Roadcheck blitz to highlight truck lighting, driver hours

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Commercial vehicle inspectors will place a special focus on lighting and Hours of Service violations when the annual Roadcheck inspection blitz returns May 4-6.

While the inspections cover all critical items outlined in the North American Standard Out-of-Service criteria, they also give the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) a chance to collect data and raise awareness around specific requirements.

The business of truck inspections continued, but programs such as the annual Roadcheck inspection blitz had to be delayed because of Covid-19. (Photo: John G. Smith)

“Roadcheck is a data collection effort,” said CVSA president Sgt. John Samis of the Delaware State Police. “The inspections conducted during the three days of International Roadcheck are no different from the inspections conducted any other day of the year. Other than data collection, the inspection process is the same.”

Inoperable lamps accounted for 12.24% of vehicle-related violations in the U.S. last year – making this the top vehicle-related violation for 2020. During Roadcheck 2020, the top driver-related violation involved Hours of Service, accounting for 34.7% of all out-of-service conditions, CVSA says.

Lighting accounted for 7.5% of Canada’s vehicle-related out-of-service violations during the most recent Roadcheck. But Hours of Service accounted for 73.7% of the driver-related violations on this side of the border.

The focus on Hours of Service will also come about a month before Canada’s federally regulated carriers will need to equip trucks with electronic logging devices (ELDs). That mandate is scheduled to be effective on June 12.

This spring’s Roadcheck dates also come close on the heels of the 2020 event, which had been rescheduled to September because of Covid-19 precautions.

Vehicles that successfully pass a Level 1 or Level 5 inspection should receive a CVSA decal. Equipment with such a mark generally avoids other roadside inspections for the following three months.

Transport Canada and the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators participate in Roadcheck along with the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and Mexico’s Ministry of Communications and Transportation and its National Guard.