Ready or not, the 2024 International Roadcheck is just around the corner. Are you ready for the three-day inspection blitz?
While many drivers opt to take a three-day “vacation” May 14-16 to avoid the hassle of high-volume inspections, others eagerly anticipate the chance of higher rates due to fewer available trucks during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual Roadcheck. The annual commercial motor vehicle inspection and regulatory compliance enforcement initiative takes in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.
Over the three days of International Roadcheck, inspectors will conduct the routine North American Standard Level I Inspection, a 37-step inspection procedure consisting of the examination of vehicle components and driver documentation and requirements.
CVSA has selected two focus areas for inspections.
- Vehicle: Tractor Protection Systems
According to the CVSA, specific components will be the tractor protection valve, trailer supply valve and anti-bleed back valve, items that are sometimes overlooked during trip and roadside inspections.
The Trucker’s Cliff Abbott, a former owner-operator, company driver and driver trainer, says drivers will be asked to assist in the brake inspection process.
One task they may be asked to perform is to remove the gladhands with the system charged to simulate an air pressure failure. Air must stop leaking from the supply line with at least 20 psi remaining.
The driver will also assist in the cab by releasing the tractor and trailer protection valves and by applying service brakes as directed by the inspector. The inspector will be looking and listening for air leaks in tractor and trailer, both with brakes released and applied.
Although not specified as a focus area, Level I inspections also include testing the air loss rate by requesting the driver hold down the brake pedal and measuring psi over time and testing of low-pressure warnings by pumping the brakes, bringing down air pressure until audio and visual warning devices activate. Brake adjustment is also checked.
A vehicle that successfully passes a Level I or V Inspection without any critical vehicle inspection item violations may receive a CVSA decal, which is valid for three months.
If out-of-service violations, as outlined in the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria, are found during an inspection, the vehicle will be restricted from operating until all out-of-service violations have been properly addressed.
- Driver: Alcohol and Controlled Substance Possession.
When this year’s International Roadcheck dates and focus areas were announced back in February, the CVSA noted, “Controlled substance and alcohol possession/use remains a significant concern for motor carriers, drivers and the general public. The number of prohibited drivers listed in the U.S. Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (DACH) has been increasing. This alarming trend poses a threat to all motorists who travel on roadways throughout North America.”
Inspectors will check the driver’s operating credentials, hours-of-service documentation, DACH status (in the U.S.), seat belt usage, and for alcohol and/or drug impairment.
Abbott warns that compliance with drug and alcohol regulations goes beyond the obvious: Don’t have controlled substances or alcoholic beverages in the truck, and don’t operate under the influence of them. In addition, he says, drivers who have prescription medications should make sure they’re in the original container and have a label showing they are legally prescribed for your use. Also, make sure you’re taking the medications as prescribed — and that you’re not driving if you aren’t supposed to be.
If an inspector identifies driver out-of-service violations, such as not possessing a valid or necessary operating license or exhibiting signs of impairment, the inspector will restrict that driver from operating their vehicle.
CVSA-certified law enforcement personnel will inspect commercial motor vehicles and drivers at weigh/inspection stations, temporary sites and mobile patrols to verify compliance with federal, state, provincial or territorial regulations. Data from the 72 hours of International Roadcheck will be collected and the results will be released this summer.
Linda Garner-Bunch has been in publishing for more than 30 years. You name it, Linda has written about it. She has served as an editor for a group of national do-it-yourself publications and has coordinated the real estate section of Arkansas’ only statewide newspaper, in addition to working on a variety of niche publications ranging from bridal magazines to high-school sports previews and everything in between. She is also an experienced photographer and copy editor who enjoys telling the stories of the “Knights of the Highway,” as she calls our nation’s truck drivers.
