Recent Entries

• Beating The Blitz - lights

  by Tim Schenk August 23, 2019
  By Tom Quimby You don’t want to be this guy. His truck sits inside the inspection barn in Sneads, Fla. as a Florida Highway Patrol trooper looks up and sees that three of the marker lights on top of his rear trailer door are not working and one has a broken cover. The trooper takes notes and...
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• Beating The Blitz - Tires

  by Tim Schenk August 23, 2019
  By Tom Quimby While brake issues land more trucks with out of service violations than any other component, tires and wheels are close behind. During last year’s Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) International Roadcheck blitz, 19 percent of the 11,910 vehicles placed out of ...

• Beating The Blitz - Brakes

  by Tim Schenk August 23, 2019
    By Tom Quimby, Senior editor at Commercial Carrier Journal, Truck Parts Service and Hard Working Trucks. A truck sits and waits on costly roadside service along I-10 at the weigh station in Sneads, Fla. While the tractor is fine, the trailer it’s hauling has enough brake violations,...

• Beating The Blitz - Suspension

  by Tim Schenk August 23, 2019
  Each year during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) International Roadcheck blitz hundreds of trucks are placed out of service (OOS) because of suspension violations. Last year alone, roughly 500 trucks were sidelined with expensive roadside suspension repairs. “Most of the time i...

• Beating The Blitz- Steering

  by Tim Schenk August 23, 2019
  Obviously, a steering system consists of several moving parts that are up against the day-to-day grind of demanding duty cycles that can include rough roads and extreme temperatures. With that in mind, what are some of the typical points of failure? “Power steering leaks and worn tie rod ends...

• Beating The Bliz CCJ Series

  by Tim Schenk August 23, 2019
  Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Trooper Bobby Simmons is hunched over in the inspection pit at the Sneads weigh station on I-10 as he grabs the Freightliner’s steering tie rod and checks it for a tight fit. He inspects tie rod bolts, steering arm ball joints, drag link and cotter pins next. Fo...