06/01/2026
CVSA Announces Brake Safety Week August 23-29 — This Year's Focus Is Drums and Rotors; Eight Tips Shared to Help Truckers Prepare Across U.S., Canada, and Mexico
NORTH AMERICA — The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has announced that Brake Safety Week 2026 will run August 23-29 across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with trained inspectors conducting commercial vehicle inspections focused on brake systems and components throughout the seven-day campaign.
This year's area of emphasis is drums and rotors. CVSA said brake drum and rotor issues can affect a vehicle's braking efficiency, and that broken pieces can become dislodged while driving and damage other vehicles or cause injuries and fatalities to other road users.
Vehicles found with brake-related out-of-service violations — or any other out-of-service violations — will be removed from the roadway until those violations are corrected. CVSA will collect and analyze all submitted brake data and release results later this year.
Last Year's Numbers
During Brake Safety Week 2025, inspectors conducted 15,175 commercial vehicle inspections across North America. Of those, 2,296 vehicles were placed out of service for brake-related violations.
Eight Tips From CVSA to Avoid Drums and Rotors Violations
CVSA shared the following tips to help truckers prepare for the August inspection campaign:
1. Inspect visible portions of the drum or rotor as part of every pre- and post-trip inspection.
2. Look for signs of cracked or broken pieces in the friction surface of the rotor.
3. Look for cracks that run through to the outer portion of the drum or missing pieces where visible.
4. On disc brakes, pay close attention to the condition of the rotor — heavily rusted rotors across the entire friction surface indicate an inoperative brake.
5. If the rotor is grooved, indicating metal-to-metal contact, the brake pads are worn and the shoe is making contact with the rotor.
6. Ensure the rotor is not worn to the extent that the center vents are exposed.
7. Make sure all repairs are consistent with the brake manufacturer's requirements and guidelines.
8. Note any issues in driver vehicle inspection reports and report them to the motor carrier.
Motor carriers and drivers are encouraged to perform thorough pre- and post-trip inspections and ensure all brake components are in proper working order before operating their vehicles.
