In this YouTube safety PSA, Samuel Tucker (CPCU, CRM) reminds commercial truck drivers that Brake Safety Week runs from August 23‑29, 2026, and urges them to perform thorough pre‑trip brake inspections before any inspector arrives. He walks through a step‑by‑step visual and auditory checklist: examine each wheel end, drums, and rotors for cracks, damage, or contamination; look for oil, grease, or leaking seals; inspect brake hoses and lines for chafing, kinks, cracks, or leaks; listen for air leaks and test the low‑air warning system; verify the ABS warning light functions correctly; and ensure brake adjustment is proper. Tucker stresses that the inspection must cover both tractor and trailer, and that drivers should pay attention to how the vehicle feels while moving—pulling, weak or uneven braking, unusual noises. Any questionable finding should be reported and repaired only by qualified mechanics. He emphasizes that Brake Safety Week is not a one‑off test; the same rigorous inspection routine should be a daily habit to prevent violations, breakdowns, or serious accidents.
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Brake Safety Week is August 23rd through the 29th, and that means inspectors across the country will be paying extra attention to commercial vehicle brake systems. This year, there's also a special focus on brake drums and rotors. Don't wait for an inspection. The best time to find a brake problem isn't when you're sitting on the shoulder with an inspector. A careful pre-trip can help you catch problems before they turn into violations, breakdowns, or something much worse. Start with what you can see. Take a good look around each wheel end during your pre-trip. You're looking for anything that appears damaged, loose, Missing, cracked, contaminated, or simply different from what you're used to seeing. Pay attention to drums and rotors. Brake drums and rotors are getting extra attention during this year's Brake Safety Week. Damage to these components can affect braking performance, and severely damaged pieces can even break apart while the vehicle is moving. Look for signs of cracking or damage. If you can see part of the drum or rotor, look for obvious cracks, broken sections, or other visible damage. You don't need to be a mechanic to recognize that something doesn't look right. Watch for contamination. Oil or grease around a wheel end deserves attention. A leaking wheel seal can allow contamination to reach braking components and reduce the effectiveness of the brakes. Check your brake hoses and lines. Look for hoses that are rubbing, chafed, cracked, kinked, leaking, or hanging where they shouldn't be. Listen for air leaks. Your ears are part of the inspection too. If you hear air escaping when it shouldn't be, don't just assume it's normal because the truck is still building air pressure. Test the low air warning. Make sure your low air warning system works properly. Inspectors may check the low air warning device, air loss rate, brake adjustment, tractor protection system, and other brake components during an inspection. Pay attention to the ABS light. Don't ignore an ABS warning light. Watch the light during startup and make sure it operates the way it's supposed to. Don't forget brake adjustment. Brake adjustment is another major part of a roadside brake inspection. If something about the braking system doesn't feel right, get it checked instead of assuming it'll correct Check the entire combination. Don't spend all your time looking at the tractor and forget about the trailer. The trailer's brakes, hoses, wheel ends, and other components matter just as much. A trailer problem is still your problem. You may have picked up a trailer you've never pulled before, but once you take it onto the road, defects on that trailer can still result in violations or an out-of-service condition. Pay attention to how the vehicle feels, Your inspection doesn't end when you start moving. If the vehicle pulls to one side, braking feels weak or uneven, you hear unusual noises, or something just doesn't feel right, pay attention to it. Don't ignore small warning signs. Brake problems rarely get better on their own. A small air leak, damaged hose, leaking seal, or unusual noise can turn into a serious problem if you keep driving. Report problems before you leave. If you find something questionable during your inspection, Report it. Don't convince yourself that it'll probably make one more trip or that someone else will catch it later. Don't make repairs you're not qualified to make. Your job is to perform a thorough inspection and report defects. If a repair or brake adjustment requires a qualified mechanic, get the right person involved. Brake Safety Week isn't a surprise test. Inspectors aren't looking for some new violation that only applies for one week. They're putting extra attention on brake requirements that apply every day you're on the road, A good pre-trip protects you, too. Finding a brake problem in the yard is inconvenient. Finding that same problem during a roadside inspection, on a steep downgrade, or when traffic suddenly stops in front of you can be a much bigger problem. Take the extra few minutes. During Brake Safety Week, give your brake system some extra attention before every trip. Check what you can see, listen for problems, test your system, and don't ignore something that doesn't look or feel right. You want every brake on your tractor and trailer working the way it's supposed to. Brake Safety Week may last 7 days, but a careful brake inspection should be part of every trip, every week of the year. Thanks for watching, and stay safe out there.
