NTSB Calls for Safety Check of Haldex Automatic Slack Adjusters
The National Transportation Safety Board has issued advisory bulletins to other federal agencies, trucking associations, fleet operators and commercial vehicle safety inspectors to inspect automatic slack adjusters made by Haldex Brake Products Corp., Kansas City, Mo
The National Transportation Safety Board has issued advisory bulletins to other federal agencies, trucking associations, fleet operators and commercial vehicle safety inspectors to inspect automatic slack adjusters made by Haldex Brake Products Corp., Kansas City, Mo.
At issue is the ASA's control arm, which the NTSB says may fracture or come loose from the ASA itself. Should this happen, the ASA stops adjusting the brake. The NTSB report uses the term "deadjust," implying that brake adjustment actually backs off.
NTSB's concern grew out of its investigation of a fatal bus accident near Atlantic City, N.J., on Christmas Eve 1998 in which eight passengers were killed. While the NTSB said brake performance did not cause the accident, its investigators found the right-side brake "grossly out of adjustment" but the left side in proper adjustment. The investigators said a control arm on the ASA had fractured, apparently quite a while before the accident, and had gone undetected even when the bus had been inspected three days before the crash.
The NTSB is calling for operators of vehicles with Haldex automatic slack adjusters to thoroughly check each one, looking for cracks and fractures and to make sure the ASA is working properly and brakes are in proper adjustment.
Haldex officials told TruckingInfo.com yesterday that they had just received the NTSB notification and would have no comment until they file their reply to the NTSB.
The NTSB has no regulatory or enforcement authority and can only make recommendations as a result of the accidents it investigates.
More Safety & Compliance
FDA Eases Path for Oral-Fluid Testing
Federal actions could advance oral-fluid drug testing for truck drivers, but lab certification delays and marijuana rescheduling questions remain.
Read More →
Kodiak Lines Up Fleets for Driverless Trucking
An agreement for 75 trucks, a new Texas freight lane, and progress on safety validation move Kodiak closer to its planned driverless highway launch.
Read More →
More Trailer Data Through the Same Seven-Way [Video]
Can trucking’s standard seven-way connector handle more cameras and trailer data? Grote’s Adam Slade shows HDT how the company is using new technology with its 4See trailer system, not only to add a new backup camera but also to expand other capabilities — without adding another connection.
Read More →
PrePass Intelligence Mines Fleet Bypass, Toll and Safety Data
PrePass Intelligence helps fleets measure bypass savings, flag potential toll overcharges, and spot suspicious transactions by combining data from separate systems.
Read More →
Fatal Crash Exposes Toll Plaza Risks
An NTSB investigation found that last-minute lane changes and large speed differences at an Ohio toll plaza created a hazard the truck driver couldn't avoid in time.
Read More →
When Language Stops the Truck: The Return of ELP Out-of-Service Orders
English language proficiency rules for commercial drivers aren’t new, but renewed out-of-service enforcement has raised the stakes. Here’s what carriers need to know before a driver reaches a roadside inspection.
Read More →
A Camera Isn't a Safety Program. Here's What Brokers Are Screening for Now
Footage alone may not be enough to pass broker vetting processes. Here's what counts as a defensible safety program now.
Read More →
Marijuana and Trucking’s Drug-Testing Dilemma
Marijuana is getting stronger, laws are changing, and drug tests still can’t reliably establish impairment. What does that mean for truck drivers and the fleets that employ them?
Read More →
PrePass, Kodiak Connect Driverless Trucks to Roadside Enforcement
The system will allow enforcement agencies to verify Enhanced Inspection information and decide whether Kodiak’s autonomous trucks can bypass roadside screening sites.
Read More →
From One Generation to the Next: How Mentorship Builds Safer Truck Drivers
After three decades in trucking, Harold Perry shares what he's learned about driver safety, mentorship, and helping the next generation build confidence behind the wheel.
Read More →