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E MANAGEMENT COUNCIL NEWS Nearly 5,000 trucks removed from roadways during Brake Week During Brake Safety Week, Sept. 16-22, enforcement personnel in 57 jurisdictions throughout Canada and the U.S. conducted 35,080 inspections on commercial motor vehicles and captured and reported data on brake violations. Most vehicles inspected did not have any brake-related out-of-service conditions; however, inspectors found critical vehicle inspection items in the brake systems of 4,955 (14.1 percent) of the vehicles inspected and placed those vehicles out of service until the condition(s) could be corrected. Brake violations were the top vehicle outof-service violation during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) International Roadcheck 72-hour enforcement initiative back in June 2018. And according to the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) data, out of 2.38 million inspections, there were 1,045,335 brake-related violations in federal fiscal 2018, with a portion of those accounting for seven of the top 20 vehicle violations. In an effort to address brake system violations, jurisdictions throughout North America participated in this year’s Brake Safety Week. The goal of this week-long brake safety enforcement and outreach initiative is to reduce the number of crashes involving brake-related problems by raising awareness throughout the motor carrier community of the importance of properly functioning brake systems and by conducting roadside inspections to identify and remove vehicles with critical brake violations from our roadways. Brake Safety Week data also captured antilock braking systems (ABS) violations, indicating how well ABS are maintained in accordance with federal regulations. ABS help the vehicle to stop in the shortest possible distance under many conditions and to maintain steering control in situations when tires may slip. Many participating jurisdictions surveyed ABS compliance. ABS violations were counted when the malfunction lamp did not illuminate or stayed on, indicating an issue of some kind. The findings are as follows: 1.) 26,143 air-braked power units required ABS; 8.3 percent (2,176) had ABS violations; 2.) 17,857 trailers required ABS; 12.5 percent (2,224)
had ABS violations; 3.) 5,354 hydraulicbraked trucks required ABS; 4.4 percent (234) had ABS violations; and 4.) 651 motorcoaches/buses required ABS; 2 percent (13) had ABS violations.
Transportation Safety Services adds to staff Transportation Safety Services recently added two experts to its staff of fleet safety and workplace consultants. The new hires, Stephen Day and Scott Stratton, represent a combined 60-plus years of fleet and workplace safety experience. Certified Safety Professional (CSP) Stephen Day joins Stephen Day Transportation Safety Services as the firm’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration expert following his recent retirement after more than 20 years with the agency. According to TSS President Lane Van Ingen, Day brings a broad range of experience and expertise in general industry, construction and maritime occupational safety and health settings providing litigation as Scott Stratton well as consultation services to clients. Originally from Dothan, Ala., Day is a 1984 graduate of Auburn University. He is also a veteran having served in the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force Reserve, retiring from the latter following 23 years of service. He and his wife Karen have been married for 30 years and have two sons, Ryan, 27, a pilot in the United States Air Force, and Garrett, 22, a college senior. The Days make their home in Spanish Fort, Ala. Meanwhile, Scott Stratton joined TSS following his retirement from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). He will serve as a USDOT/FMCSA Subject Matter Expert offering more than 20 years of regulatory experience inspecting commercial motor vehicles and the motor carriers who
operate them. His last assignment was as the State of Alabama’s Program Manager for their U.S. DOT Compliance Program, where he oversaw arresting officers and civilian staff tasked with the duties of investigating motor carriers across the state. Besides his experience as a manager and auditor, Stratton brings nearly 30 years of experience as an accident investigator who has investigated countless crashes involving commercial and non-commercial vehicles. He will be able to provide a broad range of services to TSS clients, including litigation, consultation services, mock DOT Audits, and commercial vehicle inspections. Stratton is a 1991 graduate of Jacksonville State University where he majored in Forensic Sciences. He is also a combat veteran having served in the U.S. Army during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. Scott and his wife have been married for 23 years and have one son and one daughter; Cole, 25 a graduate from Auburn University and successful businessperson in the Atlanta, Ga. area and Katie, 15, a high school sophomore. Scott and his wife Amy make their home in Prattville, Ala. Transportation Safety Services is a full-service DOT, FMCSA and DOT consulting firm offering a wide variety of services to trucking fleets of all types and sizes. Built on the expertise of former DOT regulators, we exist to provide accurate, affordable safety and compliance solutions to the trucking industry.
Alabama Road Team adds three new members The Alabama Trucking Association recently added three new Alabama Road Team members to its team of professional truck drivers and driver safety experts. The new members are Richard Pratt of FedEx Freight, Inc.; Charlie Salter FedEx Freight, Inc.; and Tom Culpepper, Walmart Transportation, LLC. The additions bring the Team to seven members – the most active members in the program’s 20-year history. The trio joins veteran Road Team members Dan Thompson, FedEx Freight; Rusty Continued on page 24
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