Inspectors took more than 15,000 commercial vehicles off the road during the CVSA International Roadcheck inspections done in the United States, Canada and Mexico in September. The top issues were brake systems and tires.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) conducts the high volume inspections every year for a 72-hour period. The goal is to ensure vehicle safety and compliance with regulations. Inspectors conducted the 2020 CVSA Roadcheck at weigh stations, inspection stations or by roving patrols.
The Top Issues Found in 2020 CVSA Roadcheck
During the 72-hour enforcement event, inspectors checked 50,151 vehicles across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Almost 21% of the vehicles inspected were put out of service.
Most of the inspections (26,451) were 37-step North American Standard Level I Inspection. However, inspectors also conducted Level II Walk-Around Driver/Vehicle Inspections, Level III Driver/Credential/Administrative Inspections and Level V Vehicle-Only Inspections, according to the CVSA.
The top five Vehicle Out-of-Service (OOS) Violations across North America included the following (number of violations in parentheses).
- Brake system (3,163)
- Tires (2,326)
- Lights (1,650)
- Cargo securement (1,586)
- Brake adjustment (1,567)
These also ranked as the top five OOS Violations in the U.S., although the number of brake adjustment issues was slightly more than cargo securement.
The Most Frequent Driver Requirement Issues in 2020
Inspectors also focused in 2020 on whether drivers met all the necessary requirements for operating a vehicle. The top five OOS violations for drivers include the following (number of violations in parentheses).
- Hours of Service (1,128)
- Moving violations, cell phone use, etc. (709)
- Wrong class license (687)
- False logs (455)
- Suspended license (141)
Additionally, inspectors checked for seatbelt usage. They issued 768 seatbelt violations, 753 of which were in the U.S. Mexico had eight and Canada had seven.
Overall, in the United States, inspectors conducted 45,046 inspections. They ended up removing 7,256 vehicles and 2,365 drivers from the road during the three-day inspection period. Inspections also checked 2,288 vehicles containing hazardous materials/dangerous goods, eventually taking about 12% of the vehicles and 1.4% of the drivers off the road.
The main issues with hazmat vehicles included loading, shipping papers, placards and markings. The next CVSA International Roadcheck is set for May 4-6, 2021. Fleet managers can prepare for the annual CVSA Roadcheck, as well as keep a fleet in good operational order, by creating a Fleet Preventive Maintenance Plan Checklist.
