Updated as of April 26, 2021, to reflect the CVSA International Roadcheck inspection event taking place May 4-6.
The talk around roadside inspections by law enforcement always seems to be about the nitpicky violations owner-operators receive. And, of course, so many believe they should just be able to get the “fix-it warning,” correct the problem and go on down the road.
With the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance-coordinated annual International Roadcheck coming up this year May 4-6, plenty drivers simply plan not to work that week, as happens every year. But the reality is officers are conducting these same inspections nearly every day to the tune of typically well more than 3 million truck inspections annually.
Roadcheck results year after year are worth looking at with a mind toward avoiding issues. For instance, 62,000 inspections occurred during the 2017 event, and basically 23 percent of vehicles and 4 percent of drivers inspected were placed out of service. In 2020, with an emphasis on the hours of service and electronic logging devices, upward of 50,000 inspections put 15,000-plus drivers/trucks out of service, most, as usual, having to do with equipment.
This year’s emphasis is in two areas -- one related to that equipment in the vehicle lighting category, the other the hours of service following 2020-implemented rule changes. Inspectors will, of course, not ignore the rest of the components of the full Level 1 vehicle and driver inspection. At once, most inspection violations are avoidable if owner-ops and drivers do two simple things more often. Invest in full inspections with every PM and take the time to do walkarounds — regardless of how rushed you feel, or how uncomfortable the weather is, or how recently you just did one.
When I was on the road, these are investments I made because I knew they would pay off in the long run.
Owning a 19-year-old truck with more than 1.6 million miles when I retired from the road late in 2019, I ought to know the CVSA standard inspection procedures by heart, as the unit’s age required extremely close attention to maintenance items. When I dropped off my truck for a PM appointment I additionally requested that complete inspection. I repeated that request 5-6 times a year. That additional $50 investment in safety and prevention was worth every penny to me.
