What will CVSA inspectors be checking during annual safety blitz?

Truck drivers and fleets have a month left to prepare for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual 72-hour safety blitz, which is set for May 4-6.

CVSA said inspectors throughout North America will focus on two main inspection categories during the safety blitz: vehicle mechanical fitness, concentrating on lighting, and an examination of driver operating requirements, with an emphasis on hours of service (HOS).

According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the top vehicle violation in the U.S. in 2020 was for having an inoperable vehicle lamp, which accounted for over 12% of all vehicle violations and more than 4% of all out-of-service vehicle violations. 

The top driver out-of-service violation category in North America was HOS, accounting for 34.7% of all driver out-of-service conditions during last years Roadcheck.

While the focus of the inspections will be on lighting and HOS, inspectors will still mostly be conducting full 37-point Level I inspections during the three-day blitz.

However, truckers hauling critical COVID-19 vaccines throughout North America will not be held up for inspection “unless there is an obvious serious violation that is an imminent hazard,” CVSA stated in its release. Last year, CVSA was forced to delay Roadcheck until September because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Approximately 4 million commercial motor vehicle inspections are conducted every year throughout North America, with 17 trucks or buses inspected, on average, every minute during the 72-hour blitz, according to CVSA.

International Roadcheck, sponsored by CVSA, is conducted in partnership with the FMCSA and with support from industry and transportation safety organizations, including the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico.