Nearly 400 commercial vehicles ordered out-of-service during surprise 24 hour brake blitz

On Tuesday, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) released results from an unannounced brake inspection event that took place in April.

CVSA’s annual surprise Brake Safety Day took place April 22, 2025, in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, with an emphasis on brake drum and rotor violations.

During single day effort, certified commercial motor vehicle inspectors conducted their routine roadside inspections with a focus on brake systems and components, and provided brake-related inspection and violation data to CVSA.

See below for key takeaways from CVSA Brake Safety Day 2025.

• 4,569 commercial motor vehicle inspections were conducted
• 398 (8.7%) of inspected vehicles were placed out-of-service due to brake-related violations
• 4,171 (91.3%) of inspected commercial motor vehicles did not have any brake-related out-of-service violations
• Thirty-two (8%) of the inspected commercial motor vehicles had drum/rotor violations
• 237 (59.5%) of inspected commercial motor vehicles that met the 20% defective brakes criterion, which is when 20% or more of the vehicle’s (or combination of vehicles’) brakes have an out-of-service condition.
• 77 out-of-service violations related to brake hoses and/or tubing uncovered
• 48 vehicles had steering axle out-of-service violations
• 38 vehicles failed an air loss rate test
• 112 other out-of-service brake violations, such as worn brake lines/hoses, inoperative tractor protection system, inoperative low-air warning device, air leaks, hydraulic fluid leaks, etc.

• CVSA’s Brake Safety Week campaign will take place throughout North America Aug. 24 — 30, 2025.