The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has announced the dates for this year’s annual International Roadcheck inspection blitz as well as the violation emphasis – steering components and suspension systems defects and issues.
CVSA Announces Details for International Roadcheck

The 2019 blitz will take place from Tuesday, June 4 to Thursday, June 6 throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Each year the International Roadcheck places a special emphasis on a category of violations. This year’s violation emphasis category is steering components and suspension systems. 

Steering and suspension are critical for all commercial vehicles, which is why CVSA has chosen each as the focus for this year’s 72-hour blitz.

“Steering and suspension are safety critical systems for any commercial motor vehicle,” said CVSA President Chief Jay Thompson with the Arkansas Highway Police in a news release. “Not only do they support the heavy loads carried by trucks and buses, but they also help maintain stability and control under acceleration and braking, keeping the vehicle safely on the road. Furthermore, they keep tires in alignment, reducing chances of uneven tire wear and possible tire failure, and they maximize the contact between the tires and the road to provide steering stability and good handling.”

Truck drivers inspected during the blitz will receive a full 37 point North American Standard Level I Inspection, according to the CVSA.

What does an inspection entail?

The 37-step procedure includes an examination of driver operating requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness. Inspectors may opt to conduct the Level II Walk-Around Driver/Vehicle Inspection, Level III Driver/Credential/Administrative Inspection or Level V Vehicle-Only Inspection.

View the North American Standard Level I Inspection Procedures here, including details on what each step entails.

The CVSA has also published documentation on Rack and pinion steering system inspection as well as Safety Procedures for Lift Axle Inspection and Safety Inspection Procedures for Vehicles Equipped with Air Suspension.

According to the CVSA, the vehicle inspection includes checking critical inspection items such as: brake systems; cargo securement; coupling devices; driveline/driveshaft; driver’s seat (missing); exhaust systems; frames; fuel systems; lighting devices (headlamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, turn signals and lamps/flags on projecting loads); steering mechanisms; suspensions; tires; van and open-top trailer bodies; wheels, rims and hubs; windshield wipers.

Drivers will be required to provide their driver’s license (operating credentials), Medical Examiner’s Certificate and Skill Performance Evaluation Certificate (if applicable), driver’s record of duty status and vehicle inspection report(s) (if applicable). Inspectors will also check drivers for seat belt usage, sickness, fatigue and apparent alcohol and/or drug impairment.

If no critical vehicle inspection item violations are found during a Level I or Level V Inspection, a CVSA decal will be applied to the vehicle, indicating that the vehicle successfully passed a decal-eligible inspection conducted by a CVSA-certified inspector; however, when a rear impact guard is required and violations are present, a CVSA decal shall not be issued.

If an inspector does identify critical vehicle inspection item violations, he or she may render the vehicle out of service if the condition meets the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria. This means the vehicle cannot be operated until the vehicle violation(s) are corrected. A driver can also be placed out of service for driver credential-related issues or driver conditions, such as fatigue or impairment.

Out-of-service orders and the number, type and severity of safety violations affect a motor carrier’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) score and its Safety Fitness Determination rating. CSA is the safety compliance and enforcement program of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) designed to improve safety and prevent commercial motor vehicle crashes, injuries and fatalities by holding motor carriers and drivers accountable for their role in safety.

More about International Roadcheck

International Roadcheck is the largest targeted enforcement program on commercial motor vehicles in the world, with around 17 trucks and buses inspected, on average, every minute in Canada, the United States and Mexico during a 72-hour period. Since its inception in 1988, more than 1.6 million roadside inspections have been conducted during International Roadcheck campaigns.

Questions? Contact NHH Services

NHH Services’ Safety Team is ready to assist with driver education and training to ensure the company’s fleet is safe on the road and compliant with the latest laws, as well as up-to-date with road closures and construction. Contact us if you have any specific questions.