Each year, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), in cooperation with department of transportation and law enforcement agencies across the U.S., Canada and Mexico to conduct Brake Safety Week.
The initiative, which includes inspections of drum and rotor components in addition to brakes, is designed to ensure that commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) operated on roadways throughout North America.
This year’s event was Aug. 24-30. Here’s the good news: Out of 15,175 CMV inspections conducted across North America, most vehicles (84.9%) did NOT have any out-of-service brake violations.
However, the remaining 15.1% of CMVs undergoing inspection were cited for brake violations and placed out of service.
CVSA provided the following information about this year’s inspection blitz:
• In the U.S., inspectors conducted 13,700 inspections and discovered 2,035 (14.9%) brake-related out-of-service violations.
• In Canada, inspectors conducted 1,459 inspections and discovered 260 (17.8%) brake-related out-of-service violations.
• In Mexico, inspectors conducted 16 inspections and discovered one (6.3%) brake-related out-of-service violations.
The most-cited reason a vehicle was placed out of service was because 20% or more of the vehicle’s (or combination of vehicles’) service brakes had an out-of-service condition. Inspectors identified 1,199 such violations, which is a 52.2% out-of-service rate.
In addition to the other brake components that are examined as part of a routine North American Standard Inspection, inspectors provided violation data for drums and rotors, the focus for this year’s brake safety initiative. There were 113 drum and rotor violations. Thirty-nine commercial motor vehicles were placed out of service for rotor and/or drum violations (there may be more than one violation on some vehicles/combinations).
Performance-based brake testers
Fifteen U.S. states with performance-based brake testers (PBBT) conducted 528 inspections using their PBBTs during this year’s Brake Safety Week. A PBBT is a machine that assesses the braking performance of a vehicle.
U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and CVSA’s North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria require the combination of vehicles to have a minimum braking efficiency rating of 43.5% in order to pass a PBBT Inspection. Twenty-five (4.7%) vehicles failed to meet the required 43.5% minimum braking efficiency rate and were placed out of service. On the other hand, 503 of the vehicles tested passed the PBBT Inspection.
About Brake Safety Week
Brake Safety Week is part of the CVSA’s Operation Airbrake Program, a comprehensive program dedicated to improving commercial motor vehicle brake safety throughout North America. The goal is to reduce the number of commercial motor vehicles by conducting roadside inspections and educating drivers, mechanics, motor carriers, owner-operators and others on the importance of proper brake inspection, maintenance and operation.
Next year’s Brake Safety Week is scheduled for Aug. 23-29, 2026.
Linda Garner-Bunch has been with The Trucker since 2020, picking up the reins as managing editor in 2022. Linda has nearly 40 years of experience in the publishing industry, covering topics from the trucking and automotive industry to employment, real estate, home decor, crafts, cooking, weddings, high school sports — you name it, she’s written about it. She is also an experienced photographer, designer and copy editor who has a heartfelt love for the trucking industry, from the driver’s seat to the C-suite.
