FMCSR 393.45UV: Brake Tubing/Hoses Inadequate — Driver FAQ

It depends on the inspector's judgment — but it happens more often than you might expect. Although 393.45UV is not automatically OOS-eligible on its face, our inspection records show a 41.8% out-of-service rate across all 2,699 all-time citations. That means roughly 4 in 10 drivers cited for this violation were parked on the spot. For comparison, the all-FMCSR average OOS rate across every code in our database is 31.4%, so 393.45UV runs about 10 percentage points hotter than the average violation. Severity of the damage — deep chafing, crimping near a fitting, active abrasion — is what typically pushes an inspector to pull the vehicle.

393.45UV carries a severity weight of 7 on the FMCSA CSA scale. That raw score gets multiplied based on how recently the violation occurred: inspections in the last 6 months apply a 3× time-weight multiplier, the next 6 months apply 2×, and anything older than 12 months uses 1×. So a fresh 393.45UV citation can effectively contribute 21 weighted points to your Vehicle Maintenance BASIC before other factors are applied. Our database recorded 1,829 citations for this code in just the last 12 months, which tells you inspectors are actively writing it up — keeping it off your record matters.

Get the hose or tubing inspected and repaired by a qualified mechanic before your next dispatch. Here's a practical checklist drawn from the co-occurring violation pattern in our data:

1. Fix the cited brake tubing/hose first — 393.45UV appeared alongside 393.45B2UV (also brake tubing inadequate) in 92 shared inspections in the last 90 days, meaning multiple brake-line defects often exist at once. Have a technician inspect the full brake system, not just the flagged line.
2. Check slack adjusters — 393.47E appeared in 69 shared inspections. Out-of-adjustment brakes compound the risk.
3. Audit lamps — 393.9 (Inoperable Required Lamp) appeared in 79 shared inspections. A quick walk-around before your next stop prevents a second citation.
4. Verify your inspection records are current — 396.3A1 appeared in 67 shared inspections.
5. Document the repair with a shop invoice and keep it in the cab.

Yes — its 41.8% OOS rate puts it well above most peers in the Vehicle Maintenance category. For context, our inspection records show that 393.47E (Slack adjuster defective) has 180,363 all-time citations but a 0.0% OOS rate under that specific code designation, and 393.9 (Inoperable Required Lamp) sits at just 6.9% OOS across 180,097 citations. Even 396.3(a)(1) — the general inspection/maintenance catch-all with 236,919 citations — comes in at 45.3% OOS, which is the only peer code in the category that clearly outpaces 393.45UV. Brake tubing damage is treated by inspectors as a genuine safety threat, not a paperwork issue.

Yes, you can submit a challenge through FMCSA's DataQs system, but success depends on what you're disputing. DataQs (the Data Quality Request system) lets drivers and carriers request a review of inspection records they believe are inaccurate. For an equipment-based finding like 393.45UV, a strong challenge typically requires documentation that the cited component was not actually damaged at the time of inspection — a contemporaneous shop inspection report, photos, or a qualified mechanic's written assessment dated close to the inspection date all help. Challenges based solely on disagreement with the inspector's judgment, without supporting documentation, rarely result in deletion. If the violation is accurate, the more practical path is repair documentation and letting the time-weight multiplier reduce the CSA impact over 12–24 months.

Texas is by far the most active enforcement state for this violation. Looking at the last 180 days in our inspection records, Texas issued 740 citations for 393.45UV — more than eight times the next state. New Mexico is second with 92 citations and actually carries a higher OOS rate at 47.8% compared to Texas's 36.9%. Illinois rounds out the top three with 9 citations. The heavy Texas and New Mexico concentration is consistent with high cross-border commercial traffic along I-35 and I-10 corridors, where vehicles coming from Mexico account for a significant share of the citation volume.

Enforcement is active and has been consistently elevated for over a year. Our database recorded 1,829 citations for 393.45UV in the last 12 months and 372 in just the last 90 days. Monthly totals have ranged from 138 to 192 citations over the past year, with October 2025 hitting the highest single-month count at 192 citations. The 41.8% all-time OOS rate means nearly half of cited drivers face an immediate work stoppage. There is no seasonal dip in the trend data that would suggest a safe window to delay repairs — inspectors are writing this code year-round. Fix the tubing before the next inspection, not after.

Both the driver and the carrier take a hit, but through different BASIC categories. Under FMCSA's CSA methodology, a 393.45UV citation is a Vehicle Maintenance BASIC violation. It attaches to the carrier's Safety Measurement System (SMS) profile — directly affecting the carrier's Vehicle Maintenance BASIC percentile. At the same time, the violation appears on the driver's inspection history and can affect the driver's individual record that future employers and enforcement personnel can review. Among the top carriers in our all-time data, TRANSPORTE INTERNACIONAL LOPEZ OCHOA SA DE C V (USDOT 1041907) leads with 21 citations, showing how repeated violations accumulate against a single carrier's profile.