The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) runs several unannounced enforcement campaigns each year, and Brake Safety Week is one of the biggest. For seven days, inspectors across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico add extra emphasis to brake systems during roadside inspections of commercial motor vehicles — on top of the standard North American Standard Inspection they'd otherwise perform. In 2026, that week is August 23-29.
Medical card about to expire? A roadside inspection during Brake Safety Week checks the driver's DOT medical certificate along with the vehicle. Renew or schedule your DOT physical online before the campaign starts.
What Brake Safety Week actually is
Brake Safety Week isn't a new law or a special checkpoint — it's a coordinated, high-visibility push using the inspection procedures that already exist. Most stops during the week are full Level I inspections (37-step vehicle and driver exam) or Level II inspections (walk-around vehicle exam without the under-vehicle portion). CVSA and FMCSA pick brakes as the focus because brake-related problems are consistently one of the top categories cited in vehicle out-of-service violations nationwide, and because brake performance directly affects a truck's stopping distance in an emergency.
Each year's campaign also has a specific focus area inspectors are trained to look at more closely, in addition to the general brake system check. It doesn't change what can put a vehicle out of service — it just reflects where CVSA's data shows problems are showing up most.
The 20% rule: how a vehicle gets placed out of service
Brake violations aren't graded on a pass/fail basis for the whole truck. Instead, CVSA's North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria uses a threshold: a vehicle or combination is placed out of service if 20% or more of its required service brakes have a qualifying defect — things like a broken or missing brake shoe, lining, chamber, pushrod, slack adjuster, or mounting hardware. The 20% is calculated against the total number of brakes on the vehicle or combination, including any towed trailers, and if the math doesn't land on a whole number, it rounds up. A tractor-trailer with 12 total brakes and 3 defective ones, for example, crosses the line.
This is why a truck can have a defect and still be legal to drive, but a second defect on the same combination can push it over the threshold and shut it down on the spot.
What happened last time
During the 2025 campaign, inspectors conducted 15,175 inspections across 52 jurisdictions in North America and placed 2,296 vehicles out of service specifically for brake-related violations — a 15.1% out-of-service rate. That's roughly one out of every seven trucks and buses stopped that week losing its ability to run until repairs were made and the vehicle was reinspected. The rate is a useful benchmark for fleets: if your own pre-trip and preventive maintenance numbers are running anywhere close to that, brakes are worth a closer look before the next campaign.
It's not just about the truck
Because most Brake Safety Week stops are full Level I or Level II inspections, the driver's side of the stop happens at the same time as the vehicle check. That means the inspector isn't only looking at brake chambers and slack adjusters — they're also reviewing:
- CDL status — valid, unexpired, correct class and endorsements for the vehicle being driven;
- DOT medical certificate — current and matching what's on file with the state, per the medical card renewal requirements;
- Hours-of-service records — electronic logs or paper records showing compliance with driving-time limits;
- FMCSA Clearinghouse status — whether the driver shows as "prohibited" for an unresolved drug or alcohol violation, which is checked through the FMCSA Clearinghouse.
A driver-side violation, like an expired medical card, can place the driver out of service even if the truck itself passes every brake check. Fleets sometimes focus their Brake Safety Week prep entirely on the vehicle and overlook the fact that a lapsed medical certificate is just as likely to end the trip.
What an out-of-service order means
A vehicle placed out of service cannot legally be driven until the defect is repaired and the vehicle passes reinspection. A driver placed out of service for a credential issue similarly cannot continue operating until it's resolved. Beyond the immediate delay, the violation is also recorded in the FMCSA's Safety Measurement System under the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC (for brake defects) or the relevant driver-fitness BASIC (for credential issues), which factors into a carrier's CSA score, insurance underwriting, and how likely the carrier is to be selected for a compliance review.
How to prepare before August 23
- Do a real pre-trip brake check — not just a visual glance, but confirming stroke, lining thickness, and hardware condition on every axle, including trailers.
- Address any open maintenance items now rather than waiting for the vehicle to be flagged at a scale house.
- Check every driver's medical certificate expiration date against the campaign dates, and get renewals scheduled early — same-day DOT physicals are available at WorkOccMed's 15,000+ certified sites nationwide.
- Confirm random testing enrollment is current if you're an owner-operator or small fleet; the owner-operator compliance checklist covers consortium and Clearinghouse obligations in one place.
- Carry current paperwork — medical certificate, CDL, and hours-of-service records should be accessible without delay during the stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is CVSA Brake Safety Week 2026?
Brake Safety Week 2026 runs August 23-29. It's an annual unannounced enforcement campaign coordinated by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), during which inspectors across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico place extra focus on brake systems during roadside inspections.
What percentage of trucks failed brake inspections during the last Brake Safety Week?
During the 2025 campaign, inspectors conducted 15,175 inspections across 52 jurisdictions and placed 2,296 vehicles out of service for brake-related violations, a 15.1% out-of-service rate.
What is the 20% rule for brake out-of-service violations?
Under CVSA's North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria, a vehicle or combination is placed out of service if 20% or more of its required service brakes have a qualifying defect, such as a broken or missing brake shoe, lining, chamber, or pushrod. Percentages that aren't whole numbers are rounded up.
Does Brake Safety Week only check the truck, or the driver too?
Most Brake Safety Week stops are full Level I or Level II inspections, which include the driver side as well as the vehicle. Inspectors can check a driver's license, DOT medical certificate, hours-of-service records, and FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse status during the same stop.
What happens if a vehicle is placed out of service during Brake Safety Week?
An out-of-service vehicle cannot be driven until the violation is repaired and the vehicle is reinspected. The stop also counts against the carrier's CSA Safety Measurement System score under the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC, which can affect insurance rates and audit priority.
Reviewed by Chantal Gabriel, MD
Medical Director, WorkOccMed Medical Group, PLLC • FMCSA-Certified Medical Examiner. This guide is reviewed by a certified medical examiner for accuracy.