your MEOA executive made the decision not to solicit membership fees in 2021 as the decision was made to not attempt events and to minimize operating costs as much as possible.

2020 Financial Report Revenues totaled $25,115.00. Included in this amount is $20,540 to be applied to 2022 events. Expenses totaled $34,871 of which $15,900 is attributed to deposits and payments that are applied to 2022 events. HST Remittance – $1,491.32Reconciled Bank Balance December 31, 2020 – $27,433.552019

Financial ReportTotal revenues from all sources – $94,343.82Total expenses – $84,452.39 HST Remittance – $3,286.87Reconciled Bank Balance Jan 1, 2019 – $25,982.35

Reconciled Bank Balance December 31, 2019 – $33,873.78

Keeping Your Wheels On!

Complimentary Webinar
Keeping Your Wheels On!
Wednesday March 30th, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

The Fleet Safety Council (FSC) and the Truck Training Schools
Association of Ontario (TTSAO) are proud to present
Dave McDonald, Commercial Sales Manager at Bridgestone
Commercial Solutions, who will discuss ways to prevent loose wheels
and the potential for a wheel off. Throughout this engaging
presentation, Dave will share his experience and look at the primary
causes of wheel off’s and how to prevent them.

Register today:

OPWA

Hi Everyone,

This is one of the best annual OPWA events and it was the most well attended event when it was in person.  In an effort to support learning and growth for our members and support peer association events, your MEOA executive encourages you to participate and share with others in your organization.

On a personal note, I have had the opportunity to work with keynote speaker Mary Joyce Ivers while working on the APWA’s Certified Public Fleet Professional certification committee and the Fleet Management Committee and am very much looking forward to participating in the event!

Thanks,

Don Miller -Treasurer

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Our mailing address is:OPWA1525 Cornwall RoadUnit 22Oakville, Ontario L6J 0B2Canada

MEOA EVENT UPDATE

Happy 2022 MEOA colleagues!


Your MEOA Executive Committee is moving forward with planning in person events beginning in June 2022 so we may re-connect once again.


For those who have paid for events in 2020, those fees will be applied to the 2022 events. You will receive a separate email indication which events you have paid for.
Payment of membership fees for all members will be required in 2022.
Membership for 2022 opens early January 2022 and can be completed by visiting our website store @ https://www.meoa.org/store/
*New for 2022 is a restructuring of membership to include a corporate membership fee structure as follows:
Individual Membership – $75
Corporate Membership – Up to 5 members – $325
Corporate Membership – Up to 10 members – $600
The registration process is being refined and will be available early January for 2022 membership purchases.
Professsional Development Day 2022 has been confirmed and will take place in Mount Elgin on May 26th, 2022 @ Oxford Hills Golf Club.
Details here @ https://meoa.org/event/2022-meoa-p-d-day/

MEOA Annual General Meeting (AGM) has also been confirmed for June 21 & June 22, 2022 in Mississauga Ontario.
Details here @ https://meoa.org/event/2022-agm-spring-meeting/
Please follow our website for continued updates. Looking forward to seeing you all in 2022.


Stay safe and Healthy from your MEOA executive !