It might seem like the trucking industry in the North American continent just had an International Roadcheck from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), and that would be correct. The previous one was scheduled for May 5-7th, but was delayed to September over COVID-19 fears. Now that fears have died down regarding the pandemic, the CVSA wants to have another Roadcheck, a year after the originally planned date for 2020.
Focus
While the International Roadcheck has varying types of inspections that examine more or less thoroughly, the CVSA also highlights specific things to check each year. This time, it is focusing on alertness: both the driver with hours-of-service compliance, and the truck via proper lighting.
The decision for these two categories comes from data and statistics compiled from both the FMCSA and CVSA. For example, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported that almost 1/8th of all vehicle violations in 2020 were from “lamps inoperable”. The hours-of-service inspection comes fresh off the heels of last year’s International Roadcheck, where 34.7% of all driver failures were due to hours-of-service violations.
Beyond focusing on those two aspects, inspectors will also check items such as (but certainly not limited to):
- Brakes
- Wheels
- Tires
- Steering
- Suspensions
- Coupling devices
Conclusion
While the CVSA was caught off-guard last year by the coronavirus and resulting pandemic, now that society knows more about the virus and how to reduce the risk of spreading the infection, it is hard to think of a reason why this one would be delayed. Inspections will follow standard COVID-19 protocols (social distancing, masks, etc.), but will also not inspect trucks doing COVID-19 vaccine shipments unless there is a glaring violation.
If you or someone you know plans to drive their truck from May 5th to the 7th, make sure they have it as close to immaculate as possible during those seventy-two hours.
