Hard braking for
Cowboy Country
The horrific Fields Hill truck
accident that occurred on
5 September this year in
KwaZulu-Natal, left 27 people
dead and a lot of questions
unanswered.
WHILE THE TRUCK OWNER
and driver in the Fields Hill accident face potential criminal
charges for causing the accident, KZN traffic authorities have determined that the truck
involved, suffered from faulty brakes, as do several other trucks in the owner’s fleet.
According to KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies
Mchunu, “My officials got to the scene very quickly and it did not take long before they
informed me that the truck had faulty brakes prior to the accident.”
However, the truck owner, Gregory Govender of Sagekal Logistics, claims to adhere to
stringent routine maintenance practices. “A meeting was held on Sunday 8 September with
the investigators, where we shared our information regarding the matter. We handed over
copies of the invoices for the brake linings and spares for services that were undertaken on
both the truck and trailer, a few days before its departure,” he says.
A can of worms
With no clear prognosis as yet from the vehicle assessment team on why the brakes were
faulty, or why they failed, the truck transport industry in South Africa cannot afford to turn
a blind eye to the fact that comprehensive quality assurance is needed in maintenance,
servicing and daily checking of truck and trailer braking systems, states Simon Dolphin,
Technical Manager, SAF-Holland South Africa, a subsidiary of global truck axle, brake and
suspension OEM, SAF-Holland AG.
“All too frequently, my colleagues and I are confronted with warranty claims on our drum
brakes where, after inspection of the returned brake shoes, we can clearly see that replacement
linings have been fitted. The big problem is, the linings are not original OEM components and
furthermore, they have been fitted incorrectly,” Simon says.
With most truck trailers in Africa utilising drum braking systems (rather than disc brakes),
poor-quality stopping power on the trailing equipment of a truck-tractor is a recipe for
disaster, he adds.
“The truck trailer is the primary braking unit on an articulated rig, with the electronic braking
system activating the trailer brakes before those on the truck-tractor to effectively slow the
vehicle and prevent jack-knifing. Obviously, poorly serviced brake shoes on the trailer will
seriously compromise the braking power of the rig.”
SAF-Holland world-
renowned for its low-
tare trailer equipment.
TFL DEC
20
FREIGHT & LOGISTICS
SAFETY
