Starting today through Thursday, May 6, commercial motor vehicle inspectors in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will be conducting inspections of commercial motor vehicles and drivers for International Roadcheck, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual 72-hour, high-volume inspection and enforcement initiative.
During International Roadcheck, CVSA-certified inspectors primarily conduct the North American Standard Level I Inspection. The Level I Inspection is a 37-step process to confirm compliance with driver operating requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness. However, inspectors may instead opt to conduct the Level II Walk-Around Driver/Vehicle Inspection, Level III Driver/Credential/Administrative Inspection or Level V Vehicle-Only Inspection.
Level I and V Inspections are the only inspections that may result in a passed-inspection CVSA decal. There are four possible outcomes after the completion of a Level I or V Inspection by a CVSA-certified inspector:
- Vehicle passes inspection with no violations – If no violations are found, a CVSA decal may be applied to the vehicle, indicating the vehicle successfully passed inspection. In general, vehicles with decals are not re-inspected during the three-month period during which the decal is valid.
- Violations are found, but they are not critical vehicle inspection item violations – When an inspector identifies vehicle violations, but they are not critical vehicle inspection item violations, the inspector will note those violations on the inspection report and the vehicle will be permitted to continue. Vehicles without critical vehicle inspection item violations are eligible to receive a CVSA decal. However, a decal will not be issued if violations are present on the rear impact guard.
- Violations of critical vehicle inspection items are found, but they are not out-of-service conditions – When an inspector identifies a critical vehicle inspection item violation, the inspector will note those violations on the inspection report and the vehicle will be permitted to continue. Vehicles with critical vehicle inspection item violations are not eligible to receive a CVSA decal.
- Out-of-service violations are discovered – If critical vehicle inspection item violations are found and the condition is identified in the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria, the inspector will render the vehicle out of service, which means the vehicle cannot be operated until the identified violations have been repaired.
In addition, inspectors will check the driver’s operating credentials, hours-of-service documentation, seat belt usage, and for alcohol and/or drug impairment. A driver will be placed out of service if an inspector discovers driver-related out-of-service conditions.
Violations, even ones that are not out-of-service violations, can affect a motor carrier’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) score. CSA is the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) safety compliance and enforcement program designed to improve safety and prevent commercial motor vehicle crashes by holding motor carriers and drivers accountable for their role in safety.
Each year, CVSA member jurisdictions capture and report data on a category of violations during International Roadcheck to bring awareness to certain aspects of a routine roadside inspection. This year, inspectors will capture data on two categories – hours of service and lighting.
During the three days of International Roadcheck, and beyond, roadside enforcement officials will conduct inspections following their department’s health and safety protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In addition, as the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues, every effort will be made to get vaccine shipments to their destination, quickly and safely. COVID-19 vaccine shipments will not be held up for inspection, unless there is an obvious serious violation that is an imminent hazard.
International Roadcheck is a CVSA program with participation by FMCSA, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, and Mexico’s Ministry of Communications and Transportation and its National Guard.