With International Roadcheck coming, here’s data from 2018

May 13, 2019

Land Line Staff

|

With the approach of this year’s annual International Roadcheck increased enforcement period, June 4-6, it is informative to look at data from the 2018 Roadcheck.

During the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s International Roadcheck inspection and enforcement initiative, inspectors in jurisdictions throughout North America will conduct inspections on commercial motor vehicles and drivers.

During International Roadcheck, CVSA-certified inspectors will primarily conduct the North American standard Level I inspection, a 37-step procedure that includes an examination of driver operating requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness. Inspectors may opt to conduct the Level II walk-around driver/vehicle inspection, Level III driver/credential/administrative inspection or Level V vehicle-only inspection.

The vehicle inspection includes checking critical items such as brake systems; cargo securement; coupling devices; driveline/driveshaft; driver’s seat (missing); exhaust systems; frames; fuel systems; lighting devices (headlamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, turn signals and lamps/flags on projecting loads); steering mechanisms; suspensions; tires; van and open-top trailer bodies; wheels, rims and hubs; and windshield wipers.

Each year, International Roadcheck places special emphasis on a category of violations. This year’s focus is steering and suspension systems.

The emphasis in 2018 was on hours-of-service compliance.

The CVSA offers what it calls a cheat sheet of items to check.

Roadcheck 2018

During the 2018 Roadcheck, 67,603 roadside inspections were conducted on large trucks and buses, the CVSA reports.

From all inspections, inspectors identified 11,910 vehicles with out-of-service conditions and 2,666 drivers with out-of-service conditions.

Of the North American Standard Level I Inspections conducted, 21.6% of commercial motor vehicles were placed out of service.

The top vehicle out-of-service conditions were for brake systems (28%), tires and wheels (19%), brake adjustment (19%), and cargo securement (13%).

Of the total number of drivers receiving a Level I, II or III inspection, 3.9% were placed out of service for driver-related violations.

The top driver out-of-service conditions were for hours of service (1,328), wrong class license (649) and false record of duty status (309). Hours-of-service violations was the top reason drivers were placed out of service during the 2017 and 2018 International Roadcheck enforcement periods.

There were 729 safety belt violations.

CVSA’s International Roadcheck began in 1988. The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (Mexico) participate in International Roadcheck.