May 31, 2017 Vol. 14 No. 11

Just a week from now, truck maintenance practices will be put to the test across North America. Is everybody ready?

This year marks the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s 30th annual International Roadcheck, set to take place in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico from June 6 to 8. 

The CVSA says there will be an average of nearly 17 Level I inspections every minute during the 72-hour period. That Level 1 test is a 37-step procedure reviewing both driver operating requirements and a truck’s mechanical fitness.

It’s easily the world’s largest targeted commercial vehicle enforcement program, and over its three decades has involved more than 1.5 million roadside inspections.

This year’s program includes a special emphasis on cargo securement, but that doesn’t mean there will be less scrutiny of brake and wheel-end issues. During last year’s Roadcheck, notes Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, brake adjustment and brake system violations combined to represent 45.7% of the violations that led to vehicles being placed out of service.

As my friend and colleague Deb Lockridge, editor of HDT magazine and its attendant website truckinginfo.com, points out, this could mean a challenge for some fleets and drivers because there’s a common misconception out there: that only flatbed loads require cargo-security inspections.

Wrong. Inspections are required on all vehicles unless the cargo is sealed or otherwise impractical to check. That said, platform and other open trailer loads, being the most visible, are a primary focus.

About one in 10 out-of-service violations issued during Roadcheck are for improper loading, or improper cargo securement. These violations are serious, not least because the shifting of a load on or within the truck itself can cause instability and loss of control. Drivers, even if they don’t load the vehicle themselves, need to be aware of proper loading procedures and regulations for what they carry.