[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 5]
[Revised as of October 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR393.40]

[Page 399-400]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
                      DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 393_PARTS AND ACCESSORIES NECESSARY FOR SAFE OPERATION--Table of 
Contents
 
                            Subpart C_Brakes
 
Sec.  393.40  Required brake systems.


    (a) Each commercial motor vehicle must have brakes adequate to stop 
and hold the vehicle or combination of motor vehicles. Each commercial 
motor vehicle must meet the applicable service, parking, and emergency 
brake system requirements provided in this section.
    (b) Service brakes. (1) Hydraulic brake systems. Motor vehicles 
equipped with hydraulic brake systems and manufactured on or after 
September 2, 1983, must, at a minimum, have a service brake system that 
meets the requirements of FMVSS No. 105 in effect on the date of 
manufacture. Motor vehicles which were not subject to FMVSS No. 105 on 
the date of manufacture must have a service brake system that meets the 
applicable requirements of Sec.  Sec.  393.42, 393.48, 393.49, 393.51, 
and 393.52 of this subpart.
    (2) Air brake systems. Buses, trucks and truck-tractors equipped 
with air brake systems and manufactured on or after March 1, 1975, and 
trailers manufactured on or after January 1, 1975, must, at a minimum, 
have a service brake system that meets the requirements of FMVSS No. 121 
in effect on the date of manufacture. Motor vehicles which were not 
subject to FMVSS No. 121 on the date of manufacture must have a service 
brake system that meets the applicable requirements of Sec.  Sec.  
393.42, 393.48, 393.49, 393.51, and 393.52 of this subpart.
    (3) Vacuum brake systems. Motor vehicles equipped with vacuum brake 
systems must have a service brake system that meets the applicable 
requirements of Sec.  Sec.  393.42, 393.48, 393.49, 393.51, and 393.52 of 
this subpart.

[[Page 400]]

    (4) Electric brake systems. Motor vehicles equipped with electric 
brake systems must have a service brake system that meets the applicable 
requirements of Sec.  Sec.  393.42, 393.48, 393.49 and 393.52 of this 
subpart.
    (5) Surge brake systems. Motor vehicles equipped with surge brake 
systems must have a service brake system that meets the applicable 
requirements of Sec.  Sec.  393.42, 393.48, 393.49, and 393.52 of this 
subpart.
    (c) Parking brakes. Each commercial motor vehicle must be equipped 
with a parking brake system that meets the applicable requirements of 
Sec.  393.41.
    (d) Emergency brakes--partial failure of service brakes.
    (1) Hydraulic brake systems. Motor vehicles manufactured on or after 
September 2, 1983, and equipped with a split service brake system must, 
at a minimum, meet the partial failure requirements of FMVSS No. 105 in 
effect on the date of manufacture.
    (2) Air brake systems. Buses, trucks and truck tractors manufactured 
on or after March 1, 1975, and trailers manufactured on or after January 
1, 1975, must be equipped with an emergency brake system which, at a 
minumum, meets the requirements of FMVSS No. 121 in effect on the date 
of manufacture.
    (3) Vehicles not subject to FMVSS Nos. 105 and 121 on the date of 
manufacture. Buses, trucks and truck tractors not subject to FMVSS Nos. 
105 or 121 on the date of manufacture must meet the requirements of 
Sec.  393.40(e). Trailers not subject to FMVSS No. 121 at the time of 
manufacture must meet the requirements of Sec.  393.43.
    (e) Emergency brakes, vehicles manufactured on or after July 1, 
1973. (1) A bus, truck, truck tractor, or a combination of motor 
vehicles manufactured on or after July 1, 1973, and not covered under 
paragraphs (d)(1) or (d)(2) of this section, must have an emergency 
brake system which consists of emergency features of the service brake 
system or an emergency system separate from the service brake system. 
The emergency brake system must meet the applicable requirements of 
Sec.  Sec.  393.43 and 393.52.
    (2) A control by which the driver applies the emergency brake system 
must be located so that the driver can operate it from the normal 
seating position while restrained by any seat belts with which the 
vehicle is equipped. The emergency brake control may be combined with 
either the service brake control or the parking brake control. However, 
all three controls may not be combined.
    (f) Interconnected systems. (1) If the brake systems required by 
Sec.  393.40(a) are interconnected in any way, they must be designed, 
constructed, and maintained so that in the event of a failure of any 
part of the operating mechanism of one or more of the systems (except 
the service brake actuation pedal or valve), the motor vehicle will have 
operative brakes and, for vehicles manufactured on or after July 1, 
1973, be capable of meeting the requirements of Sec.  393.52(b).
    (2) A motor vehicle to which the requirements of FMVSS No. 105 
(S5.1.2), dealing with partial failure of the service brake, applied at 
the time of manufacture meets the requirements of Sec.  393.40(f)(1) if 
the motor vehicle is maintained in conformity with FMVSS No. 105 and the 
motor vehicle is capable of meeting the requirements of Sec.  393.52(b), 
except in the case of a structural failure of the brake master cylinder 
body.
    (3) A bus is considered to meet the requirements of Sec.  
393.40(f)(1) if it meets the requirements of Sec.  393.44 and Sec.  
393.52(b).

[70 FR 48048, Aug. 15, 2005, as amended at 72 FR 9870, Mar. 6, 2007]