396.3A1-BNMH — Brake - Non-manufactured hole or crack in the spring brake housing section of a parking brake.

FMCSA violation code under Vehicle Maintenance. 1,990 events recorded in roadside inspections. Severity weight: 4. Out-of-service eligible.

OOS Eligible

Violation code 396.3A1-BNMH is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations citation issued under 49 CFR 396.3. It tracks a specific compliance failure recorded against motor carriers and drivers during FMCSA roadside inspections. The code rolls up into the FMCSA Safety Measurement System (SMS) Vehicle Maintenance BASIC, which feeds the carrier's percentile ranking and prioritization for FMCSA interventions. It applies to interstate motor carriers, drivers, and the commercial motor vehicles they operate; intrastate operators are subject when their state has adopted Part 350 of the FMCSR by reference. It carries a severity weight of 4, an inspection citing it can trigger an Out-of-Service order at the roadside, 1,990 citations have been recorded against this code in the FMCSA inspection record.

Severity Weight
4
OOS Eligible
Yes
BASIC Category
Vehicle Maintenance
Total Events
1,990
Code:
396.3A1-BNMH
Code System:
FMCSR
BASIC Category:
Vehicle Maintenance
OOS Eligible:
Yes
Severity Weight:
4
Violation Group:
Brakes All Others
Total Events:
1,990
Carriers Cited:
1,536

Ranks #547 of 3,146 FMCSR codes by citation frequency • OOS rate of 98.6% is above the FMCSR-wide average of 33.4%.

What 396.3A1-BNMH means

Brake - Non-manufactured hole or crack in the spring brake housing section of a parking brake.

This is a specific FMCSA dictionary variant of section 396.3; it is not interchangeable with the bare 396.3 catch-all code.

CSA/SMS severity weight 4 on FMCSA's 1–10 scale in the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC.

Out-of-service eligible — an inspector can place the driver or vehicle out of service until the condition is corrected. Observed OOS rate in our mirror: 98.6% (1,962 of 1,990 citations).

1,990 citations recorded in the FMCSA inspection mirror across 1,536 carriers.

Ranks #547 of 3,146 FMCSR codes by citation frequency.

Most cited recently in Missouri (48 events in the last 180 days).

How to use this code

CSA weight, OOS trigger, inspector focus, fix path, and DataQs — from published FMCSA fields and citation counts on this page

CSA / SMS weight

Severity weight 4 (1–10). Higher weights correlate more strongly with crash risk in FMCSA's published table. Rolls into the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC. SMS applies time weights (3× / 2× / 1×) over a 24-month window before ranking carriers by percentile.

All Vehicle Maintenance codes →

OOS trigger

This code is OOS-eligible under CVSA Out-of-Service Criteria. A roadside finding can stop the trip until the defect or condition is corrected. In our mirror, 98.6% of 396.3A1-BNMH citations (1,962 of 1,990) carried an OOS flag.

What inspectors typically check

FMCSR violations for brake defects, tire issues, lighting failures, frame damage, and other mechanical deficiencies.

  • Brake condition, adjustment, and air-system integrity
  • Tire tread/condition, lighting, and reflectors
  • Frame, coupling, cargo securement, and other mechanical defects

Vehicle Maintenance category →

Fix and prevent

  • Correct the underlying condition before the next trip — an OOS-eligible finding can park the truck or driver immediately.
  • Catch it on pre-trip and scheduled PM before a roadside Level I/II does — brakes, tires, and lamps dominate this BASIC.
  • Keep the correction in the compliance file — undocumented fixes look the same as non-compliance in a review.

DataQs challenge grounds

Carriers and drivers can file a Request for Data Review within 24 months when the record itself looks wrong. Common accepted grounds:

  • Wrong violation code for the condition the inspector described
  • Citation attributed to the wrong USDOT, driver, or unit
  • Condition was already corrected / not present when the report was finalized
  • Supporting evidence (photos, receipts, calibration, ELD extract) contradicts the citation

For brokers and shippers

Severity 4/10 — weigh frequency and recency on the carrier's inspection history, not a single old citation. OOS-eligible: a fresh citation can mean the load was interrupted at roadside until repaired. Most-cited carrier in our table: EVANS DELIVERY COMPANY INC (6 citations). 1,536 carriers have at least one 396.3A1-BNMH citation in the mirror — open a carrier's inspection list to see whether this code is a pattern or a one-off.

Violation Description

Brake - Non-manufactured hole or crack in the spring brake housing section of a parking brake.

Regulatory Reference

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

This violation references 49 CFR 396.3A1 in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

Events (all time)
1,990
OOS Events
1,962
OOS Rate
98.6%
Top State (180d)
Missouri
48 events

Top Enforcing States

Where 396.3A1-BNMH is most commonly cited (last 180 days)

1. Missouri
48
OOS 100.0%
2. Kentucky
47
OOS 97.9%
3. California
30
OOS 90.0%
4. Maryland
29
OOS 100.0%
5. Pennsylvania
22
OOS 95.5%
6. Virginia
22
OOS 100.0%
7. Michigan
21
OOS 100.0%
8. South Carolina
17
OOS 100.0%
9. US
17
OOS 100.0%
10. Oklahoma
13
OOS 100.0%
11. Ohio
13
OOS 100.0%
12. Arkansas
12
OOS 100.0%
13. Tennessee
12
OOS 100.0%
14. New York
11
OOS 100.0%
15. Florida
7
OOS 100.0%

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

Citation Trend (12 months)

Monthly count of 396.3A1-BNMH citations. Red bars mark months with OOS-triggering citations.

14
2025-07
137
2025-08
103
2025-09
125
2025-10
72
2025-11
66
2025-12
60
2026-01
76
2026-02
111
2026-03
6
2026-04
66
2026-05
77
2026-06
49
2026-07

Most Active Stations

Inspection stations citing 396.3A1-BNMH most often (last 180 days)

1. LONDON
10
OOS 90.0%
2. JOPLIN MO
10
OOS 100.0%
3. MAYVIEW MO
8
OOS 100.0%
4. KUTTAWA
7
OOS 100.0%
5. HARLEYVILLE SC
5
OOS 100.0%
6. BROWNSVILLE TX
5
OOS 100.0%
7. PA
4
OOS 100.0%
8. MANCHESTER TN
4
OOS 100.0%
9. SEQUOYAH POE
3
OOS 100.0%
10. SIDEWINDER PLATFORM SCALE
3
OOS 100.0%

Often Cited Together

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

Citation patterns suggest related root causes (e.g., HOS violations paired with logbook errors).

Top Carriers Cited

Ranked by frequency • 1,536 carriers total • Page 1 of 62

Recent Inspections

Latest inspections where 396.3A1-BNMH was cited • 1,990 total events • Page 1 of 80

Date Report # State Level OOS
88517179 MI Level 1 Yes
88514759 UT Level 1 Yes
88497857 MO Level 1 Yes
88503610 OH Level 1 Yes
88498317 AR Level 1 Yes
88495913 IA Level 2 Yes
88486528 PA Level 1 Yes
88481481 MI Level 1 Yes
88497796 MO Level 2 Yes
88494945 LA Level 1 Yes
88480529 US Level 2 Yes
88492043 WI Level 1 Yes
88471102 US Level 1 Yes
88469652 MO Level 1 Yes
88461981 AR Level 2 Yes
88444995 KY Level 2 Yes
88443639 MO Level 2 Yes
88442917 VA Level 1 Yes
88435683 MO Level 1 Yes
88431428 MO Level 2 Yes
88420051 KY Level 1 Yes
88415533 VT Level 1 Yes
88423494 OH Level 1 Yes
88417374 VA Level 1 Yes
88400771 DE Level 1 Yes

How to comply with violation code 396.3A1-BNMH

  1. Locate the regulation in the eCFR. Open https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-396.3 on eCFR.gov to read the legal text the citation is written against. The eCFR is the National Archives' continuously updated electronic Code of Federal Regulations and is the canonical reference for any FMCSR section.
  2. Determine if your operation is subject. Confirm whether your operation is interstate (always subject to the FMCSR) or intrastate (subject when your state has adopted 49 CFR Part 350 by reference; most have). Intrastate operators in non-adopting states may be subject to a state analog instead of the federal rule.
  3. Identify the documented requirement. Read the requirement carefully: "Brake - Non-manufactured hole or crack in the spring brake housing section of a parking brake." Map it to the specific equipment, driver document, or operational practice it covers.
  4. Inspect or maintain to standard. Build a recurring inspection or training routine that catches this defect before a roadside inspector does. Because 396.3A1-BNMH is OOS-eligible, a single citation can park the truck or driver until the condition is corrected — pre-trip checks, scheduled PMs, and supervisor reviews are the cheap places to find it.
  5. Document compliance to demonstrate it on review. Keep a dated, signed record of each inspection, repair, training session, or filing tied to 396.3A1-BNMH. During an FMCSA compliance review or a customer onboarding audit, the documentation is what proves the program runs — undocumented compliance is indistinguishable from non-compliance to the auditor.

Frequently asked questions about 396.3A1-BNMH

What is FMCSA violation code 396.3A1-BNMH?
Brake - Non-manufactured hole or crack in the spring brake housing section of a parking brake. The citation appears as code 396.3A1-BNMH on roadside inspection reports issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and rolls up into the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC.
Is 396.3A1-BNMH an out-of-service violation?
Yes. Code 396.3A1-BNMH is Out-of-Service eligible. When this violation is found at a roadside inspection, the inspector can place the driver or vehicle out of service immediately under the CVSA Out-of-Service Criteria, blocking continued operation until the condition is corrected.
What's the severity weight of 396.3A1-BNMH?
396.3A1-BNMH carries a severity weight of 4 on FMCSA's 1–10 scale. Higher weights indicate violations more strongly correlated with crash risk; FMCSA multiplies the weight by a time factor (3× for citations 0–6 months old, 2× for 6–12 months, 1× for 12–24 months) when computing the carrier's Safety Measurement System percentile.
How many inspections have cited 396.3A1-BNMH?
1,990 inspections in our FMCSA mirror cite 396.3A1-BNMH, of which 1,962 (98.6%) resulted in Out-of-Service orders. The Recent Inspections table on this page lists the most recent citations with date, state, level, and OOS flag — click any row to see the full inspection report.
Which BASIC category is 396.3A1-BNMH in?
396.3A1-BNMH rolls up into the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC of FMCSA's Safety Measurement System. The BASIC determines how the citation feeds the carrier's percentile ranking — carriers with high percentiles in a BASIC are prioritized for FMCSA interventions including warning letters, focused investigations, and full compliance reviews.
What does a carrier do to fix 396.3A1-BNMH?
Resolving a 396.3A1-BNMH citation has two parts: (1) correct the underlying condition immediately — repair the equipment defect, retrain the driver, file the missing form, or update the maintenance record — and (2) document the correction in the carrier's compliance file, ideally with date, time, and the name of the person who performed the work. Carriers that believe the citation was recorded in error can file a Request for Data Review through the FMCSA DataQs system within 24 months of the inspection date.
Where can I find related violation codes?
The "Often Cited Together" panel on this page lists violations frequently appearing on the same inspection as 396.3A1-BNMH — these usually share a root cause (for example, an HOS violation paired with a logbook error). The All Violation Codes index links to every code in the system, and the BASIC category page lists every code in Vehicle Maintenance.
Where can I find the full text of 396.3A1-BNMH?
The full regulatory text is published on eCFR.gov at 49 CFR 396.3. The eCFR is the official, continuously updated electronic Code of Federal Regulations maintained by the National Archives. The TruckCodex page mirrors enforcement data; the eCFR has the legal text the citation is written against.

About FMCSA violation codes

Every violation found during an FMCSA roadside inspection is recorded under a code drawn from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations — the codified safety rules motor carriers, drivers, and commercial motor vehicles must comply with in interstate commerce. Codes roll up into one of seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs): Unsafe Driving, Hours-of-Service, Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, Vehicle Maintenance, Hazardous Materials Compliance, and Crash Indicator. Each code carries a published severity weight (1–10) and an Out-of-Service eligibility flag.

Citations counted in the FMCSA Safety Measurement System (SMS) feed a 24-month rolling percentile rank for every motor carrier. Recent citations weigh more heavily than older ones — FMCSA applies a 3× multiplier to events 0–6 months old, 2× for 6–12 months, and 1× for 12–24 months. Carriers above the published intervention threshold for a given BASIC are prioritized for warning letters, focused investigations, and full compliance reviews.

TruckCodex mirrors the FMCSA Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) and the published violation dictionary on a daily refresh cycle. We do not author or modify violation records — every count, severity weight, and OOS flag on this page reflects what the FMCSA has on file. For real-time confirmation immediately before an enforcement decision, click through to the FMCSA Violations Search link above. Carriers who believe a citation was recorded in error can file a Request for Data Review through the FMCSA DataQs system.