Worn brake pads can drastically reduce your ability to bring your food truck to a complete stop. This can be especially dangerous in an emergency situation when properly working food truck brakes are a must to help you stop your truck promptly. There are some telltale signs your brake system will give you prior to impending brake problems; do you know what they are?

Keeping Your Food Truck Brakes Working Properly

Knowledge of these possible brake problems can help you avoid downtime, injury or even death of you, your employees, a customer or anyone in the way of your rolling bistro.

Here are some of the common warning signs for faulty food truck brakes:

  • Grinding or squealing brakes.
  • Pulling of the truck from one side to the other.
  • Wheel grabs.
  • Brake pedal pumping.
  • Sudden and hard brake pedal.
  • Spongy brake pedals.

While some of these problems with food truck brakes may necessitate you replacing other brake components, an inspection of your brake pads should reveal that they are worn and are in need of immediate replacement.

Now That You Know What’s Wrong

Your next course of action will depend on your level of knowledge as a mechanic, your available time and on finances. Most garages offer free brake inspections so I suggest that anyone not certificated as an automotive technician/mechanic have someone else inspect your brakes to confirm your findings.

Ask your mechanic for a complete diagnosis of your brake system and an estimate on what parts and repairs will cost you. A good garage will give you a fairly close estimate of what your costs will be. Throw in your local taxes and the price quoted should be within 95% of the final cost.

Be Careful If You DIY

If you feel reasonably confident that you can do the work yourself, Why? You stand to save yourself plenty of money, at least in labor costs. You can save money with parts, too, by shopping around; the highest prices you pay will likely be through your dealer’s parts department. Prices at a national auto parts supply store should be lower, while prices through an online wholesaler should be about the lowest available as they purchase directly from the manufacturer.

If you decide to purchase online, only obtain parts from a reputable dealer selling parts from trusted manufacturers. Be careful of parts sites selling generic parts from overseas. You need to know if you do order online that you can return what you purchase, if needed.

RELATED: Create A Driving Safety Manual For Your Food Truck

We hope this article helps you to stay safe on the road. If you have any other tips on food truck brakes, please feel to share them with our readers in the comment section below or on social media. Facebook | Twitter