393.40 — Inadequate brakes

FMCSA violation code under Vehicle Maintenance. 457 events recorded in roadside inspections. Severity weight: 8. Out-of-service eligible.

OOS Eligible
Severity Weight
8
OOS Eligible
Yes
BASIC Category
Vehicle Maintenance
Total Events
457
Code
393.40
Code System
FMCSR
BASIC Category
OOS Eligible
Yes
Severity Weight
8
Violation Group
BASIC 5
Total Events
457
Carriers Cited
391

Violation Description

Commercial motor vehicle equipped with brakes that are inadequate or fail to meet performance requirements.

About This Violation Code

Code 393.40 falls under the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC category in FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS). It carries a severity weight of 8 (scale 1-10, higher = more severe). This violation is Out-of-Service eligible, meaning the driver or vehicle may be placed out of service at roadside when cited.

When this violation is cited during a roadside inspection, it contributes to the carrier's Vehicle Maintenance BASIC score. Carriers with high BASIC percentiles may be prioritized for FMCSA interventions including warning letters, investigations, or compliance reviews.

Regulatory Reference

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

This violation references 49 CFR 393.40 in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

Events (all time)
457
OOS Events
105
OOS Rate
23.0%
Top State (180d)
Texas
4 events

Top Enforcing States

Where 393.40 is most commonly cited (last 180 days)

1.Texas
4
OOS 75.0%
2.Illinois
1
OOS 0.0%
3.North Carolina
1
OOS 0.0%

Click a state to see roadside inspection activity, top stations, and carrier profiles in that jurisdiction.

Citation Trend (12 months)

Monthly count of 393.40 citations. Red bars mark months with OOS-triggering citations.

8
May
7
Jun
8
Jul
2
Aug
1
Nov
3
Jan
1
Feb
1
Mar

Most Active Stations

Inspection stations citing 393.40 most often (last 180 days)

2.80
1
OOS 0.0%

Often Cited Together

Other violations commonly found on the same inspection (last 90 days)

Top Carriers Cited

Ranked by frequency • 391 carriers total • Page 1 of 16

Recent Inspections

Latest inspections where 393.40 was cited • 457 total events • Page 1 of 19

Recent Inspections with 393.40

Showing 25 of 457

fmcsa-inspections
Recent Inspections with 393.40
DateReport #StateLevelOOS
Mar 8, 202687242412NCLevel 1No
Feb 24, 202687139467ILLevel 1No
Jan 21, 202686907120TXLevel 1No
Jan 19, 202686907153TXLevel 2Yes
Nov 20, 202586405727TXLevel 1Yes
Aug 18, 202585555913ILLevel 4No
Aug 6, 202585432207PALevel 1No
Jul 28, 202585362706PALevel 1Yes
Jul 23, 202585374168TXLevel 1Yes
Jul 21, 202585384069TXLevel 1No
Jul 12, 202585469541MSLevel 1No
Jul 8, 202585169572TXLevel 1Yes
Jul 3, 202585181339TXLevel 2Yes
Jul 1, 202585139685IALevel 1No
Jun 30, 202585102666PALevel 1Yes
Jun 27, 202585092561PALevel 1No
Jun 16, 202584976301PALevel 1Yes
Jun 10, 202584923010MSLevel 1No
May 30, 202584824016KYLevel 1No
May 28, 202584814589PALevel 1No
May 24, 202584786232IALevel 1No
May 14, 202584731198TXLevel 2Yes
May 5, 202584591304KYLevel 1Yes
May 1, 202584593282TXLevel 1Yes
Apr 16, 202584431253PALevel 1No

Data sources & freshness

FMCSA Vehicle Inspections and Violations
Updated 3 months ago
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 CFR)
Unknown freshness