Maintenance Essential to Avoiding Brake Problems

Brakes remain the No. 1 culprit for out-of-service violations for Class 8 trucks, and preventive maintenance on the pneumatic system is vital to avoid violations and downtime, industry experts said.

“We will not operate with a leak,” said Joel Lalicker, senior director of maintenance at Pennsylvania-based PGT Trucking. “We want the brakes functioning at 100% [and] we do not take any risks in that space.”

Leaks happen on all brakes used on Class 8 vehicles.

“I wouldn’t tie it to any one supplier or type of brake, be it disc or drum,” Lalicker said.

Jack Legler, technical director at the Technology & Maintenance Council, part of American Trucking Associations, agreed.

“Air leaks do not care what type of brake is involved,” he said. “Any audible air leak is an out-of-service condition.”

Air drives everything because it’s a pneumatic system, Legler said. Leaks in a truck’s air system, therefore, present a big headache when they occur — and a major opportunity for preventive maintenance, he said.

Air system checks are an “obvious part” of preventive maintenance truck inspections, but these issues often become overlooked, Legler said.

Maintenance professionals must be particularly mindful of using compatible components because even small fixes performed incorrectly or with incompatible parts can exacerbate an existing leak or create a new one.

In addition to improving safety, identifying and repairing air leaks boosts the pneumatic system’s efficiency, resulting in less fuel spent and lower operating costs.

“Put as much of your effort and time as possible upstream in the training protocols and pre-trip and post-trip inspections,” Lalicker said, noting that ultimately, “a driver down is costly to the organization, our customers and the driver.”