International Roadcheck—Why is it Important?
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The International Roadcheck is a 72-hour annual event conducted by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) certified inspectors who carry out a series of select initiatives that highlight motor carrier, vehicle, and driver safety. This event is the largest safety enforcement program on commercial vehicles in the world. During these three days, nearly 15 commercial trucks and buses in North America alone are inspected each minute.
Here at NTB, safety is always our number one priority and that is why every International Roadcheck is important to us. Follow along to read up on how you can prepare ahead of time so things go smoothly.
What to Expect
The next International Roadcheck is May 4-6 this year. To help bring awareness to different facets of roadside inspection, certain categories of violations are checked with each year’s event. This year, the two primary categories are: driver operating requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness. The focus of inspection on these categories are hours of service for drivers and vehicle lighting.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the 2020 Roadcheck results reported that issues with lighting accounted for 12.24% of all vehicle violations found. In regard to driver violations in 2020, reports showed 34.7% of drivers were operating through out-of-service hours. It is always critical that drivers stay within legal hours of service (HOS) and this year the CVSA will be checking for compliance. Visibility on the road with working lights and the prevention of driver fatigue through proper HOS and logging are vital components in highway safety.
For these inspections, a CVSA-certified inspector will perform a North American Standard Level 1 Inspection, which includes a 37-step checklist of the areas of focus for each year. Drivers will need to provide their Driver’s License to check operation credentials, a Medical Examiner’s Certificate and Skill Performance Evaluation if it applies, and a copy of the driver’s record of duty and vehicle inspection reports. Inspectors will also check a driver’s seatbelt usage, health, and wellbeing, and will observe for any apparent alcohol and/or drug impairment.
Once the inspection is completed and passed, a CVSA decal will be placed on all vehicles with no violations found during their inspection. As for vehicles that don’t pass the roadside check, their equipment will be put out-of-service for not meeting the North American Standard criteria.
Tips to Prepare
Though the checklist may seem daunting, the International Roadcheck serves to protect our drivers and to make the road a better and safer place. We have come up with some top tips to help our drivers feel confident during their inspection.
Know what focus areas are being inspected - Knowledge is power. Being prepared for the inspection will save time and ensure that driver logs and the pre-trip check adhere to the CVSA’s requirements.
Be organized - Taking the time to file all your paperwork into a neat binder, all in one place, is a game-changer.
Clean your truck - Finally an excuse to throw out those old jerky wrappers you’ve had laying around for a while! Cleaning your truck inside and out will surely help to make a good impression.
Brake check - Check brake pads, drums, and rotors and do a couple of brake tests to make sure everything is working properly.
Check your Hours of Service - Make sure your logging device is working accurately and you are staying within 11 hours of driving over each 14-hour work period. Please make sure you have your spare log book, know how to access your ELD manual on your tablet, and logs are filled and certified.
Keep up the pressure - Monitoring tire pressure not only improves safety but also keeps operating costs to a minimum.
Light it up - Properly installed and operational running and tail lights maximize visibility, keeping you and your vehicle safe.
Relax! - NTB strives to put the safest and most reliable vehicles on the road and cares about its drivers. As long as you are taking care of yourself and your vehicle, there is nothing to stress about.
Summary
Without the CVSA, there would be no streamlined enforcement dedicated to driver and vehicle safety. Not only is this a nonprofit organization, but the International Roadcheck provides a great opportunity to further educate the industry and general public when it comes to commercial vehicle safety and its importance. May 4th is nearly here, so make sure you’re prepared!
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