Imagine it’s a hot summer afternoon, and you hear a squeal in the brakes of a truck. It grabs your attention for a second but not long enough to take your attention away from the next several items you already had on your plate to make sure your fleet and office run efficiently. 

You refrain from looking into the tractor’s brake condition because you’ve heard the same noise hundreds, even thousands of times over your career as a fleet manager. If there was an issue, someone would have raised it, right?   

Now, also think about a time when your fleet might need a less experienced driver to haul on some mountain routes. He or she may be inclined to overuse the brakes on a downhill road without being acquainted with the grade that lies ahead. If the brakes aren’t in good condition, the best-case scenario may be a close call or a ride into a runaway truck ramp. Less optimal outcomes could be catastrophic.   

And even if you’ve got accomplished drivers at the wheel, brakes that aren’t well-maintained could still produce an awful incident during a pileup that’s not initially the driver’s fault.   

The potential consequences of a brake issue make it worth a fleet’s while to spend the money to maintain a truck’s brake system, even if it means not using a truck until it gets a brake tune-up. Carriers that take a lax approach on brakes may have the choice taken out of their hands later in the summer, thanks to an inspection program conducted by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) that sidelines commercial vehicles with brake-related out-of-service violations.   

What to know about Brake Safety Week 2026 

From August 23-29, CVSA-certified inspectors throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico will be conducting inspections on brake components and systems for this year’s Brake Safety Week.   

According to the CVSA, Brake Safety Week “aims to improve commercial motor vehicle brake safety throughout North America. The goal is to eliminate roadway crashes by conducting roadside inspections and educating drivers, mechanics, large- and small-fleet motor carriers, owner-operators, and others on the importance of proper brake inspection, maintenance and operation.”  

Similar to International Roadcheck, each edition of Brake Safety Week features a focus area that inspectors will pay special attention to. This year’s area of emphasis is on drums and rotors. 

If you have trucks that you know haven’t received a brake system inspection in a while or have doubts about whether some will pass the inspection currently, don’t fret. The CVSA has several resources you can consult, including:   

• The brake inspection procedure used by CVSA-sanctioned inspectors   
• A brake inspection checklist to perform your own inspections   
• A downloadable flyer about drums and rotors as this year’s Brake Safety Week focus area  
• Information and a brochure about Performance-Based Brake Testers (PBBT), machines that determine braking performance of a vehicle and will be used in come Brake Safety Week inspections.  
• FAQs on brake systems and inspections, including anti-lock brake system (ABS) functions and regulation stroke limits. 
• Resources for drivers and mechanics on the importance of brake inspections and maintenance.  

This year’s brake blitz and 2025 Brake Safety Week results 

Brake Safety Week is part of CVSA’s Operation Airbrake, which also includes an unannounced, one-day brake safety inspection blitz. This one-day event for 2026 took place on April 14, with 574 vehicles taken out of service out of 4,021 total commercial motor vehicle inspections for an out-of-service rate of 14.3%, up from 8.7% in 2025. 

During this event, the most common out-of-service violation was the 20% defective brakes violation, where 20% or more of a vehicle’s brakes have an out-of-service condition. With 313 of 574 OOS violations during the blitz, the 20% defective violation made up almost 55% of the overall OOS total.  

Telematics can help you manage brakes in between inspections 

By employing telematics solutions, your fleet can take advantage of customized solutions built specifically for your carrier and its drivers.  

For example, a fleet could set up preventive maintenance alerts to perform a new brake inspection after a certain number of days, miles, or trips. It could also create a rule to keep tabs on every significant hard braking event a driver and truck go through. If paired with video telematics and an AI dash cam like the GO Focus Plus, a carrier can also use this braking data for driver coaching. Depending on your brake system or manufacturer, you may be able to monitor pad and lining wear through telematics, too.   

Conclusion

Brake maintenance is critical for fleet safety and compliance, but many carriers neglect it until it’s too late. Carriers may be placed out-of-service if they have faulty brakes during the Brake Safety Week blitz in August. Proactive solutions to avoid being placed OOS include using CVSA’s brake inspection resources and implementing telematics systems that monitor brake performance, track hard braking events, and set preventive maintenance alerts to catch issues before they become safety hazards or compliance violations.