On April 22, 2025, inspectors across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico conducted a surprise blitz on commercial vehicle brakes. Known as Brake Safety Day, this one-day event focuses on finding rigs with serious brake problems.
The results: Of the 4,569 trucks checked, 398 (about 9%) were put out of service right away because of brake violations.
- Most trucks—over 91%—had no brake issues that took them out of service.
- This year’s inspections paid close attention to problems with drums and rotors. Thirty-two trucks had these issues, fourteen of which were pulled off the road.
- 237 trucks failed because 20% or more of their brakes were defective, meeting the “20% defective brakes” rule.
- Inspectors also found 77 rigs with bad brake hoses or tubing, 48 failed steering axle checks, and 38 failed air loss tests.
- Some other reasons for being taken out of service included worn hoses, faulty warning devices, air leaks, and hydraulic fluid leaks.
A handful of U.S. inspectors used machines to test braking performance directly. Out of 100 trucks tested, eight failed and were put out of service for not stopping well enough, according to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.
The next big brake enforcement effort—Brake Safety Week—will run from August 24 to 30, 2025, across North America.