It’s that time of year again! Winter is over, flowers are blooming, and the sun is shining! Of course that also means two other things: Seasonal allergies and the annual CVSA Roadcheck are just around the corner! Unfortunately there’s no nasal spray that will keep you from being inspected during the largest safety inspection blitz in the country.
Every year for 72 hours 10,000 CVSA-certified inspectors hit the road and perform approximately 14 commercial motor vehicles inspections EVERY MINUTE in our great nation. That’s over 60,000 inspections in over the course of three days. With odds like that, it’s pretty likely your friendly neighborhood DOT inspector is going to be paying you and your rig a little visit. In preparation for the CVSA Roadcheck (and every other day of the year for that matter), here’s some things you should remember:
- Buckle up!
- Pre-inspect your vehicle. If you can find something wrong, so can the inspector.
- Obey the speed limit and watch your follow distance
- Keep your eyes on the road. Officers are on the lookout for distracted drivers.
- Get plenty of sleep. An inspector can put you out of service if you seem too tired to safely operate your vehicle.
- Check your brakes, coupling devices, lighting, steering, suspension, and tires as these are some of the most common citations issued during the Roadcheck.
For the full CVSA checklist, click here.
So get out your calendars, grab a highlighter, and make sure you remember that from June 4 through June 6th, an unsafe truck or driver have about as much chance of escaping notice as a bull in a ballet.
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Hmmm I remember driving all three days last year when this was going on and didn’t see a single inspector on the roads.
I just plan to take those 3 days off!
Me too. Was stopped twice last year when they realized I was on electronic log they were in a hurry to get rid of me passed them both thank God and elog.
Good day all fellow truckers…
I have a question: Can some one please explain it to me, base on what rule inspector may or will put me or any of the drivers to bed? DOT imagination is way beyond reasonable most of the time…
“Get plenty of sleep. An inspector can put you out of service if you seem too tired to safely operate your vehicle”
what is it?! why someone is think that inspector knows better than you if you are tired or able to operate CMV safely!!! and what is next???
We operate few trucks, Thank God we are ok… but pressure from CA “rulemakers” and overall US road conditions are making me ask questions… seems like we never get answers… Simply give, pay, stay quite, obey laws that make no sense… I don’t know guys… where are we going with all this stuff…
good day all…
K.
Drivers can and should do something … I have never been able to figure out just what its going to take to make drivers stand up and shut down for 3 days . We r losing our way of making a living . And sitting in our trucks and letting them…
Well i have something to add to this,
April the 17 i was inspected in Corbin, Ky. No big deal these days i hide nothing but for some reason the DOT officer there seen something that was made up. First he spent 45 mins in my log book did not find anything then told me to pull in the barn i spent 45 mins there and nothing found. After he got done with my truck he said come back in he seen something in my log book…. Im like ????? No problem … I park my truck and he is waiting …
Here is my day up till him ….
I unloaded and did a PTI in Plainfield In. and then drove 45mins to Greenfield In and reloaded then went off duty to do alitttle planning which i was off duty for a hour and drove 30 mins to St. Paul In and went off duty for 45 mins to eat clean my windows etc. And drove staright to Corbin which i needed to get fuel there but didnt make to fuel because of inspection ….. and this was my violation i was told i could not log off duty to eat because i was in readiness to work because i was under a load and it was not hazmat. ??? I questioned this a asked if he could so me a rule saying i could not log off duty to be out my truck or eat or any reason …. he could not produce but still gave the violation and then told me it is what it is …… really ……
So make a long story short this is what we have to look forward to drivers in this inspection violtations based on the i think rule that is made up ….. i bet violations will be higher this year more than ever..,.
Im a owner op and this what lies ahead for us ….. hmmm… makes me think alittle for our future with the new HOS change beacuse if they cant understand the current rule just imagine whats next
The inspector was using an old rule that required a motor carrier to provide a written letter to the driver to relieve him/her from responsibility if the vehicle/load when stopped for a meal break. That rule was revoked years ago. Be careful though when stating you used some of that time to clean your windows as this can be considered conditioning the vehicle for operation.
Funny how in a couple of months it will be mandatory to take a 30 minute break yet some inspectors are still pushing an obsolete rule.
Ahhhh… The infamous 1st week of June blitz.
The only good thing about it is that up here in Canada (more specifically in my jurisdiction BC), the roads are more empty. We all have fun on the radios marveling at how many trucks and companies don’t operate for a week. Instead they keep off the roads. For the most part, it is the “new” Canadians that do this, and we all know who they are. That includes dump trucks too.
The best way to avoid hassles is to jig your scheduled 6 month CVIs to happen by the end of May. Up here the CVIs are good to the end of whichever month they expire. If you know that you have to fix a few things, the mechanics who are licensed to issue the certificates can issue you a temporary CVI (that will state that the fixes are upcoming but there wasn’t enough time to finish). You get a sticker for your window and a formal piece of paper. That is good enough for the DOT. This way you’re not stuck in the lurch with a truck that wouldn’t pass 100%. Just make sure you get the rest of the repairs done before the temp permit runs out.
Besides making sure the truck is in safe operating condition, the only extra thing I make sure I do is remove my radio until the blitz is over. Up here they have CRTC representatives who will attend the scales during the blitz. They will check out your radios. If you have one that is not necessarily legal (but offers way better performance and tons of more channels, and you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to get some licensed radio shop to program just the 4 LAD frequencies into it, then it would be seized on the spot ( theft) and you could face up to a $10,000 fine (more theft). Some will say they just remove the mic and call it a base station that doesn’t transmit, but I go the extra yard and just pull it out completely, because they can and do turn it on and see how many channels you can get. Better safe than sorry.
So, to all my fellow Canadian drivers, just make sure you get every repair done in advance, and enjoy the relaxing trouble free and unclogged road and highway system for that 1st week in June.
Whats up fellas! You guys are right-plus- with some of these DOT officers with a 24 hour inspector crash course to be licensed to be part of the Team they’ll try to find something “anything’ if they can! Rob, are you kidding me? Canada seizes you 2-way if it has: AM/FM/LSB/USB and upper and lower channels and is the ‘so called’ Super Tuned big Radio? That’s nuts! I thought only a FCC Agent could do that? Man oh man…thank god we older guys can say”we remember when” because the way this ol’ world is headed we’re in a heap a’ trouble! Gotta love this 21st Century huh? Luv ya’ guy’s{in a manly way that is}. Be safe out there. watch them 4-wheelers and old Smokey the Diesel Bear haha! Have a goodin’ boys-see ya! Lord Bless,Michael old locomotion…were gone now!
I need to take a day off
Take 3, they’re short, and you don’t get enough vacation time anyway