Your semitruck has been on the road day and night tallying up hundreds of thousands of miles with only a few stops in between. Short delivery deadlines and high maintenance costs may cause you to maintain its brakes at the very last minute. You might have noticed your truck is taking longer to brake.
Your truck’s brakes might not be getting the maintenance it desires putting you and the drivers around you at risk of harm. You should know the risks of delaying brake maintenance on your semitruck:
Your brakes should be a top priority
Your brakes may be one of the most used parts on your truck. The heavy loads you transport puts a ton of pressure on your brakes. Additionally, you have to brake much earlier than all the cars around you just to stop at the right time. It is no wonder they wear down so easily.
Generally, it is recommended to check your brakes every 250,000 to 300,000 miles. Your service provider could find your brakes are running thin. Pushing your brakes too thin can cause your truck to brake too late or skid causing car crashes and serious injuries.
Poor maintenance may not be your fault
It is not uncommon for truckers to service their truck and be back on the road again within hours. This can cause issues when mechanics skip over vital steps or fail to see larger issues on your truck.
Some truck models make it hard to see the full quality of your brakes. A lazy mechanic may avoid checking your brakes thoroughly to avoid a bit of work. Their failure to service your truck puts you and the drivers around you could cause pileups, shipping delays and even fatal accidents.
Not every semitruck accident is a trucker’s fault. If you’re a trucker who was injured because your brakes failed and you suspect that someone else, such as your mechanic, is at fault, you have a right to seek compensation for your losses.