The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has announced details of the annual International Roadcheck, which will take place June 5-7, 2018. According to the CVSA, there were nearly 17 vehicle inspections each minute during the 72-hour period of the 2017 inspection. With that in mind, now is the time for all carrier safety and compliance staff as well as drivers to begin preparing for a possible inspection.
Although inspectors generally conduct Level I inspections, the CVSA puts extra emphasis on specific aspects each year. The 2017 inspection was focused on cargo securement, which ranked as the second highest vehicle violation at the end of the inspection. This year’s inspection will focus on hours-of-service compliance as it was the number one driver violation during the 2017 inspection. Although regulations haven’t changed, the recent electronic logging device (ELD) mandate has triggered an emphasis on hours-of-service regulations as well. The inspection list will also contain similar examinations from past years such as the evaluation of records of duty status (RODS) compliance, a valid commercial driver license (CDL) and a valid skill performance evaluation (SPE) certificate.
Six Tips for a Smooth Roadcheck
While there are more than 3 million roadside inspections conducted in North America over the course of each year, many drivers don’t routinely experience a full Level I inspection. Although it may never happen to you, it’s always best to be prepared and understand how to best handle it. Here are six tips to ensure an easy roadcheck to get you back on the road quickly.
- Keep your paperwork neat and organized.
- Clean out old truck and trailer registrations, insurance documents, etc. to avoid confusion and clutter.
- Organize older documents in systematically (e.g. current year on top) to avoid clutter and confusion.
- Perform a thorough pre-trip inspection of the truck and trailer before departing.
- Confirm that you have a compliant ELD that is working properly.
- Verify that you know how to pull reports on your ELD.
Prepare Your Truck
All equipment defects must be addressed and repairs made before you begin to travel. Now is the time to perform a check-up on your truck to ensure you stay on the road. Neglecting tire and wheel maintenance, braking systems, and cargo securement put 57.7% of trucks out of service during the 2017 roadcheck, delaying shipments and wasting valuable time and money. This can all be avoided when you keep your truck running at its best.
Tire violations regularly rank among the top three equipment violations. More than 15% of vehicle violations are for tires, with nearly half of those related to tread depth. Don’t wait for a potential violation to make sure your tires are in tiptop condition. Contact your preferred tire provider now to ensure issues are addressed prior to inspection so that you can travel with ease.
Staying ahead of all maintenance and necessary repairs is also key to a stress-free inspection. During a roadside inspection is not the time for an easily addressed maintenance issue to rear its ugly head. Save money by avoiding major maintenance issues and hit the road on your timeframe when you receive regular maintenance.
How ECS Can Help
England Carrier Services (ECS) offers service maintenance and a tire program to make it easy and more affordable for carriers to correct vehicle defects and keep trucks confidently on the road. Our team has the commitment, experience and toolbox of services necessary to provide the most cost effective solutions for your company. For more information on what our one-stop-shop has to offer, please contact your account manager directly or give us a call at (800) 848-7810.
For more information on our ELD program, call (888) 881-9087.
For more information on the tire program, call (800) 848-7810.
For more information on service packages, call (800) 848-7810.
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The England Carrier Services (ECS) division offers a variety of services for carriers ranging from maintenance to support. As ECS members, carriers have access to nationwide discounts on fuel and tires from dedicated team members who are committed to finding the best price. ECS also provides factoring services with benefits such as same-day funding to a bank account or fuel card. These options allow carriers the freedom to focus on growing their business while saving time and money.