The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has released the results from the inspections they conducted during International Roadcheck 2021, which took place from May 4-6. The annual North American initiative is conducted in partnership with the:
- U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
- Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA)
- Transport Canada
- Mexican Ministry of Communications and Transportation
- Mexican National Guard
During the three-day period, enforcement personnel inspected over 40,000 commercial motor vehicles to ensure the drivers and vehicles were operating safely and within federal regulations and compliance standards. Here’s what they discovered.
The country-by-country breakdown
To conduct the inspections, many inspectors in the U.S. and Canada adhered to the North American Standard Level I Inspection, which is a comprehensive, 37-step process that involves inspecting both the vehicle and driver. In the U.S. and Canada, inspectors found 21.8% of vehicles and 5.2% of drivers had critical Level I violations. They then marked these vehicles and drivers out-of-service (OOS) and removed them from the roadways.
Enforcement personnel also conducted Level II, Level III, and Level V inspections, which involve specific types of inspections, including administrative and walk-around.
The country breakdowns for Level I inspections are as follows:
- In the U.S., there were 19,786 Level I inspections, 4,136 (20.9%) OOS vehicle violations, and 1,083 (5.5%) OOS driver violations.
- In Canada, there were 3,349 Level I inspections, 912 (27.2%) OOS vehicle violations, and 117 (3.5%) OOS driver violations.
In Mexico, inspectors also conducted Level V inspections, which are vehicle-only inspections. Officials inspected 1,288 vehicles, marking 36 (2.8%) of their vehicles as OOS.
The top vehicle and driver violations
This year, the CVSA’s top data focus was on lighting violations, as inoperable lamps were the number one vehicle violation in 2020.
Out of the total OOS vehicle violations recorded, here are the top five:
- Brake systems: 2,564 (26.5%)
- Tires: 1,804 (18.6%)
- Lights: 1,367 (14.1%)
- Brake adjustment: 1,203 (12.4%)
- Cargo securement: 1,192 (12.3%)
On the driver side, the CVSA highlighted Hours of Service (HOS) compliance as their top data focus this year. In 2020, HOS compliance was the top OOS violation for drivers. In 2021, HOS still lead the pack of driver violations.
Here’s the breakdown on driver violations:
- HOS: 1,203 (41.5%)
- Wrong class license: 565 (19.5%)
- Other (Includes expired medical certificates, operating while fatigued, etc.): 482 (16.6%)
- False logs: 427 (14.7%)
- Suspended license: 132 (4.6%)
Fleet leaders can invest in enhanced vehicle reporting and compliance solutions for better vehicle and driver safety and compliance. Investing in reliable fleet intelligence and safety technology is the most straightforward way to avoid hefty violations and fines during International Roadcheck and throughout the year. Your drivers, teams, and bottom-line costs will thank you!
I hope International Roadcheck 2021 was a success for you and your teams! Read the CVSA’s thorough and helpful breakdown of their inspections, violations, and insights from the three-day initiative.