Recently, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) released the results of its 2021 International Roadcheck. This inspection and enforcement initiative highlights the work of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) inspectors throughout North America, acknowledging the compliance of motor carriers and professional drivers through the issuance of a CVSA decal on eligible vehicles.
In total, 40,669 inspections were conducted in 2021 during the three-day period. Approximately 83.5% of the CMVs examined had no out-of-service violations. However, 6,710 vehicles were removed from the roadways for out-of-service violations, and 2,080 drivers were deemed unfit to perform their duties.
Out-of-service violations mean that either the inspected vehicle or driver will not be allowed to perform their duties until the offenses in question are resolved. Out-of-service violations can affect motor carriers’ Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA) scores and their Safety Fitness Determination (SFD) ratings.
Inspection Specifics
The CVSA places a different emphasis on the International Roadcheck each year. The specific focus in 2021 was on lighting and hours of service violations.
In total, there were 1,367 out-of-service lighting violations, accounting for 14.1% of all vehicle out-of-service violations. Out-of-service lighting violations include headlamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, turn signals and lamps on projecting loads.
Hours of service was the most cited driver out-of-service violation, accounting for 1,203, or 41.5%, of all driver out-of-service violations. Hours of service regulations limit the number of hours that drivers of commercial property- and passenger-carrying vehicles are permitted to operate. For tips on how to conduct a pre-trip vehicle safety inspection, click here. To identify factors increasing commercial auto insurance rates, click here.
Most Common Violations
The five most common out-of-service vehicle violations in the United States found during the International Roadcheck inspections were:
- Braking systems: 2,151 (25.9%)
- Tires: 1,643 (19.8%)
- Lights: 1,163 (14%)
- Brake adjustment: 1,051 (12.7%)
- Cargo securement: 956 (11.5%)
Meanwhile, the five most common violations that resulted in a driver being put out-of-service included:
- Hours of service: 832 (3%)
- Wrong class license: 553 (22.3%)
- Other (e.g., moving violations, cellphone use): 481 (19.4%)
- False logs: 411 (16.6%)
- Suspended license: 127 (5.1%)
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