The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) 2025 Brake Safety Week will take place Aug. 24-30 with a specific focus on drums and rotors.
According to CVSA, brake-related violations comprise the largest percentage of all out-of-service violations cited during roadside inspections. Improperly installed or poorly maintained brake systems can reduce the braking capacity and stopping distance of trucks.
CVSA-certified inspectors will conduct routine commercial motor vehicle inspections throughout the week, focusing on brake systems and components. In addition, inspectors will focus on drums and rotors, the emphasis for this year’s brake-safety initiative. Brake drum and rotor issues may affect a vehicle’s brake efficiency. Broken pieces of drums and rotors may become dislodged from the vehicle enroute and damage other vehicles or result in injuries or fatalities to the motoring public.
“Brake drum and rotor issues may affect a vehicle’s brake efficiency,” CVSA said in a news release. “Broken pieces of drums and rotors become dislodged from the vehicle and damage other vehicles or result in injuries or fatalities to the motoring public.”
During Brake Safety Week, commercial motor vehicle inspectors highlight the importance of brake systems, specifically drums and rotors, by conducting inspections of their components and removing commercial motor vehicles found to have brake-related out-of-service violations from our roadways until those violations are corrected.
Throughout Brake Safety Week, CVSA-certified inspectors will conduct their usual inspections; however, in addition, they will be reporting brake-related inspection and violation data to the Alliance. CVSA will compile that data and publish a press release this fall with the results.
CMVs found to have brake-related out-of-service violations or any other out-of-service violations will be removed from roadways until the violations are corrected.
When inspectors conduct the brake portion of a Level I or Level V Inspection, they will:
- Check for missing, non-functioning, loose or cracked parts.
- Check for contaminated, worn, cracked and missing linings or pads. Check for S-cam flipover and listen for audible air leaks around brake components and lines.
- Check that slack adjusters are the same length (from center of S-cam to center of clevis pin) and the air chambers on each axle are the same size.
- Ensure the brake system maintains air pressure between 90-100 psi (620-690 kPa) and measure pushrod travel.
- Inspect for non-manufactured holes (e.g., rust holes, holes created by rubbing or friction, etc.) and broken springs in the spring brake housing section of the parking brake.Inspect required brake system warning devices, such as anti-lock braking system (ABS) malfunction lamp(s) and low air-pressure warning devices.Inspect the tractor protection system, including the bleedback system on the trailer.
- Ensure the breakaway system is operable on the trailer.
Brake Drums & Rotors Tips for Owner-Operators
- Inspect visible portions of the drum or rotor as part of your pre- and post-trip inspections.
- Look for signs of cracked or broken pieces in the friction surface of the rotor.
- Look for cracks that run through to the outer portion of the drum or missing pieces, where visible.
- On disc brakes, pay attention to the condition of the rotor. Heavily rusted rotors across the entire friction surface indicate an inoperative brake
- If the rotor is grooved, indicating metal-to-metal contact, that means the brake pads are worn and the shoe is making contact with the rotor.
- Ensure the rotor is not worn to the extent that the center vents are exposed.
- Make sure all repairs are consistent with the brake manufacturer’s requirements and guidelines.
- Note any issues in your driver vehicle inspection reports and report them to the motor carrier.
