Commercial motor vehicle enforcement personnel in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico conducted 48,761 inspections during this year’s International Roadcheck May 14-16, and discovered 13,567 vehicle, 2,714 driver and 163 hazardous materials/dangerous goods (HM/DG) out-of-service violations.
During the event organized by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, inspectors in the three countries placed 9,345 (23% of those inspected) commercial motor vehicle combinations and 2,290 (4.8% of those inspected) drivers out of service.
In the U.S., CVSA-certified inspectors performed 42,332 inspections during the three days of Roadcheck. Inspectors identified 11,675 vehicle, 2,619 driver and 140 hazmat violations and placed 7,930 vehicle combinations (23.2%) and 2,151 (5.1%) drivers out of service. The top vehicle violation in the U.S. was for defective brakes (3,093). The U.S.'s top driver violation was hours of service (845). Loading was the top hazmat violation (60).
Each year, International Roadcheck places special emphasis on a category of vehicle violations and a category of driver violations. The vehicle emphasis area this year was on tractor protection systems (TPS), including the tractor protection valve, trailer supply valve and anti-bleed-back valve. Inspectors identified 564 TPS-related violations on commercial motor vehicle combinations. Tractor protection systems safeguard the tractor’s air supply and prevent air loss when the tractor is not connected to a trailer or if the trailer breaks away.
The driver emphasis area this year was on alcohol and controlled-substance possession. Inspectors issued 78 drug and 26 alcohol possession/use out-of-service violations throughout North America during International Roadcheck.
In the U.S., inspectors identified 63 drivers who were placed out of service for operating vehicles even though they were listed in the FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, an online government database that identifies drivers who are prohibited from operating a commercial motor vehicle based on drug and alcohol program violations and ensures that such drivers receive the required evaluation and treatment before operating a commercial motor vehicle.
Another driver violation that was captured during Roadcheck was safety belt usage. A total of 535 safety belt violations were issued during this year’s inspection effort.
In North America, there were 163 HM/DG out-of-service violations during the 72 hours of Roadcheck. The top out-of-service violation was for loading.
