Maintenance

Fire Fight: Institute plans tanker training for firefighters preview image Fire Fight: Institute plans tanker training for firefighters article image

Fire Fight: Institute plans tanker training for firefighters

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Every tanker involved in a highway collision looks like it’s ready to add fuel to a fire. In some cases the loads can do this very thing. That's why David Clarke wants to offer first responders the practical training to keep bad situations from getting worse. And he’s relying on industry experts -- those who pull such trailers for a living -- to make the training a reality.

Want to spot brake defects? ‘Bend at the waist’ preview image Want to spot brake defects? 'Bend at the waist' article image

Want to spot brake defects? ‘Bend at the waist’

Brakes are a focus of roadside enforcement officers every day of the year, but the focus will intensify later this month during Brake Safety Week. Scheduled for Sept. 16-22, the week coordinated by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) combines education initiatives and inspections alike, depending on the jurisdiction. It has traditionally allowed enforcement teams to shine a light on a variety of systems and issues.

Stop and Think: Strategies to avoid brake violations preview image Stop and Think: Strategies to avoid brake violations article image

Stop and Think: Strategies to avoid brake violations

Despite steady enforcement initiatives such as Brake Safety Day, a part of the CVSA’s Operation Airbrake Program, brake-related defects continue to be a leading cause of out-of-service violations. But fleet maintenance departments have a direct impact on a fleet’s violation rate, since routine maintenance can prevent many of the defects found at roadside.

Break Down the Breakdowns: Controlling on-road maintenance preview image Break Down the Breakdowns: Controlling on-road maintenance article image

Break Down the Breakdowns: Controlling on-road maintenance

TORONTO, Ont. --  Mike Gomes, the vice-president of maintenance for Bison Transport, summarizes his fleet’s on-road repair process in six simple words: “Truck broke. Fix truck. Send money.” It’s a joke, of course, but there’s still a ring of truth to it. Each step in the process – especially as it relates to controlling costs – makes a roadside breakdown much more difficult to manage than work in your own shop.