Results from Roadcheck 2018 are back: More than a quarter of trucks given a Level I Inspection were placed out of service.
Put on by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, the International Roadcheck ran from June 5th through June 7th. During the weekend, enforcement officers throughout the United States and Canada conducted a total of 67,502 inspections.
Of those, the vast majority (45,400) were North American Standard Level I Inspections. As a result of just those Level I inspections, 11,897 vehicles and 2,664 drivers were placed out of service. That’s 26.2% of vehicles and 5.8% of drivers.
When Level II and Level III inspections are included, the total number of vehicles placed out of service rises to 15,981, and drivers placed out of service rises to 3,035. Additionally, there were 211 trucks placed out of services for hazmat violations.
For a breakdown of which violation categories for both drivers and vehicles, check out the CVSA report here.
Gary says
I don’t think it’s right on the ELD if the officer don’t know how to send the copies back to his car to review the last 7 days and it’s a driver don’t know how to do it then he gives the driver a warning ticket for not knowing how to do that which I think is a bunch of b*******
Austin says
It’s the law.Every Eld complaint device your supposed to carry a card that has instructions on it for the officer to know how to view the logs
Robert says
That’s why your required to carry instructional cards
Justin Fischel says
If you want to get technical you’re also supposed to carry a paper log backup. I just carry paper thank God
zee says
Those cards replace the old comic books….self-explanatory
Rafael says
Your required by law to carry user manual for your ELD and driver is supposed to know the functionality of his/her ELD.
James Johnson says
We are at a place and perhaps we’ve been there already but for the life of me today when a level one inspection happens and a officer see something they think puts you out of service you then have to call get someone out there to fix the problem of which more then once this has happened to us the machanic says WHAT ? They put you out of service for this ??? But it’s more then that it kills us as a company owner puts us high in points ect
My question is this why can’t the officers tell you this is wrong with Truck trailers ect then give you a chance to fix it before hurting your company ? WHY ? Are we really outlaws ? I sure as hell don’t put the amount of money into my Trucks because I want to get away with something CRAP happens while out on road I just wish there could be more of a human side to officers and ourselves more and more trucking companies are being pushed out I see daily duck taped tin cans running up and down the road yet if I have a nut loose on a air can we are put out of services this is insane
Jim says
The only way to get around it is to sit around and not do anything at all.
Be on all 8 kinds of Welfare and sit home and watch tv all day.
That way you’re not out and exposed to getting “caught” for things.
Lots of people have figured this out.
Steven says
I do every year
WHY PUT UP WITH ALL THE N.S.when I can take a vacation.
DonM says
It’s not about safety. It’s about picking the trucking companies pocket. Drivers are leaving to find work with less aggravation and intrusion into their daily lives. The percentage of low life’s in the industry is increasing, and accident rates are seemingly on the rise. Not a good economic picture. More government equals more dollars have to be generated from somewhere to support all these people doing the enforcement. When enforcement fails to show a need for their intervention then they will be out of a job. It’s a vicious cycle.
Glenn says
^ yep, what DonM said^
zee says
take away the comic book violations and you take away revenue..
some( a lot actually) trucking companies think the eld and a prepass
will automatically get you through a level one without being prepared
and having some kind of preventive maintenance program in place.
U know, like a thorough pre-trip once in a while . Then cheat the kt log
and think there is no way for dot to see the results, like personal conveyance. The gov didn’t put all this new eld and elrods in place
for our convenience. it is about revenue first, safety last.
Kevin Chevalier says
your right I’ve been in this business for 35 years not any more
Retired Truck Driver says
First, the officer can’t put you out of service for just anything he might think is a violation. It has to meet the criteria in appendix G of FMCR. Drivers educate yourself on Appendix G and you will have a better chance of passing your inspections. I did, and passed every inspection in 20 years on the road. As far as letting you getting something fixed, well it should have been fixed before you were pulled in for an inspection.
Super trucker says
You argue with the dot officer and see how far that gets you. I sat in banning for an hour and a half while the inspector went back and forth with a notepad trying to find something. Once they star writing a ticket there is no rewind its done
Mr. Curmudgeon says
Retired Truck Driver, you nailed the crux of this issue with your last sentence. I’ve got close to a hundred of photos of FMCSA violations that I’ve located during pre-trip inspections of equipment. Started taking photos (and a couple of videos) after a former co-worker accused me of making schtuff up to avoid pulling loads (broken brake shoes, seized s-cam shafts, broken frame rails, audible air leaks, electrical tape repairs of emergency air lines, the list goes on). Granted, I’ve not been driving as long as many of you, but I know how to pre-trip, inter-trip, and post-trip. Most of us on here do, just some forget to do it.
zee says
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=0efecbadaf1c2781fe2cdeb56fc36727&mc=true&node=ap49.5.399_1211.g&rgn=div9
in the public domain…make use of it.
Mar says
Yep James we got an OOS for brake adjustment that took 2 minutes to fix. Waited 3 hours for service truck. $100 ticket for something I cant even check. Insanity.
Kevin Chevalier says
your a paid driver not a mechanic your not paid to know how to
work on them just to inspect them
james says
How do you inspect your truck & trailer brakes then ?
Benjamin says
This is a classic example of law enforcement being over fed with funding and taking Everything to extremes.
Abuse of power is rampant in our society and it needs to be toned down and more commonsense used, instead of power and ego.
Rick says
“More than a quarter of trucks given a Level I Inspection were placed out of service.”
Since when is 21% more than a quarter?
Dan says
21% plus 5.8% of drivers so it takes both to drive so 26.9% is more than a quarter. Not arguing just explaining how I think the author saw this
Pete says
26.2% of vehicles (More than a quarter)and 5.8% of drivers were OOS after level I’s. The 21% is OOS for all inspection levels. The article was kind of unclear and needs revision/editing.
Tom says
Wonder who will get the ticket when automated trucks arrive? Will it be the company or the guy in the control room?
Dan says
Whomever signs the Level one before the truck leaves the yard. So the halfwit mechanic who doesn’t drive or care anyway
Kevin Chevalier says
I wonder what would happen if a big EMP was to happen Lol
Mr. Curmudgeon says
Or some high schooler with more tech savvy than the people that design these things, who decides it would be cool to bluetooth hack his way into that middle truck in the platoon of three blasting W/B on I-80…
TexasJester says
I thought elogs were supposed to solve the hours of service problems … ??? How are people being put out of service for hours violations??
Seems the OOS rate for HOS under elogs is about the same as it was with paper. We just spent more money for the logbook.
Fozzy says
You really don’t know? Really?
DonM says
Yeah but you must feel good about helping to foot the bill for more and more government intrusion into your life. (Insert sarcasm)
The human of the future will have a device attached so as to report everything we do to the government in real time.
George W. D. Wilson says
Yup, this will be the one world government that the socialist Democrats want us to be a part of.
John says
In China it will be in affect and fully implemented by 2020. By using Googles Social scoring platform. If you don’t conform. You don’t move an inch. Not my words there words
zee says
you can bet big rig,kt logs are part of that failure.
back room antics by the company to extend the hours of service.
then not have the card for the officer to search the log, and not making sure the log is locked for other than inspection.
Tom says
There ya go thinking safety right, it’s about MONEY and not necessarily you the driver making it. It’s the qualjerks and people companies raking in big amounts for servicing and the motorolas that sell that e junk.. and we vote bonehead politicians that just throw your money at an issue and hope it goes away… nothing has changed since I started in the mid 80’s and nothing will, except the laws, like hos times and so on… enjoy y’all
Tom says
What they DIDN’T tell you is how much the annual DOT cash grab took in this year. That’s what its really all about
Kevin says
You are right sir how much money did they take in and those county to
Joe says
You got that right
Paul Thomas says
Two thoughts on this inspection blitz: 1. This was advertised all over, if you are worried about getting shut down then stay home for a couple is days. 2. Maybe this is how some company drivers get the truck fixed when the owner won’t do it otherwise.
Christopher says
They give tickets to practically brand new trucks. So it’s best to just take a few days off.
Bill says
I worked for a large company to get the experience so I could be insured at the small company. I was a hand before in the 1970’s and 1980’s, heavy hauling, and Hazmat.
Once I went thru the Coop, where I had to bring in my papers. While talking to the officer, I may have mentioned off the record that I had a bad air leak on the governor that leaked bad enough that I had to sit for about 10 minutes to build up air pressure after eating lunch.
I had written it up 5 times, and they always said they had the parts ordered. You would think a large carrier would have went out and bought a new governor and threw the damm thing on. Heck I would have put it on.
So the Officer put me in for an inspection and the air leak is “discovered” and they put me OOS until it’s fixed.
Within a 1/2 an hour here come the mechanic from TA and put the governor on in under 30 minutes.
When I got back to the Denver terminal I was told they were going to turn my tractor down because I operated an unsafe vehicle. I pointed out that I had turned the truck in 5 times for that issue. I was told that I should not have operated it if it was unsafe. Well, they had me there.
I told them consider this my 2 week notice and went home for 2 days for my home time.
When I got back I was told that I would be driving out of Lancaster TX. terminal, which was fine with me. It seems my old DM was down there and the head of the repair shop in Denver called him and told him what was going on, and my old DM arranged for me to drive out of there and got me a new truck.
I am retired now, but after my 2 years was up, I quit Swift and went to work for a small company that ran from Denver to LA and back. With Swift, one week I had a grand total of $1.78 for the week. With the little Mom and Pop company I ran from $1500 to $1800 a week.
I am glad I got out, too many politics and idiots out there. Now the government is playing games with the drivers getting screwed over as usual.
Kevin Chevalier says
you guys haven’t realized who’s behind this over enforcement it’s
the insurance companies who lobby for and pay for mandates
Jude says
Totally agree with Number 2. I drove for a two truck private fleet O/O once and he told us to “go around the scales to avoid inspections”. He knew we were being overloaded and the trucks needed work. I stopped in a Speedway frequented by DoT cops once and asked one of them to do a Level 1 on my truck, including weight. She was shocked a the request until I explained why. The truck was TOWED back to the customer to be loaded properly (10,000 over gross), then back to the yard to be fixed. I got none of the tickets and a new job. The owner got a book full of tickets and fines.
Kevin says
Someone hit on the HOS OOS violations. Allot of those violations were about knowing how to fax the logs to the officer. Our company just sent a fleet message saying our drivers are getting citations for not knowing this and the officers won’t let them have time to call and ask. I mean you can call and ask so they can get their copy of them but if you have to call they write you a citation, it doesn’t matter if you have the cheat card or not, you have to know how to do it.
Steve says
I thought E Logs were going to end all of the safety problems….what a joke. Yet another civilian organization pulling the strings with the government in our industry. “Safety” blitz put on by a non-government entity. They already put the screws to us with their little “cure-all” electronic logs, now they want to just keep tightening the noose. Mega carriers don’t care because they have so many trucks on the road that none of this crap affects them with this weighted scale and we get shut down because of “warnings.” I had a driver get a warning for speed and the glorified meter maid that pulled him over admitted he did not have him on radar, he just thought it looked like he was going a little fast. He ADMITTED THAT and still wrote the warning. Mega corps using the government to wipe out the competition. Sounds like modern communism to me. So glad I wasted 8 years serving this country just so the government could try to run me out of business…
Sherrie says
Yup, we experienced this roadside inspection. The officer’s measuring stick broke and he admitted he didn’t know how to do an “old school” inspection of the brakes after that; yet, he shared with the driver (who happens to be the owner of the truck and also a ring power mechanic), that because the truck was a 1979 cabover (completely redone from top to bottom) that this driver would be pulled into the scale house every time because the DOT officer could always find something on this truck. As a former criminal investigator of 24 years, I have a huge problem when officers don’t know how to do their job but cite people anyway. This is the third collectible cabover that this driver has redone and shows at truck shows and yet he essentially is a target because of the year of his truck now. Shame on you Georgia DOT officer Howell! Shame on you!
Jim says
That’s how all cops get the “lives matter” schtick stuck on them.
All the good cops should be absolutely PISSED about people like this.
It actually helps put their lives in danger.
Kevin Chevalier says
there aren’t any good cops in our business there just doing their job
Bud says
I thought profiling was unlawful.
Daniel Walker says
Unfortunately, most drivers wouldn’t know there’s a problem anyway. They either don’t do a circle check and when they don’t, they don’t even know what they’re looking at. They have NO idea what’s a mechanical defect or not because they’re not mechanics and just don’t know any better. It’s the responsibility of the driver to know what they don’t know and that’s an issue in the industry.
Mr. Curmudgeon says
Some of us that are not mechanics took the time to learn.
What does a leaking wheel seal look like? Where do I look to see it? Ask your shop crew, they’ll likely be willing to help.
If not, name the issue – go to YouTube or Websearch it. I’m willing to put a sub sammich up that there is a video or a series of photos that will give some kind of clue. I was in a different profession for almost 30 years, there was a saying on the wall in a training center there that said “Every man and woman owes part of their time and money to upbuilding the profession to which they belong.” A paraphrasing of TR’s quote.
Safe travels to y’all…
Ken Printz says
Its called REVENUE…big companies are NEVER hurt by these “inspectors” because big companies dont operate “older” equipment…..the TARGETS are OLDER trucks (competitors) it’s called “safety” Good luck. If you own one truck then you probably wont pass if that truck is older than 3 years…..capitalism is great if you own the system
Glenn says
18 more days & Im all done with this business & I won’t have to tolerate all the new breed half-wit zero common sense clueless steering wheel holders out here taking over the industry driving ramshackle fender flapping buckets-of-bolts 75 mph 10 feet off the back bumper of the vehicle in front of him on cruise control with a cell phone in one hand and their bare foot up on the dash. Friggin ignorant fools everywhere out here. Used to be an honorable profession. No more. Im bailing come Oct 3rd. Yey4 me!
Bill says
Sounds great Glenn. I retired years ago before all this E-Log crap started. Good luck on your retirement! I thought I’d miss it more, but fishing is a lot better.
Just in passing, were they checking the rigs from Mexico that drive on USA roads? Funny how CA. doesn’t even allow an old Detroit to run in the state, unless it has Mexican plates on it. I witnessed a lot of them running from LA area to Texas.
Glad I do not have to put up with the BS anymore.
Hammer Head says
So?
Glenn says
Sounds like I touched a nerve. You must be one of ‘them’ I mentioned.
If your stuck out here holding a steering wheel all day because you have nothing else going on & are bitter at those of us who do, it sure sucks to be you and why you call yourself hammerhead.
Wise up, the writing is on the wall.
DONALD Trump says
Ditto
Mr. Curmudgeon says
Congrats on your retirement, Glenn.
Mar says
We use rentals they are getting slack on repairs. When I ask they do it when they get around to it. Enterprise is the worst of the bunch, they dont care if you get tickets. I told DOT they wont fix nothing they hand out tickets anyway. Im hating trucking more everyday.
zee says
in the end…which was yesterday,now, and forever, this all came about
because drivers would not ,do not, and will not have a lobbying agent to
stand up for us in the legislatures, and Congress, to defend us. We live in our
trucks,24/7 and even the local driver is always on the clock…always.
We pissed away our freedom for security in the name of safety.
Jeremy says
Many truckers don’t even as much as lift the hood at the start of their day.Let’s admit it.Safety and compliance departments know it.They’re watching via satellite surveillance.A trucker will start their truck,leave the yard 2 minutes later and head for the fuel pump or the coffee shop.You stick out like sore thumbs.
On the other side of the coin,there’s no doubt the diesel weasels out there are following guidelines that are rediculously stringent.There is,no doubt,an agenda to demonize the trucker so that the doors can be flung wide open for the full scale introduction of automated driving systems into the industry.NWO will not go away while we remain governed by multinational corporate entities.Of course,automated driver systems will be a colossal failure just like the diesel emissions control catastrophe.
Grim Reaper says
It’s sad to hear all the bellyaching out there, of course it’s always been that way in my 36yrs out on the road. Yes, unless you drive under a rock, you knew the DOT blitz was coming!! Fix any problems or take 3 days OFF!! Do a reset, something!!….
Really enjoying my retirement!!
I do sympathize with those of you out there trying to do things the right way
Ray Z says
I have a very simple solution for this issue and it has worked wonders. Sit at home for a week and avoid the bs. If you can’t affors the luxury of staying home. Run loads at night and sleep during the day. I know it sucks but a week of bad sleep won’t kill you, at least you are still making money, dealing with less stress since the mayority of the scale houses are closed at night.
Samuel Mitchell says
Driver’s aren’t professionals anymore, I sit in my truck and watch 9 out 10 drivers crank up and pull out of the truckstop every morning, these drivers don’t bump their tires, don’t check under the hood or anything, and a lot of them are drivers that even drive for the company I drive for, it is no one’s fault but the driver for being put out of service, that’s my
Opinion, I’ve been driving for 30 plus years too, all I can say, drivers need to be more professional!
Johnnie says
I hear everybody blaming everybody, and it solves nothing. If we ourselves do our individual parts things would be better. Stop looking at the next man as the problem. Let the next man look at you. You show them how it’s done by doing it right. He just might start doing it right. We are out worse enemy!!! Truckers fight each other. On the radio, passing, tail gating ect. Nothing is going to get better unless we can unite and stand together, and not just to protest, but working side by side.