How is Roadcheck different from inspections
conducted on a daily basis?

John Hill, former administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA): “Roadcheck is an intense three-day safety event that allows us to take a nationwide snapshot of the commercial trucking industry and spot trends that may affect the safety of both truckers and the motoring public at large.

“The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) sponsors Roadcheck, and is funded by the FMCSA (for which I was an administrator), the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation in Mexico. During the Roadcheck in June 2008, 9,148 officers at 1,683 locations across North America performed 67,931 truck and bus inspections – all conducted during the same time frame, in the same manner, all focused on improving commercial vehicle safety.”

What sort of trends are you seeing?

“We noticed an alarming trend in safety belt violations, and despite several positive improvements in other areas, Roadcheck inspections confirmed worsening seat belt compliance – from 829 in 2007 to 1,226 last year.

“Overall, truck safety is improving, in fact the out-of-service rate improved 14.5 percent over last year’s rate, a significant increase. For drivers, there was a step-up in hours of service compliance rates, which reversed a trend we had been seeing for the past several years. In 2007, 66.3 percent of drivers were placed out-of-service for hours of service violations. In 2008, this number was 55.6 percent.

“We continue to take trucks out of service because of brake defects. It’s getting better, but we’re still not satisfied. In fact, every fall we conduct a Roadcheck that focuses simply on braking systems.”

What should every fleet know about Roadcheck?

“Safety is a core part of any trucking company. No fleet can ignore safety issues because it dramatically affects the bottom line.

“Over 3.1 million commercial truck inspections are conducted each year, and when a vehicle is taken out of service, the average cost to get it back on the road is $861, plus fines and repairs.

“If you have a system in place for preventive maintenance and repair, your fleet will move through inspections more smoothly, achieve higher scores, saving both time and money in the long run.”

Thanks, Mr. Hill.

We shadowed the Tennessee Highway Patrol as they conducted Level 1 Inspections for Roadcheck.

Let’s continue:

What’s involved in a Level 1 Inspection?

Sgt. Chris Curry: “A Level 1 Inspection is a 37-step procedure, reviewing all major tractor and trailer systems, including a full undercarriage inspection. The entire procedure takes about 40 minutes to complete.

“The Tennessee Highway Patrol primarily conducts its Level 1 Inspections at the state’s weigh stations. This gives us the space to keep everybody out of traffic and safe from harm.”

Is it a bad thing to be asked to pull around back? Does it mean the driver did something wrong?

“Roadcheck inspections are ordered based on the Inspection Selection System score, or the ISS-D, as it’s called. This score is from previous inspections, tickets, crash history and any other safety-related violations including medical, hours of service and maintenance citations.

“The ISS-D is a fleet score, not a driver’s individual performance rating. So that means if a very small fleet has one accident or one bad inspection, it’ll impact the entire ISS-D score. And it also doesn’t mean the driver did anything wrong to warrant an inspection.

“Depending on the workload during Roadcheck, we may not be able to check the ISS-D score on every truck that rolls into the weigh station. Some officers check every tenth truck. Some visually inspect the rigs as they roll into the weigh station, and clean, well-maintained tractors are given the green light, while trucks that have obvious dents and scrapes are asked to pause while we check the score. If an air dam, fender or some body part is hanging from the truck, you’ll be certain we’ll check the computer for the fleet’s ISS-D score.”

What does the score indicate?

“The lowest scores are best – this is one time when you don’t want to earn a 100. Anything below 49 is considered a passing score. However, I want to add that all inspections are ordered at the officers’ discretion. I understand fleets work hard to maintain a good score, and I respect that. But if I feel something isn’t on the up and up, I have the authority to take a closer look at that vehicle.

“The same applies for scores between 50 and 74, which means ‘inspection optional;’ it’s completely up to the officer.

“If your fleet has an ISS-D score above 75, chances are your drivers are being asked to pull over on a routine basis, whether it’s a Roadcheck event or not.”

Can you take us through an inspection?

“The procedure begins with the officer greeting the driver, checking to see if he or she is wearing a safety belt, and explaining how the inspection will proceed. Then I’ll ask the driver to collect their documents and meet me in the office so I can enter the information into the computer.

“When we’re finished with that, we’ll go outside to the rig, chock the wheels, pull open the hood and inspect the steer axle, steering and wheel assemblies.

“From there we’ll move around the truck, inspecting the braking device at each axle. We’ll check for missing, loose or cracked parts, listen for air leaks, and measure pushrod travel and check brake adjustment.

“And as we move around the truck, we’ll also check the suspension for misaligned, shifted, cracked or missing springs, loose U-bolts and anything else that looks in obvious disrepair.”

What’s next?

“After officers are finished inspecting the drive axle brakes, they typically creep to the trailer axles, keeping a close eye on the trailer frame along the way. We check for cracks, bends and sags in the trailer, and corrosion fatigue, cracked cross members and cracks in the frame.

“We’ll also inspect the coupling devices, depending on how it’s equipped, such as the trailer, converter dolly and fifth wheel.

“Next is the fuel and exhaust systems. We’ll make sure the tanks aren’t leaking, and there are no missing or loose fuel caps. This thick black soot on the stacks is a telltale sign the exhaust system is leaking and not performing efficiently. If it’s bad now, it’s only going to get worse.

“Now let’s check the lighting.”

Lights are part of the inspection?

“This particular driver will leave here with a written warning, because, as you can see, his passenger side head lamp is out. His load is due in Talladega around suppertime, and he’ll make it there easily before dark. But he needs to get this light fixed before he gets back on the road tonight.
All exterior lamps must be in working order, be the right color and be properly mounted so they are visible.”

Does the written warning come with a fine?

“No, but it’s a warning, which gives him time to fix the light. However, it will be entered into the computer, and if he gets pulled over and the headlamp is not working properly, a law enforcement officer can write a ticket for non-compliance.

“I’m also going to talk to him about his trailer tires. The tread depth in the main groove must be at least 2/32nds, 4/32nds for the steer tires. He is very close to 2/32nds. The trailer tires are in compliance with the law – for now – but a few more miles down the road could change that."

How do you check for compliance with tires?

“We visually inspect the tires, looking for exposed cord, poor repairs
and defects, cuts, bumps and flat spots. We want to make sure the tires are not coming into contact with any part of the vehicle,
that nothing has slipped or fallen. We check inflation and
measure tread depth.

"I usually look at the lug nuts and make sure none are cracked or loose – or for that matter, missing.  Next we go over the wheels and rims, looking for any cracks or damage.”

And if everything checks out?

“He gets a CVSA inspection sticker as a prize. The decal alerts law enforcement in the U.S., Canada and Mexico that this tractor-trailer passed CVSA inspections within the last three months. In general, trucks with this sticker are not subject to reinspection.”

Thanks, Sgt. Curry. We appreciate your time.
Can fleet managers check their company’s score?

All motor carriers registered with FMCSA are listed at safersys.org. To check your company’s ISS-D, visit safersys.org, click on Safe-stat Online, and enter your fleet’s DOT or Operating Authority number. If a fleet has been involved an accident, inspection or crash, this information is displayed for 24 months.

What if I find a mistake?

Any company safety data that is incorrect can be challenged through FMCSA’s DataQs system.

What can I do to improve my fleet’s chances
of passing the inspection?

The CVSA publishes a “North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria” handbook that guides fleet owners through the standard inspection process. There’s also a pictorial section demonstrating out-of-service violations. It’s available on the CVSA Web site at cvsa.org.

Editor’s Note: The 2009 CVSA “Roachcheck” results show trucking had its best year ever! Overall, 96 percent of drivers passed inspections, up a full percent from 2008, even with more inspectors and more locations. Plus both seatbelt compliance and vehicles passing inspection increased over last year.