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

The FMCSA amends the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to establish pass/fail criteria for use with performance-based brake testers (PBBT), which measure the braking performance of commercial motor vehicles. 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 rule are the roller dynamometer, breakaway torque tester, and flat-plate tester. Only those PBBTs that meet certain functional specifications, developed by FMCSA, can be used to enforce the FMCSRs. The final rule allows motor carriers and State and local enforcement officials to use PBBTs to determine compliance with existing brake performance requirements.