2020’s International Roadcheck was postponed back in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) announced at the beginning of August that the event would take place September 9-11, 2020. That’s next week!
Basic Roadcheck Information
As in year’s past, International Roadcheck is considered the most high-volume and highly visible event for 2020. CVSA certified inspectors will be out on the roads in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Their primary objective is to conduct commercial motor vehicle (CMV) and driver inspections. Commercial drivers can expect to find enforcement at weigh stations, inspection stations, at designated fixed stops, or as part of roving mobile patrols. During the Wednesday to Friday next week, law enforcement personnel will inspect CMVs for compliance with federal regulations using the North American Standard Out of Service Criteria to identify critical violations.
This Year’s Special Emphasis: Driver Requirements
According to the FMCSA’s data, there were approximately 3.36 million inspections conducted in 2019, with 952,938 driver violations discovered; of that, 199,722 met conditions to be placed out-of-service. Therefore, this informed the CVSA’s decision to focus on driver requirements for the 2020 Roadcheck event.
Violations in any of the following areas will cause the CMV driver to be unqualified to drive, and will place the vehicle out of service for a specific period, or in some cases, until the condition is met:
- Driver age
- Commercial driver’s license or permit
- Driver medical/physical requirements
- Sickness or fatigue
- Intoxicating beverages and drugs and other substances
- Drivers record of duty status
Top 10 driver related violations
Roadside inspections uncover many driver related violations. Here is the list of the top 10 that have been found in previous years:
- Failure to use a seatbelt
- Record of duty status violation (general/ form and manner)
- Operating a property carrying vehicle without a valid medical certificate
- False report of record of duty status
- Operating a CMV without a commercial driver’s license (CDL)
- ELD – no record of duty status (ELD is required)
- No medical certificate in driver’s possession
- Drivers record of duty status is not current
- Driver failed to maintain supply of blank records of duty status graph grids
- Driver failed to maintain ELD instruction sheet.
North American Standard Level 1 Inspection
Along with this focus on driver requirements, inspectors primarily conduct the North American Standard Level I Inspection during each year’s Roadcheck event. This type of inspection is the most thorough roadside inspection. The NA Standard Level 1 Inspection is a 37-step procedure that includes an examination of both the driver and vehicle, in the following sequence:
- Choose Inspection Site
- Approach the vehicle
- Greet and prepare driver
- Interview driver
- Collect the driver’s documents
- Check for the presence of hazardous materials/transportation of hazardous goods
- Identify the carrier
- Examine driver’s license
- Check Medical Examiners Certificate and Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) certificate (if applicable)
- Check record of duty status
- Review driver’s daily inspection report (if applicable)
- Review periodic inspection report(s)
- Prepare driver for vehicle inspection
- Inspect front of tractor
- Inspect left front side of tractor
- Inspect left saddle tank area
- Inspect trailer front
- Inspect left rear tractor area
- Inspect left side of frailer
- Inspect left rear trailer wheels
- Inspect rear of trailer
- Inspect double, triple, and full trailers
- Inspect right rear trailer wheels
- Inspect right side of trailer
- Inspect right rear tractor area
- Inspect right saddle tank area
- Inspect right front side of tractor
- Inspect steering axle(s)
- Inspect axle(s) 2 and/or 3 (under carriage of CMV)
- Inspect axle(s) 4 and/or 5
- Check brake adjustment
- Inspect tractor protection system (this procedure tests both the tractor protection system and the emergency brakes)
- Inspect required brake system warning devices
- Test air loss rate
- Check steering wheel lash
- Check fifth wheel movement
- Complete the inspection
Professional drivers face a lot of stress and pressure each day just trying to do their job. Maneuvering through congested highways with cars on the road that do not have the knowledge or oftentimes patience it takes to share the road with a commercial vehicle; it may make drivers want to gamble a bit by taking unnecessary risks. However, a driver’s risk goes up exponentially for each violation they receive. So, make sure you are ready for this year’s Roadcheck next Tuesday to Thursday; remember, being put out of service due to violations costs an average of $861!
