The results from Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s International Roadcheck are officially in. The roadchecks were conducted over a three-day period on May 4th-6th. CVSA reported that they inspected over 40,000 vehicles. Out of those 40,000 vehicles, 83.5% of them had no out of services violations. On the other hand, 6,710 commercial vehicles were removed from the road. In this blog, we’ll discuss the process of inspections and the top violations from this year.
About the Inspections
Not only did the International Roadcheck take place in the U.S. but also in Canada and Mexico. They conducted inspections at weigh stations, inspection stations, roadsides, and designed inspection sites on a variety of commercial motor vehicles, including commercial trucks and combinations, cargo tanks, buses, etc.
The majority of the roadchecks used the North American Standard Level I Inspection. This inspection does a thorough sweep of the entire vehicle (and the driver) in a 37-step process. This process alone removed 5,048 vehicles and 1,200 drivers from the road due to violations.
Those who pass the inspection typically receive a CVSA decal, which is valid for up to three months. As a result, inspectors generally focus their efforts on vehicles that do not have a valid decal.
Top Violations
The inspections are split into two groups — both for critical vehicle inspections and driver inspection items. The top violations reflect those two categories:
Top Out of Service Vehicle Violations
- Brake Systems – 26.5%
- Tires – 18.6%
- Lights – 14.1%
- Brake Adjustment – 12.4%
- Cargo Securement – 12.3%
Top Out of Service Driver Violations
- Hours of Service – 41.5%
- Wrong License – 19.5%
- Other* – 15%
- False Logs – 14.7%
- Suspended License – 4.6%
*Other – Operating without the required operating authority, expired or no medical certificate, ill or fatigued, prohibited while in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, etc.
Areas of Focus
Each year, the CVSA emphasizes areas of focus for the inspections. This year, the chosen categories were lighting and hours of service.
Lighting was the third most-cited violation for critical vehicle inspections — with a total of 14.1% of all violations. The most common lighting violations are contributed inoperable headlamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, turn signals, and lamps on projecting loads.
Hours of service was the top violation for driver inspection items — with a grand total of 41.5% of all violations. Hours of service is critical because it limits the number of hours that drivers are permitted to spend driving/working. Drivers are required to spend a minimum amount of time resting between shifts to prevent driver fatigue and unsafe driving.
Closing Thoughts
All in all, the International Roadcheck makes our roadways safer by taking hazardous vehicles and drivers off the road. Since it began in 1988, more than 1.7 million inspections have been conducted. Drivers will tell you that the best way to prepare for these inspections is to have the proper documentation, know how to use your ELD, and do your pre and post trip inspections. It won’t be long until it’s 2022, so keep your eyes out for next year’s International Roadcheck dates!
Reference: Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, CVSA Releases 2021 International Roadcheck Results