Roadcheck Results in Almost 15,000 Out-Of-Service Orders

The results are in from a massive annual inspection blitz of commercial vehicles across North America, and they offer a useful snapshot of where carriers and drivers most often fall short on safety.

During the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's International Roadcheck, held over three days in the U.S. and Canada, a total of 62,013 Level I, II, and III inspections were performed. Of those, 12,030 commercial vehicles — 19.4 percent — were placed out of service, and 2,940 drivers — 4.7 percent — received out-of-service orders.

Vehicle Violations

• Of the 40,944 Level I inspections conducted, 23 percent (9,398) were placed out of service for vehicle-related violations.
• The top three out-of-service vehicle violations were brake systems (26.9 percent of vehicle out-of-service violations), cargo securement (15.7 percent), and tires/wheels (15.1 percent).
• Of the 2,267 vehicles carrying hazardous materials that received a Level I inspection, 12.8 percent were placed out of service for vehicle-related violations.
• The top hazmat-related vehicle violations were loading and securement (40.4 percent), shipping papers (22.7 percent), and placarding (20.8 percent).
• Brake adjustment and brake system violations combined to represent 41.4 percent (7,743) of all out-of-service vehicle violations.

Driver Violations

• Of all Level I, II, and III inspections, 4.7 percent (2,940) of drivers were placed out of service for driver-related violations.
• The top three driver-related violations were hours of service (32.3 percent of driver out-of-service violations), wrong class of license (14.9 percent), and false log book (11.3 percent).
• Inspectors recorded 710 safety-belt violations.

Cargo Securement in Focus

Each year, Roadcheck highlights one category of violations. This year's focus was cargo securement, which represented 15.7 percent of all vehicle out-of-service violations.

The top five cargo securement violations in the United States were:

• No or improper load securement (423)
• Failure to secure vehicle equipment (379)
• Leaking, spilling, blowing, or falling cargo (281)
• Insufficient tiedowns to prevent forward movement (256)
• Failure to secure load (178)

The takeaway for owner-operators and carriers is clear: brakes, tires, and cargo securement remain the most common reasons a truck gets pulled out of service, and hours-of-service paperwork is the leading driver-side issue. A solid pre-trip inspection routine and clean logs are the simplest ways to stay on the right side of an inspection.

Source: Truckersnews.com