CVSA Roadcheck Inspection Results for 2018
Back in June, we wrote about the 3-day International Roadcheck that was about to affect thousands of truck drivers across North America. Organized by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), the focus in 2018 was on Hour-of-Service Compliance.
Now, thousands of roadside inspections later, the CVSA has released the results of their annual driver and vehicle inspections.
How many trucks and drivers were affected?
At a high-level view, 67,603 roadside inspections were conducted on large trucks and buses. That number is up a bit from last year's 62,013 total inspections. This year's inspections resulted in 11,910 vehicles being placed out-of-service and 2,666 drivers found to have conditions that placed them out-of-service. Another 211 were placed out of service due to hazardous materials/dangerous goods (HM/DG).
This means that out of all the North American Standard Level I Inspections (45,501), a whopping 21.6 percent resulted in a commercial vehicle being placed out of service.
Keep in mind that 60,321 of the total inspections were conducted in the United States, while just 7,282 were done in Canada.
In 2018, there were 5,590 more inspections compared to 2017.What does being placed out-of-service mean?
Being placed out-of-service does not mean the driver or vehicle is a lost cause. A vehicle that is placed out of service must have the mechanical issue corrected before its allowed to be on the road again, and a driver who is in violation has to correct their infraction before getting back behind the wheel.
Let's look at exactly what caused these drivers and vehicles to be, at least temporarily, put out of commission.
Top 3 reasons for vehicles being placed out-of-service
Here are the top violations of the 2018 International Roadcheck according to the CVSA.
- Brake Systems - 4,545 (28.4 percent)
- Tires & Wheels - 3,060 (19.1 percent)
- Brake Adjustment - 2,612 (16.3 percent)
Top 3 reasons for drivers being placed out-of-service
- Hours of Service - 1,328 (43.7 percent)
- Wrong Class License - 649 (21.4 percent)
- False Record of Duty Status - 309 (10.2 percent)
Other reasons for being placed out-of-service
Believe it or not, there were 729 safety belt violations and about 72 drivers were in violation of drug/alcohol policies. Of the 211 placed out-of-service for hazardous materials or dangerous goods, 25.6 percent was due to loading or securement.
And while it's obvious that many drivers were tripped up by this year's focus on hours of service regulations, last year's spotlight on proper cargo securement showed up as a problem area again this year. About 1,548 vehicles, or 13 percent of total out-of-service vehicles, were found to have insufficient cargo securement.
A good reminder to stock up on quality cargo securement equipment from US Cargo Control. Our 4" ratchet straps all meet or exceed industry standards, and our heavy-duty Blackline straps hold the strongest break strength in the industry.
