USA Banner

Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Brake Performance Requirements for Commercial Motor Vehicles Inspected by Performance-Based Brake Testers

Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); request for comments.

The FMCSA is proposing to amend the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to establish pass/fail criteria for use with performance based brake testers (PBBTs), which measure the braking performance of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). A PBBT is a device that can assess vehicle braking capability through quantitative measure of individual wheel brake forces or overall vehicle brake performance in a controlled test. The specific types of PBBTs addressed in this notice are the roller dynamometer, breakaway torque tester, and flat- plate tester. Only those PBBTs which meet certain functional specifications developed by FMCSA, and published elsewhere in today's Federal Register, could be used to enforce the FMCSRs. The proposal would allow State and local enforcement officials to issue citations based on PBBT braking force measurements.

View PDF