International Roadcheck 2021: What to Expect

This year's International Roadcheck is taking place on May 4-6, which means shippers and carriers alike should start planning ahead. Known as the largest commercial vehicle inspection program in the world, nearly 15 trucks or buses are inspected every minute in North America over a 72-hour period. During this time, CVSA-certified (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance) inspectors conduct compliance, enforcement and educational initiatives targeted at various elements of motor carrier, vehicle and driver safety.

The inspections aim to contribute with prevention, education and data-collection efforts, according to CVSA President Sgt. John Samis with the Delaware State Police.

“International Roadcheck also aims to raise awareness of the North American Standard Inspection Program and the essential highway safety rules and regulations in place to keep our roadways safe.”

Essential information

When: Tuesday, May 4th - Thursday, May 6th ‍

Where: U.S., Canada & Mexico

Driver Inspection Focus: Hours of Service

Vehicle Inspection Focus: Lighting violations (lamps inoperable)

What's important for carriers?

The following aspects will be inspected at checkpoints to ensure their compliance with regulations:

• Brake systems
• Cargo securement
• Coupling devices
• Driveline/driveshaft components
• Exhaust and fuel systems
• Lighting devices
• Steering mechanisms
• Suspensions, tires, wheels, rims, hubs, etc.
• Among others

Additionally, every year a couple areas of focus are highlighted within the inspection categories: driver operating requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness. On this occasion, for the driver category, hours of service will be highlighted, and for the vehicle category, inspectors will focus on lighting requirements.

These areas of focus were carefully chosen based on data collected during the previous year. On one hand, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the lighting violation “lamps inoperable” was the number one vehicle violation in 2020, representing a little over 12% of all vehicle violations. On the other, during last year’s International Roadcheck, the top driver out-of-service violation was hours of service, representing over 34% of all driver out-of-service conditions.

For additional resources, download the North American Standard Roadside Inspection Vehicle Cheat Sheet here.

What's important for shippers?

Shippers moving cargo during these dates should expect some delays in transit times, as well as in the assignment of available operators and units due to reduced capacity. However, though it is important to keep these constraints in mind, most carriers will operate as usual, and with a little extra planning and patience, your shipments should go according to plan.

• Lead times: include some extra time to source your trucks
• Flexibility: delays are normal, so try to be accommodating with your drivers and flexible about your delivery dates and times, especially when shipping non-urgent cargo
• Communication: keep open and honest lines of communication with your carriers, especially about layover accessorials and other policies that could affect their payment

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