This year, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) will be placing an emphasis on wheel ends during International Roadcheck 2022, taking place May 17-19. Before your fleet hits the road next week, it's a good idea to give your vehicles a thorough once-over on all wheel-end related parts, systems, and components (and other frequently cited areas, such as lighting). Gathered here is a list of maintenance management strategies to help prepare fleets for this year’s Roadcheck, with tips and guides to help avoid costly penalties and downtime.
Roadcheck 2022 to focus on wheel ends
The results of Roadcheck 2021 showed that brake systems took the top spot for violations in North America, accounting for 26.5% of all truck out-of-service conditions. Brake adjustments rated as the fourth highest violation last year, accounting for 12.4% of all violations. For an in-depth dive into the numbers behind last year’s Roadcheck, and the specific wheel-end components that will be targeted this year, check out this article to see what should be anticipated during this year’s 72-hour blitz.
Tethering device puts end to wheel-off accidents, inventor says
Spec’ing additional equipment to secure wheel ends can enhance safety. Called the TetherTech Hub System, the trailer wheel-end solution comprises a handful of aircraft-grade aluminum fastening pieces for each wheel-end and a steel cable that holds them together through the axle. Does your fleet spec safety equipment and is it up-to-snuff for inspection?
Why you may want to repair wheel-end systems now
“What should I repair?” This guide overviews the importance of pre-trip inspections; but to dodge citations from inspectors during International Roadcheck, fleets should fix leaks they see from wheel seals, hubs, and tires. They should also care for weak bearings, cracks in wheel rims, plus supporting wheel-end parts like locking rings, studs, valve stems, and clamps. Finally, they should care for their tires by properly inflating them and inspecting them for tread wear.
The Usual Suspects: Guide to commercial truck tire wear by type
Tire tread will certainly be inspected during Roadcheck. And irregular wear can lead to further inspections into correlative systems and components. Here is an in-depth image gallery of examples of irregular drive, steer, and trailer tire wear including probable cause and corrective actions for each.
How to unlock more uptime with eDVIRs and CMMS
&
How digitizing driver communication can improve maintenance
What digital tools is your fleet leveraging to maximize uptime and keep maintenance in line? eDVIRs can be a great technology to make sure all aspects of the vehicle are inspected and in optimal operating condition.
BONUS: Roadside inspections: A necessary evil
BONUS: How truckers can save time during a roadside inspection
A two-part series on roadside inspections—and how to ensure accuracy in the process.
Kinedyne offers cargo securement training ahead of Roadcheck 2022
Wheel ends will be the focal point, though that doesn't mean that they will be the only aspect of the vehicle inspected during Roadcheck. Kinedyne offers training videos and downloadable training documents on cargo securement, with a reference to all 37 steps of the Level 1 North American Inspection and a cargo securement self-testing assessment.
Three tire maintenance strategies to improve fuel efficiency
This quick-hit assessment of your fleet’s tire maintenance management strategies covers tire spec'ing, alignments, and tire pressure monitoring—which can all greatly reduce a fleet's fuel consumption but will also come in handy in ensuring tires and related systems are ready for inspection.
BONUS: Pumping up TPMS and ATIS maintenance practices
Does your fleet use TPMS or ATIS? Or both? This article covers all aspects of tire monitoring tech—helping keep these systems operating and the most accurate tire data flowing.
