2021 International Road Check
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The 2021 Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance International Roadcheck is almost here!
What is Roadcheck?
For those unfamiliar the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is an international organization that provides certification for Commercial Vehicle Enforcement officers to perform compliance inspections (among lots of other things). Additionally, they also coordinate several key inspection blitzes throughout the year in order to target negative transportation compliance trends. One of those blitzes is called the “International Roadcheck” and aims to inspect as many commercial vehicles as possible over a 72 hour period. From May 4 through May 6, 2021 commercial vehicle enforcement officers across North America will be on the highway’s participating in the program
What Type of Inspection to Expect
The CVSA has developed the North American Standard Inspection which is broken out into 8 different levels. Level 1 is the most detailed as it will consist of a detailed full inspection of the vehicle(s) and the driver/vehicle documents. Inspection levels 2 through 8 will vary the level of detail and what items may be inspected. However, the goal of Roadcheck will be to conduct as many level 1 inspections as possible in order to develop an effective random sampling of the current on-road compliance levels.
How the Inspection is Performed
The Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer will perform a detailed inspection, measurements, and tests in order to determine if there are any deficiencies. However, the officer is not performing any task that a driver doesn’t have the capability to do themselves. In fact, a full level 1 inspection is basically a very thorough pre-trip inspection that drivers should be performing on regular intervals anyway. The majority of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers are not certified mechanics or technicians. Instead they are trained in looking for commercial vehicle deficiencies and are not required to know the proper methods for conducting repairs (much like drivers).
What Results To Expect
Having a compliance inspection conducted by an enforcement officer can be a very stressful experience. When the officer has completed the inspection they will present a report to the driver. For every deficiency identified in the inspection, the officer will consult the CVSA’s Out of Service Criteria to verify if the deficiency is unsafe for the vehicle to be operated on the road. Each defect will be rated as either Requires Attention or Out of Service. Defects rated as Requires Attention will allow the driver to leave the inspection site with the vehicles and may require confirmation sent to the enforcement officer that a repair was conducted in a timely manner after the inspection. Any Out of Service defects prevent the driver and/or vehicle from being moved until the defect is corrected. This might involve having a mobile mechanic attend the inspection location to conduct a repair. It’s important to understand that an inspection with any defect can also result in a violation ticket issued from the officer. Additionally the results will be permanently attached to a driver’s commercial driver abstract and the company’s carrier profile.
If there are no deficiencies identified on a full level 1 inspection, the officer will affix a CVSA decal to the inspected vehicles. A pass on a full level 1 inspection will be recorded on the driver’s commercial driver abstract and provide a benefit to the company’s carrier profile.
Finally, there are some items that may be involved in local regulations that are not included in the CVSA inspection. It is possible for a driver and vehicle to pass a full level 1 inspection and still receive a violation ticket for another matter.
What Is This Years Focus
While every inspection should be conducted to the same standard, every Roadcheck has a focus area. Officers will be given guidance to watch out for defects in certain areas that have been identified as a past negative compliance trend. For 2021, CVSA has stated that the Driver’s Hours of Service records and Lighting/Reflectors will be their focus.
How Can I Prepare
The most important piece to be prepared for Roadcheck is to ensure that your drivers are properly trained to conduct effective vehicle inspections. We offer an industry leading online training course for vehicle inspections that should provide your drivers with the knowledge required to conduct effective inspections. Additionally, we offer hours of service training course that can help ensure your drivers know the required rules inside and out.
Secondarily, your company should have a properly implemented maintenance program to ensure that vehicles are being inspected and repaired on a regular basis.
However, it’s also important to not forget the focus areas of the inspection blitz. Drivers should be encouraged to be extra diligent with their hours of service records. It would also be a benefit to ensure that any lighting or reflector issues in your fleet that you may have been putting off are corrected.
Finally, giving your drivers the proper tools and knowledge conducting trip inspections is crucial. The CVSA sells their Out of Service Criteria in a paper book or via a mobile app. CayCan has also developed ComplianceBox to assist drivers with their pre-trip inspection reporting and has cross referenced defects from the Out of Service Criteria.
Air brakes are one of the highest causes of Out of Service items on commercial vehicles during roadside inspections by commercial vehicle enforcement. Properly educating drivers on their responsibilities and required actions when a defect is identified can reduce your risk of collisions, failed inspections, and violation tickets. Each of these can reduce the overall liability to your operating authority (National Safety Code #, DOT #, Safety Fitness Certificate, and/or CVOR #).
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