Last month, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) released the results of its International Roadcheck commercial motor vehicle inspection and enforcement initiative, which took place from May 17-19 (2022).
According to CVSA, inspectors conducted 58,287 North American Standard Inspections, which consisted of:
- 36,555 Level I Inspections – This 37-step process checks the driver’s operating credentials and requirements, and the vehicle’s mechanical fitness and regulatory compliance.
- 12,411 Level II Inspections – This inspection involves reviewing the driver’s operating credentials and requirements, and includes only vehicle inspection items that can be inspected without the inspector physically getting under the vehicle.
- 8,171 Level III Inspections – This is the driver credentials and operating requirements inspection.
- 1,150 Level V Inspections – This inspection involves vehicle inspection items and may be conducted without a driver present, at any location.
In total, over the course of the three-day initiative, CVSA-certified inspectors conducted 59,026 inspections and placed 12,456 commercial motor vehicles and 3,714 commercial motor vehicle drivers out of service.
Being placed out of service means the driver or vehicle is prohibited from operation for a specified period of time or until the violation is corrected. Out-of-service violations are outlined in CVSA’s North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria—and are applied when an inspector finds critical vehicle inspection item out-of-service violations.
Regionally, 36,555 Level I inspections were conducted in Canada and the U.S., and 1,150 Level V inspections were conducted in Mexico. All told, 8,718 vehicles were placed out of service—a 23.1% vehicle out-of-service rate for North America. For Level I and II Inspections, 48,966 vehicles were inspected in Canada and the U.S., with 11,181 vehicles placed out of service—a 22.8% vehicle out-of-service rate. Additionally, 3,118 drivers were placed out of service, comprising a driver out-of-service rate of 6.4%.
On a positive note, the data also reveals that 77.2% of the vehicles and 93.6% of the drivers inspected incurred no out-of-service violations. To that end, such vehicles that do not receive any critical vehicle inspection item violations following a Level I or V Inspection, are eligible to receive a CVSA decal—valid for up to three consecutive months after inspection. These decals serve as a visual indicator to inspectors that the vehicle has “passed inspection.”
As for decals, CVSA inspectors distributed 14,200 of them—placed on 10,135 power units, 3,876 trailers, and 189 motorcoaches.
Deeper Dive
According to further data released by CVSA, of the 36,555 Level I inspections conducted in Canada and the U.S., 23.7% of the vehicles inspected (8,672) were placed out of service and 6.1% (2,242) of drivers were placed out of service.
In the U.S., of the 33,196 Level I Inspections conducted, 7,912 commercial motor vehicles (23.8%) and 2,051 drivers (6.2%) were placed out of service.
In Canada, of the 3,359 Level I Inspections conducted, 760 commercial motor vehicles (22.6%) and 191 (5.7%) drivers were placed out of service.
As for Mexico, 1,150 Level V inspections were conducted. Thirty-six commercial motor vehicles were placed out of service—a 3.1% out-of-service rate.
International Roadcheck is a CVSA program with participation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, and Mexico’s Ministry of Communications and Transportation and the National Guard. Since its inception in 1988, more than 1.8 million roadside inspections have been conducted.
For additional information, and an even deeper dive into CVSA’s breakdown of violations per category, click here.
