Well over 80% of vehicles passed in International Roadcheck 2021

August 3, 2021

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During the three-day inspection blitz in May known as International Roadcheck 2021, about 83.5% of the vehicles inspected had no out-of-service violations.

More than 40,000 commercial motor vehicle inspections were conducted May 4-6 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, according to a news release from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, which sponsors the inspection event. In the U.S. and Canada, both vehicles and driver records were inspected. In Mexico, only vehicles were inspected.

CVSA-certified inspectors at weigh stations, inspection stations, road side and designated inspection sites in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. inspected commercial trucks and combinations, cargo tank hazardous materials/dangerous goods trucks and combinations, noncargo tank hazmat trucks and combinations, and motor coaches/buses during International Roadcheck.

Inspectors primarily conducted the North American Standard Level I inspection, a 37-step inspection process that involves a thorough inspection of the vehicle (including underneath the vehicle) and the driver. Inspectors performed 23,135 Level I inspections and removed 5,048 vehicles (21.8%) and 1,200 (5.2%) drivers from roadways due to the discovery of critical vehicle or driver inspection item violations as identified in the CVSA North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria.

In addition to Level I inspections, inspectors also conducted Level II walk-around driver/vehicle inspections, Level III driver/credential/administrative inspections and Level V vehicle-only inspections.

In Canada and the U.S., inspectors conducted 9,410 Level II inspections and placed 1,593 (16.9%) vehicles and 549 drivers (5.8%) out of service. They also conducted 6,836 Level III inspections and placed 331 drivers out of service. That is a 4.8% driver out-of-service rate.
In Mexico, inspectors with the Ministry of Communications and Transportation and the National Guard conducted 1,288 Level V vehicle-only inspections.

U.S. inspections

Level I inspections – 19,786
Vehicles placed out of service – 4,136 (20.9%)
Drivers placed out of service – 1,083 (5.5%)

Canada inspections

Level I inspections – 3,349
Vehicles placed out of service – 912 (27.2%)
Drivers placed out of service – 117 (3.5%)

Mexico vehicle inspections

Level V inspections – 1,288
Out-of-service vehicles – 36 (2.8%)

CVSA decals

Vehicles that pass a Level I or V inspection with no critical vehicle inspection item violations are eligible to receive a CVSA decal. Generally, vehicles displaying a valid CVSA decal, valid for up to three months, are not subjected to inspection. Instead, jurisdictions typically focus their efforts on vehicles that do not display a valid decal.

CVSA decals were placed on 9,951 power units, 3,795 trailers and 190 motor coaches/buses for a total of 13,936 decals.

International Roadcheck violation breakdown

CVSA emphasized lighting and hours-of-service violations this year.

There were 1,367 out-of-service lighting violations, accounting for 14.1% of all vehicle out-of-service violations. It was the third most-cited violation, after brake systems and tires. Out-of-service lighting device violations include headlamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, turn signals and lamps on projecting loads.

Top out-of-service vehicle violations

Brake systems – 2,564 (26.5%)
Tires – 1,804 (18.6%)
Lights – 1,367 (14.1%)
Brake adjustment –1,203 (12.4%)
Cargo securement – 1,192 (12.3%)

Top out-of-service driver violations

Hours of service – 1,203 (41.5%)
Wrong class license – 565 (19.5%)
Other (such as operating without the required operating authority, expired or no medical certificate, operating a commercial motor vehicle while ill or fatigued, or driving while prohibited by the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse) – 482 (16.6%)
False logs – 427 (14.7%)
Suspended license – 132 (4.6%)

Top out-of-service violations for hazardous materials/dangerous goods

Loading – 78 (40%)
Placards – 35 (17.9%)
Shipping papers – 30 (15.4%)
Markings – 14 (7.2%)
Training Certificate – 8 (4.1%)

U.S. breakdown

Top U.S. out-of-service vehicle violations

Brake systems – 2,151 (25.9%)
Tires – 1,643 (19.8%)
Lights – 1,163 (14%)
Brake adjustment – 1,051 (12.7%)
Cargo securement – 956 (11.5%)

Top U.S. out-of-service driver violations

Hours of service – 832 (33.6%)
Wrong class license – 553 (22.3%)
Other – 481 (19.4%)
False logs – 411 (16.6%)
Suspended license – 127 (5.1%)

Canadian breakdown

Top Canadian out-of-service vehicle violations

Brake systems – 400 (30.2%)
Cargo securement – 236 (17.8%)
Lights – 165 (12.4%)
Tires – 159 (12%)
Brake adjustment – 145 (10.9%)

Top Canadian out-of-service driver violations

Hours of service – 89 (64%)
False logs – 16 (11.5%)
Wrong class license – 12 (8.6%)
Violating license restriction– 10 (7.2%)
Suspended license – 5 (3.6%)

International Roadcheck began in 1988. LL