Brake Safety Week: What To Check on Drums & Rotors
Prepare for the 2026 Brake Safety Week
When was the last time you checked your brakes? If it’s been a while, now is the time. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Brake Safety Week 2026 is set for August 24 – 30.
Remember: You should be visually inspecting breaks during your normal pre-trip inspection proccess.
During the seven-day event, FMCSA inspectors will conduct routine commercial motor vehicle (CMV) inspections, checking brake systems and components for wear or damage. If inspectors find a brake-related issue, your vehicle will be placed out of service (OOS) until it’s repaired. It will also affect your CSA score.
Last year, the CVSA conducted nearly 17,000 inspections during Brake Safety Week and placed 12.8% of vehicles OOS for brake-related violations. During Brake Safety Day earlier this year, inspectors placed 8.7% of 4,500+ inspected vehicles OOS.
This year’s focus area is drums and rotors, which increase the efficiency of your vehicle’s brakes. Broken pieces of drums or rotors can break off a vehicle on the road, causing damage to other vehicles, potentially leading to injuries or fatalities.
How can you avoid a vehicle OOS violation? Start with these eight drum and rotor inspection tips from the CVSA:
1. Include brakes in your pre- and post-trip inspections.
Check any part of the drum or rotor you can see.
2. Look for damage on the rotor’s surface.
Cracks or missing pieces on the friction surface indicate serious wear or failure.
3. Scan for cracks on the drum.
Pay attention to the outer portion and note any missing pieces or visible damage.
4. Inspect rusty rotors on disc brakes.
If a rotor is covered in heavy rust across the whole friction surface, it may mean the brake isn’t working.
5. Look for deep grooves on the rotor.
This could indicate a worn brake pad, creating metal-on-metal contact between the brake shoe and rotor.
6. Check for exposed vents.
If you can see the center vents on the rotor, the rotor is worn and needs replacing.
7. Complete all repairs.
Follow the brake manufacturer’s guidelines.
8. Report problems right away.
Log brake issues in your Driver Vehicle Inspection Report (DVIR) and notify your carrier. If it’s not reported, it won’t get fixed
Rotors and drums aren’t the only items to watch. Look for other common brake issues like worn hoses or brake lines, fluid or air leaks, steering axle problems, failed air loss rate tests, or faulty systems like low-air warnings and tractor protection. The more thorough your inspections, the better your chances of passing one.