393.48 Violation: What It Means and How to Fix It
Data through September 24, 2026 · Last updated October 28, 2026 · By Chad Griffith, founder
Quick Answer
393.48 (Brakes to be operative) was cited 14,172 times in roadside inspections of interstate for-hire carriers with 5 to 50 trucks from September 25, 2024 to September 24, 2026, and 9.4% of those citations put the driver or vehicle out of service. The most common version is 393.48A-BIBD: Drum Brake - Inoperative other than a steering axle.
14,172
Citations on carriers with 5 to 50 trucks
9.4%
Out of service
69,695
All carriers, same period
What the rule says
All brakes must be operative (49 CFR 393.48).
When it puts you out of service
About 9% out of service here; enough inoperative brakes on one combination becomes brakes out of service under 396.3.
The codes on the inspection report
| Code | What the officer wrote | Severity weight | Citations, 5 to 50 trucks | Out of service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 393.48A-BIBD | “Drum Brake - Inoperative other than a steering axle” | 4 | 4,911 | 0.9% |
| 393.48A | “Inoperative/defective brakes” | 4 | 3,167 | 14.3% |
| 393.48A-BMBCBD | “Drum Brake - Missing/broken component(s)” | 4 | 2,568 | 2.2% |
| 393.48A-BLMACBD | “Drum Brake - Loose chamber/spider/camshaft support bracket” | 4 | 990 | 7.2% |
| 393.48A-BIHE | “Hydraulic/Electric Brake - Inoperative other than a steering axle.” | 4 | 823 | 2.1% |
| 393.48A-BI-SA | “Brake - Inoperative on a steering axle” | 4 | 550 | 97.3% |
| 393.48A-BIAD | “Air Disc Brake - Inoperative other than a steering axle” | 4 | 434 | 1.4% |
| 393.48A-BMBCAD | “Air Disc Brake - Missing/broken component(s)” | 4 | 212 | 5.2% |
| 393.48A-BLMCBAD | “Air Disc Brake - Loose chamber/caliper mounting bolt(s)” | 4 | 155 | 4.5% |
| 393.48A-BMBC | “All Brakes - Missing or Broken Components including Pad Retaining Components and loose or missing caliper mounting bolt(s)” | 4 | 85 | 27.1% |
| 393.48A-BSRFSAD | “Air Disc Brake - Severe rusting of brake rotor (disc)” | 4 | 78 | 1.3% |
| 393.48A-BI-TSA | “Brake - Inoperative on a trailer steering axle” | 4 | 71 | 71.8% |
How it scores (violation points)
How it scores: in FMCSA's Safety Measurement System each violation counts its severity weight, plus 2 if it put the driver or vehicle out of service, times 3 in its first 6 months, 2 from 6 to 12 months, and 1 from 12 to 24 months. FMCSA has approved a simpler scale that is not live yet.
How to fix it
- Repair the brake before the vehicle moves and record it on the inspection report.
- Check every brake on that combination.
Stop it happening again
- Brake checks at every preventive maintenance service, with the findings written down.
Challenging it in DataQs
Use DataQs (dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov) only when the report is wrong: the wrong carrier or vehicle, a violation that did not happen, or a citation a court dismissed without a fine or found you not guilty of, which removes it from the Safety Measurement System; a conviction of a different charge lowers its weight to 1 (FMCSA adjudicated citations policy). Fixing the defect afterward is not a reason to remove it; keep the repair record instead.
FileFlo reads your public FMCSA record, lists every violation with the rule behind it, and keeps the driver and vehicle records that stop repeats.
Run it yourself: the Audit-Ready Setup, $499 through December 31, 2026, then $199 a month for up to 15 trucks. Or FileFlo runs it: $1,500 a month for up to 15 trucks, Setup included, and your first month back if you are not happy.
About these numbers
Counts are violations cited in roadside inspections used in FMCSA's Safety Measurement System from September 25, 2024 to September 24, 2026 (dataset 8mt8-2mdr on data.transportation.gov, October 2026 run). Carriers with 5 to 50 trucks means 66,936 active interstate for-hire carriers with 5 to 50 power units and more trucks than buses, based in the 50 states or DC, from FMCSA's census file. This is FileFlo's reading of public FMCSA data, not an FMCSA rating. Severity weights are the current SMS weights.