Good morning, drivers! When I made it home from the Future of Supply Chain, the blockbuster event FreightWaves put on in Rogers, Arkansas, a very loud alarm went off on my phone. We are now less than a week away from International Roadcheck 2022.
I had a senior moment and freaked out (even though I’m not a senior…). I need to get my truck to the shop to make sure I don’t have any issues. Well, I don’t have my truck anymore. Yeah, I facepalmed myself. But, we here at BackTheTruckUp are going to spend a lot of time trying our best to give you up-to-date information.
“International Roadcheck is a 72-hour high-visibility, high-volume commercial motor vehicle inspection and enforcement initiative. Commercial motor vehicle inspectors in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will conduct North American Standard Inspections of commercial motor vehicles and drivers at weigh and inspection stations, on roving patrols, and at temporary inspection sites.”
CVSA.org
We all know twice a year there are two big safety blitzes, International Roadcheck and Brake Safety Week. You can probably figure out the primary focus of Brake Safety Week, but the International Roadcheck changes its target each year. And it can be ANYTHING on your truck and trailer, from exhaust systems, windshields, mirror brackets, etcetera, etcetera.
This year, it will be wheel ends. Well, what’s a “wheel end”? Basically, the parts that allow the tire to rotate on the spindle. The tire rim, wheel hub, hub cap, spindle, spindle nut, lug studs, lug nuts, and a few more parts make up the wheel end system. The International Roadcheck inspectors will be looking at all of these very closely, and perform the usual Level 1 inspection as well.
So what can you do to NOT get ticketed, placed Out of Service, have to call a very expensive service truck to the inspection/weigh station, and explain to your boss/broker why you’re going to be overdue on your delivery? Well, first, DO YOUR PRETRIPS!!! Get the white gloves on and a bright flashlight and look really close. Get down in there and check for breaks, leaks, and anything out of the ordinary.
Next, take it through one of the major repair shops and have a “professionally trained” mechanic look it over. Usually, one of the “brand name” shops will have a “Free Mid-Trip Inspection” program taking place. Make an appointment, run to the shop, and have some peace of mind.
And finally, check your hub oil level. You know that little red or black rubber cap on the hubs. You can grab that with a pair of pliers and remove it! Look in there and see how much and what color that oil is. If it’s not to the line or if it is scorched black, change or fill it up. I have worked for five different enterprise carriers; never have I seen one of their mechanics pull the plug off the hub and check. And I watched my truck like a hawk.
