It’s nearly time for the annual International Roadcheck event, are you ready? If you don’t want to follow the drivers, which were deemed “out of service,” keep reading. Last year, we saw nearly 12,000 trucks, including owner-operators and company drivers. The last thing that you want is to lose your livelihood, or members of your fleet because you weren’t prepared.
As many of you will know, the International Roadcheck event is hosted annually by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). This yearly event, also known as the “72-hour safety blitz,” is to ensure that owner-operators and company drivers are adhering to the regulated safety checks. Moreover, being proactive will ensure that you or your fleet does not fail, and at worse, put out of service.
When is the International Roadcheck event taking place?
The dates were announced, late last year, but for those of you who don’t already know, the event will be happening June 4-6 2019. Now, the CVSA released the level of assessment is going to be Level 1 inspections. A level 1 inspection, will be familiar to veteran owner-operators and company drivers, but for those who are starting out, it’s simply a routine roadside inspection. However, this year, the CVSA officials are making some adjustments to the inspection, as they stated they will be paying a lot more attention to the suspension and steering systems.
Why are the suspension and steering so important this year?
Well, we’d like to start by saying that having fully functional, (at least adequate), suspension and steering systems is always important. However, the president of CVSA, Jay Thompson, explained:
“Steering and suspension are critical safety systems for any commercial motor vehicle. Not only do they support the heavy loads carried by trucks and buses, but they also help maintain stability and control under acceleration and braking, keeping the vehicle safely on the road.”
For those of you who are participating in the International Roadcheck safety event, we felt it would be best to highlight what’s usually involved in the Level 1 inspection. We have seen them out of services rate drop of the past three years. However, there is still a large number of fleets, being taken out of service. So, what contributed to the out of service rates last year? Well, according to the CVSA 43.7% violations is because they failed to adhere to the new ELD mandate.
What’s involved in the Roadcheck investment?
Altogether, there are eight levels, and each one depends on the size of the fleet, your industry if you’re an owner operator. Even, if you’re a company driver, it’s essential that you also ensure your truck is ready for the inspection. We have listed the key aspects that the CVSA will be conducting – please note, the list below is for guidance only, we cannot predict what each official will plan on checking. However, one aspect that seems certain is the suspension and steering systems. So, first things first, check that your steering and suspensions systems.
- Suspension and Steering systems
- Breaking system (this check will include all mechanical components, ABS, low-air warning systems, etc.).
- Windows, wipers, washers, and windshield
- Fuel System
- Emergency Equipment
- Tire, hubs, and rims
The Bottom Line
This blog aimed to highlight that being proactive and doing your suspension and steering checks now is recommended. Safety is critical for truckers, 24-7, 365 days a year. However, if you don’t want to be included in the unfortunate statistic, being proactive counts!
