How Fleets Should Prepare for 2026 CVSA Brake Safety Week

CVSA Brake Safety Week is scheduled for Aug. 23-29, 2026, with brake drums and rotors as the focus area. The campaign is a period of concentrated inspections, enforcement and education, not a new brake rule that starts in August. Routine commercial motor vehicle inspections continue throughout the year, and CVSA has also announced an unannounced one-day brake enforcement initiative for 2026.

Drivers should begin with visible pre-trip and post-trip observations. Check accessible drum and rotor surfaces for cracks, broken or missing pieces, severe rust across a rotor’s friction surface, metal-to-metal grooving, or wear that exposes center vents. Report the vehicle, location and condition clearly. Do not decide from a photograph alone that a component is serviceable. Drum and rotor thickness must remain within manufacturer limits, while lining and pad limits vary by axle position and brake design.

Inspect accessible brake tubing and hoses for chafing, kinking, heat or mechanical damage, bulging, exposed reinforcement, improper splices and audible leaks. Follow the vehicle and manufacturer procedures when checking the low-air warning device, air-loss rate, tractor protection system, trailer breakaway function and ABS malfunction lamps.

Pushrod stroke is not a one-number test. The applicable limit depends on brake chamber type, size and standard- or long-stroke design. If a self-adjusting brake adjuster shows excessive stroke, the wheel end, foundation brake, drum and adjuster need diagnosis. Manually readjusting the automatic adjuster may change the measurement temporarily but does not repair the underlying defect. Under-vehicle work, spring-brake release, stroke measurement, adjustment and repair require safe vehicle securement and properly qualified personnel.

Documentation must match the actual vehicle and repair. Record safety-related defects on the Driver Vehicle Inspection Report, complete required repair certification before returning an unsafe vehicle to service, and maintain systematic inspection, repair and maintenance records. Verify periodic inspection documents and brake-inspector qualification evidence. If a roadside inspection places the vehicle out of service, do not operate it until the required repairs are completed. A checklist improves preparation, but it cannot guarantee a clean inspection or prevent an out-of-service order.