The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance will be holding its annual International Roadcheck from June 4 to 6. During this event, the drivers of trucks, buses and other CMVs in California and across the U.S. will be pulled over at random for inspections. Most will be Level I inspections, which check for both driver- and vehicle-related compliance.
Steering and suspension is the special focus in 2019 because these components, if not properly maintained, can cause drivers to lose control and stability, especially when braking. If not up to specs, they also affect wheel alignment, creating uneven wear in the tires and increasing the risk of tire failure.
Besides steering and suspension, inspectors will check the brakes, lights, tires, wheels and cargo securement devices. They will also ask to see driver CDLs, Medical Examiner’s Certificates and work logs. Those who pass the inspection will receive a CVSA decal.
On average, the CVSA inspects 17 vehicles every minute during its three-day inspection sprees. The 2018 Roadcheck ended with nearly 12,000 vehicles and 2,600 drivers being ordered out of service for violations.
The following were the top reasons for out-of-service orders. For drivers: violating hours-of-service regulations, having the wrong class license and falsifying work logs. For vehicles: brake, tire/wheel and brake adjustment violations.
Violating federal trucking regulations can be a form of negligence, and if this becomes the cause of an accident, a victim may be able to file a claim. For instance, truckers who exceed the HOS regulation are liable to drive drowsy, which impairs judgment and reaction times, thus raising the risk for a crash. A victim, for their part, may want a lawyer to gather evidence, such as the work log and any in-cab camera footage. The lawyer may handle negotiations, too.
