Every August, CVSA inspectors across North America run Brake Safety Week — a coordinated enforcement blitz focused entirely on brake systems. Historically, roughly one in eight trucks inspected during the campaign is placed out of service, and brake violations remain the single most common out-of-service defect all year long.
An out-of-service order during a blitz week isn’t just a bad day. It’s a towed or repaired-on-the-shoulder truck, a late load, and a violation that sits on your CSA profile for two years — where every insurance underwriter will see it at renewal time.
The good news: most brake violations are catchable in a 15-minute inspection before the wheels roll. Walk the rig and check for chafed or kinked air hoses, listen for audible leaks, measure pushrod travel, confirm slack adjusters are within spec and matched across axles, and look at linings for wear and contamination. If your drivers do a real brake check as part of the pre-trip during the weeks before the blitz, Brake Safety Week becomes a non-event.
A clean roadside history does more than keep you rolling — it directly supports a better insurance rate. At Class Insurance Agency we shop your coverage across multiple trucking carriers, and a strong CSA profile gives us more to work with.
Want to know what your safety record could save you? Call 360-450-2211 or request a free quote at classinsur.com.