diff --git a/brouter-codec/src/test/java/btools/codec/LinkedListContainerTest.java b/brouter-codec/src/test/java/btools/codec/LinkedListContainerTest.java
index 1e221ea..a39269e 100644
--- a/brouter-codec/src/test/java/btools/codec/LinkedListContainerTest.java
+++ b/brouter-codec/src/test/java/btools/codec/LinkedListContainerTest.java
@@ -24,18 +24,14 @@ public class LinkedListContainerTest {
 
     for (int ln = 0; ln < nlists; ln++) {
       int cnt = llc.initList(ln);
-      Assert.assertTrue("list size test", cnt == 20);
+      Assert.assertEquals("list size test", 20, cnt);
 
       for (int i = 19; i >= 0; i--) {
         int data = llc.getDataElement();
-        Assert.assertTrue("data value test", data == ln * (i % 10));
+        Assert.assertEquals("data value test", ln * (i % 10), data);
       }
     }
 
-    try {
-      llc.getDataElement();
-      Assert.fail("no more elements expected");
-    } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
-    }
+    Assert.assertThrows("no more elements expected", IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> llc.getDataElement());
   }
 }
diff --git a/brouter-map-creator/src/test/java/btools/mapcreator/MapcreatorTest.java b/brouter-map-creator/src/test/java/btools/mapcreator/MapcreatorTest.java
index 70110bd..5daae74 100644
--- a/brouter-map-creator/src/test/java/btools/mapcreator/MapcreatorTest.java
+++ b/brouter-map-creator/src/test/java/btools/mapcreator/MapcreatorTest.java
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ public class MapcreatorTest {
   @Test
   public void mapcreatorTest() throws Exception {
     URL mapurl = this.getClass().getResource("/dreieich.osm.gz");
-    Assert.assertTrue("test-osm-map dreieich.osm not found", mapurl != null);
+    Assert.assertNotNull("test-osm-map dreieich.osm not found", mapurl);
     File mapFile = new File(mapurl.getFile());
     File workingDir = mapFile.getParentFile();
     File profileDir = new File(workingDir, "/../../../../misc/profiles2");
diff --git a/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/BitCoderContextTest.java b/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/BitCoderContextTest.java
index 619f96a..87db2f7 100644
--- a/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/BitCoderContextTest.java
+++ b/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/BitCoderContextTest.java
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ public class BitCoderContextTest {
     for (int i = 0; i < 31; i++) {
       int value = ctx.decodeVarBits();
       int v0 = (1 << i) + 3;
-      Assert.assertTrue("value mismatch value=" + value + "v0=" + v0, v0 == value);
+      Assert.assertEquals("value mismatch value=" + value + "v0=" + v0, v0, value);
     }
     for (int i = 0; i < 100000; i += 13) {
       int value = ctx.decodeVarBits();
-      Assert.assertTrue("value mismatch i=" + i + "v=" + value, value == i);
+      Assert.assertEquals("value mismatch i=" + i + "v=" + value, value, i);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/ByteDataIOTest.java b/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/ByteDataIOTest.java
index 6354271..7cd443d 100644
--- a/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/ByteDataIOTest.java
+++ b/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/ByteDataIOTest.java
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ public class ByteDataIOTest {
 
     for (int i = 0; i < 1000; i++) {
       int value = r.readVarLengthUnsigned();
-      Assert.assertTrue("value mismatch", value == i);
+      Assert.assertEquals("value mismatch", value, i);
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/CompactMapTest.java b/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/CompactMapTest.java
index 8303875..1dee666 100644
--- a/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/CompactMapTest.java
+++ b/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/CompactMapTest.java
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 package btools.util;
 
-import java.util.Random;
-import java.util.HashMap;
-
 import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Random;
+
 public class CompactMapTest {
   @Test
   public void hashMapComparisonTest() {
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ public class CompactMapTest {
       String s = hmap.get(KK);
 
       boolean contained = hmap.containsKey(KK);
-      Assert.assertTrue("containsKey missmatch (slow)", contained == cmap_slow.contains(k));
-      Assert.assertTrue("containsKey missmatch (fast)", contained == cmap_fast.contains(k));
+      Assert.assertEquals("containsKey missmatch (slow)", contained, cmap_slow.contains(k));
+      Assert.assertEquals("containsKey missmatch (fast)", contained, cmap_fast.contains(k));
 
       if (contained) {
         Assert.assertEquals("object missmatch (fast)", s, cmap_fast.get(k));
diff --git a/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/CompactSetTest.java b/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/CompactSetTest.java
index 68026ad..fb32366 100644
--- a/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/CompactSetTest.java
+++ b/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/CompactSetTest.java
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 package btools.util;
 
-import java.util.Random;
-import java.util.HashSet;
-
 import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.Random;
+
 public class CompactSetTest {
   @Test
   public void hashSetComparisonTest() {
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ public class CompactSetTest {
       Long KK = new Long(k);
 
       boolean contained = hset.contains(KK);
-      Assert.assertTrue("contains missmatch (slow)", contained == cset_slow.contains(k));
-      Assert.assertTrue("contains missmatch (fast)", contained == cset_fast.contains(k));
+      Assert.assertEquals("contains missmatch (slow)", contained, cset_slow.contains(k));
+      Assert.assertEquals("contains missmatch (fast)", contained, cset_fast.contains(k));
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/DenseLongMapTest.java b/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/DenseLongMapTest.java
index ecbbc40..d9d1803 100644
--- a/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/DenseLongMapTest.java
+++ b/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/DenseLongMapTest.java
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 package btools.util;
 
-import java.util.Random;
-import java.util.HashMap;
-import java.util.HashSet;
-
 import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.Random;
+
 public class DenseLongMapTest {
   @Test
   public void hashMapComparisonTest() {
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public class DenseLongMapTest {
     }
 
     // need to use the map again for valid memory measure
-    Assert.assertTrue("out of range test", dmap.getInt(-1) == -1);
+    Assert.assertEquals("out of range test", -1, dmap.getInt(-1));
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/SortedHeapTest.java b/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/SortedHeapTest.java
index 8f31f01..8022055 100644
--- a/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/SortedHeapTest.java
+++ b/brouter-util/src/test/java/btools/util/SortedHeapTest.java
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ public class SortedHeapTest {
       Assert.assertTrue("sorting test", val >= lastval);
       lastval = val;
     }
-    Assert.assertTrue("total count test", cnt == 100000);
+    Assert.assertEquals("total count test", 100000, cnt);
 
   }
 
@@ -47,10 +47,10 @@ public class SortedHeapTest {
       if (s == null) break;
       cnt++;
       int val = Integer.parseInt(s);
-      Assert.assertTrue("sequence test", val == expected);
+      Assert.assertEquals("sequence test", val, expected);
       expected++;
     }
-    Assert.assertTrue("total count test", cnt == 100000);
+    Assert.assertEquals("total count test", 100000, cnt);
 
   }
 }
diff --git a/config/pmd/pmd-ruleset.xml b/config/pmd/pmd-ruleset.xml
index f104611..7ee2f27 100644
--- a/config/pmd/pmd-ruleset.xml
+++ b/config/pmd/pmd-ruleset.xml
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
         <exclude name="PreserveStackTrace" />
         <exclude name="PrimitiveWrapperInstantiation" />
         <exclude name="ReturnEmptyCollectionRatherThanNull" />
-        <exclude name="SimplifiableTestAssertion" />
         <exclude name="SimplifyBooleanReturns" />
         <exclude name="UncommentedEmptyConstructor" />
         <exclude name="UncommentedEmptyMethodBody" />