The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) conducts a 72-hour commercial motor vehicle (CMV) inspection every year. The goal is to inspect vehicles, enforce regulatory compliance, and educate commercial drivers about driver and vehicle safety. The International Roadcheck is the largest program of its kind. Enforcement officials inspected over 40,000 CMVs during the 2021 roadcheck.
CVSA set this year’s International Roadcheck for May 17-19, meaning trucking companies have a few months remaining to prepare. Every roadcheck has a unique focus, and this year’s inspections will target wheel ends. Most enforcement officials will conduct a Level I Inspection. It is a 37-step procedure, with steps 15 and 18 focusing on wheels, rims, and hubs. CVSA provided guidelines for what commercial drivers can expect during the wheel ends inspection. Enforcement officials will check for:
- Unseated or cracked locking rings, studs, or clamps
- Bent, cracked, or broken rims, both inside and outside
- Loose, missing, damaged, or broken fasteners
- Elongated stud or bolt holes
- Cracks across spokes and in the web area or slippage in the clamp areas
- Lubricant leaks, missing caps, or plugs in the hub
- Leaks in the inner wheel seal
- Leaks in the tire and valve stem
- Proper inflation, cuts, and bulges on all tires (includes the inside tire on a dual set)
- Regrooved tires on the steering axle
- Tire tread wear and tread groove depth
- Improper repairs in the sidewall (e.g., tire plugs)
- Exposed fabric or cord
- Tire contact with any part of the vehicle or tires touching each other
- Marks on the tire that prohibit its use on a steering axle
- Debris between the tires
Based on previous International Roadcheck data, wheel end violations account for approximately 25% of out-of-service violations every year. Drivers that receive an out-of-service violation can’t operate their commercial vehicle until they address the problems noted in the inspection. To learn more about improving fleet safety ahead of the International Roadcheck, contact the experts at Interstate Motor Carriers.