800-328-1955On Tuesday, May 16th, 2023, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) International Roadcheck — aka DOT Week or DOT Blitz — will hit North American highways.
With the market currently in a downturn this event will likely cause less disruption than usual, but there is still potential for some capacity issues and slowdowns.
The CVSA International Roadcheck is the largest targeted enforcement program on commercial motor vehicles in the world. During this 72-hour annual event, enforcement officials will conduct a much higher than normal number of vehicle inspections.
During these stops trucks, trailers, and driver qualifications will be thoroughly inspected, including ELD (electronic logging device) compliance, tire treads, brakes, exhaust, suspension, lights and more.
If an officer finds anything amiss during an inspection—from worn tire treads or an inoperative tail lamp to Hours of Service or licensing violations— the carrier/driver is subject to fines, a downgraded safety rating, and/or being put out-of-service until the issue is resolved.
Although most drivers will continue to operate as normal, some opt to take a few vacation days instead of potentially spending a few hours at a roadside check with a state trooper. This will cause a slight decrease in available capacity.
As a shipper/receiver there is a chance a driver hauling your freight could be pulled over. Most of the inspections performed are Level I, which entails a lengthy 37-point look over. Drivers may be delayed, so try to be as accommodating with shipping and receiving schedules as possible.
This is an international event, affecting Drayage, FTL, Local Shuttle services, LTL and more. According to the CVSA an average of 15 vehicles will be inspected every minute across North America over the course of 72 hours.
However, even though the International Roadcheck will contribute to a slightly tighter capacity market, it will not bring the nation’s supply chain to a grinding halt. The vast majority of carriers will operate as normal, and most shipments will pick up and deliver as planned.
Drivers just need to be proactive – no one likes getting pulled over for a vehicle inspection, but being friendly and respectful to officials goes a long way. And the best way to prepare for inspections, both during the event and throughout the entire year, is to always be ready for them. A thorough pre-trip examination of your vehicle and trailer/chassis, as well as ensuring your permit book is always up to date, will identify any potential violations to address before you ever leave the lot.
Classic Transportation is a West Michigan Drayage and FTL carrier servicing the Chicago and Detroit railyards. Classic regularly performs self-inspections on our trucks and trailers as well as the containers and chassis we pull from the rail to ensure our fleet is roadworthy and safe to travel our nation’s roads and highways all year long.
