More than 50,000 North American Standard Level I, II, III and V Inspections were conducted throughout Canada, Mexico and the United States during the most recent Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA’s) annual International Roadcheck. This inspection and enforcement initiative highlights the work of 13,000 commercial motor vehicle inspectors throughout North America and acknowledges the compliance of motor carriers and professional drivers through the issuance of a CVSA decal on eligible vehicles.
In total, 50,151 inspections were conducted in 2020 during the three-day period, with nearly 13,088 CVSA decals issued. However, 12,254 vehicles were removed from the roadways for out-of-service violations, and 3,247 drivers were deemed unfit to perform their duties.
Out-of-service violations mean that either the inspected vehicle or driver will not be allowed to perform their duties until the violations in question are resolved. Out-of-service violations can affect motor carriers’ Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA) scores and their Safety Fitness Determination (SFD) ratings.
CVSA Inspection Specifics
The 50,151 inspections were classified as one of three different North American Standard (NAS) levels:
- Level I inspections consist of 37 steps, including an examination of commercial vehicles‘ mechanical fitness and of drivers’ operating requirements.
- Level II inspections generally include everything that can be checked without getting physically under the vehicle.
- Level III inspections include a review of driver requirements, such as a commercial driver’s license (CDL), vehicle documentation, cargo, record of duty status and other requirements.
- Level V inspections are equivalent to the Level I NAS inspection, except for the drivers are not present. These normally occur after an incident or arrest.
Of the 50,151 inspections conducted, 26,451 were Level I, 11,224 were Level II, 11,364 were Level III and 1,112 were Level V.
The 72-hour inspection and enforcement highlights the daily work of more than 13,000 commercial motor vehicle inspectors throughout North America.
The CVSA places a different emphasis on the International Roadcheck each year. The specific focus in 2020 was on driver requirements, which includes:
- Violations for driver’s age
- Commercial drivers’ license or operator’s/chauffer’s license or permit
- Medical/physical requirements
- Record of duty status
- Sickness or fatigue
- Intoxicating beverage, drugs and other substances
In total, there were 3,247 out-of-service violations.
Most Common United States Violations
The three most common out-of-service vehicle violations in the United States that occurred during the International Roadcheck inspections accounted for almost three-fourths of all such results:
- Braking systems—2,716 (25.4%)
- Tires—2,102 (19.7%)
- Lights—1,476 (13.8%)
Meanwhile, the three most common United States violations that resulted in a driver being put out-of-service made up more than three-fourths of the total:
- Hours of service—999 (32.5%)
- Other (e.g., moving violations, cellphone use)—694 (22.6%)
- Wrong class license—683 (22.2%)
Other CVSA Inspection Numbers
During the three days of checks, of the 33,714 Level I and Level II Inspections conducted in the United States, 2,288 CMVs carrying hazardous materials and/or dangerous goods were inspected. These consisted of standard Level I inspections as well as checks for compliance of shipping papers, placarding, marking, labeling, packaging and loading.
Of these inspections, the total number of out-of-service violations in the United States was 173. There was a 12% out-of-service rate for vehicles and 1.4% out-of-service rate for drivers. The most common violations among vehicles carrying hazardous materials and/or dangerous goods were:
- Loading—89 (51.4%)
- Shipping papers—38 (22%)
- Placarding—34 (19.7%)
Of the 50,151 total inspections, the overall out-of-service rate in North America for Level I, II and V inspections combined was 20.9%.
