Blog

This is a serious heavy haul load! This load took six trucks to move it!

Do you feel ready?  It’s time… the latest Roadcheck Blitz will have about 9,000 inspectors in North America posted up and inspecting commercial vehicles and drivers June 4-6.

Not-So-Fun Facts

• An average of 17 commercial vehicles per minute are inspected throughout North America during the 3-day period.
• A focus will be taken on motor carriers’ steering and suspension during this year’s Roadcheck.
• CVSA inspectors shelled out 537 steering-related violations last year – 286 commercial vehicles were placed out of service.
• Last year, there were 500 suspension violations and 538 suspension-related OOS citations issues.
• There were 67,603 total inspections that took place last year – 21.6% of all inspected motor vehicles and 3.9% of drivers were placed OOS in 2018.
• Last year’s focus was hours of service – 43.7% of all drivers were placed OOS because of HOS violations in 2018.

The number one reason trucks are placed out of service during an annual CVSA International Roackcheck Blitz have to do with Brake Problems.  Tires and wheels are a close second behind brake issues followed by Load Securement that accounted for 13% of OOS violations in 2018.

Other operating requirements and vehicle mechanical conditions to keep in mind for the 37-step Standard Level I Inspection include: coupling devices, driveline/driveshaft, driver’s set, exhaust systems, frames, fuel systems, headlamps, lamps/flags on loads, stop lamps steering mechanisms, suspensions, tail lamps, turn signals, van & open-top trailer bodies, wheels rims and hubs, and windshield wipers.

Inspectors may opt to conduct the Level II Walk-Around Driver/Vehicle Inspection, Level III Driver/Credential/Administrative Inspection or Level V Vehicle-Only Inspection.

Make sure you’re in good order in advance and stay safe.

Could a change be on the horizon for the Hours of Service (HOS) rules?  More flexibility has been the request for a while now and change looks promising.

Elaine Chao spoke to a gathered group of truckers gathered at the Mid-America Trucking Show recently.  She said, “I’m pleased to announce today that the department is moving forward with he next step: a Notice of Proposed Rule Making.” She went on to announce the NPRM had just been delivered to the Office of Management and Budget for review.

There doesn’t appear to be a lot of details at this point, but it was emphasized that the DOT “understands the strong interest in increasing flexibility and is giving it serious consideration.”

Hope.

There seems to be an understanding regarding unnecessary burdens on the industry.  Strategies are being examined to keep this in consideration while still maintaining safety on the roadways and continuing to keep crash preventability as a priority.

Stay tuned for the next step as changes appear to be coming.

It’s that time of year.  Yes, the inspection blitz.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) recently announced the dates that the International Roadcheck inspection blitz will take place.

Mark your calendars for June 4 – 6, 2019.  It will occur throughout the US, Mexico, and Canada.  If you fall into the category of getting inspected, you can expect a full 37-point North American Standard Level I Inspection.  They have also shared the violation emphasis for this year: steering components and suspension systems.

The CVSA stated that the inspections they perform are technically no different during the blitz than they would be the day before.  The only difference is that they perform more of them.

During 2018’s Roadcheck, inspectors focused on Hours of Service with 67,502 inspections and 11,897 vehicles placed out of service.  43.7% of all the out-of-service were for hour of service last year.

Steelhead Factoring offers a wide range of products to assist in helping to keep your drivers and vehicles compliant and safe on the road.

WHAT IS HOURS OF SERVICE?

Hours of service is a regulation which states that the drivers and truckers can only work for a certain number of hours each day or a week or some other period. This is mandated by mainly the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in the United States.

HOW DOES HOURS OF SERVICE WORK?

According to the regulations outlined by the FMCSA, here is a breakdown of the hour of service rules for property-carrying drivers:

11-Hour Driving Limit

The driver is eligible to drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty.

14-Hour Limit

This allows the driver 14 consecutive hours in which to drive up to 11 hours (after logging at least 10 off-duty hours)

Rest Breaks

The driver may not drive more than eight consecutive hours without a 30-minute rest break.

60/70-Hour Limit

This “weekly limit” prohibits drivers from being on-duty for more than 60 hours during any 7-day (consecutive) period, or more than 70 hours in a 8-day (consecutive) period.

WHO MUST FOLLOW HOURS OF SERVICE REGULATIONS?

If you are engaging in interstate commerce and the following:

• Your truck weighs more than 10,000 lbs
• Your truck has a gross vehicle weight rating/gross combination weight rating of more than 10,000 lbs or
• Your truck is transporting hazardous materials in a quantity that requires placards

PURPOSE

Driver fatigue is the most common cause of truck accidents. Medical professionals and work safety analysts found a way to statistically reduce accidents on the road by mandating break periods and limiting driving time.

The HOS controls have existed for decades in preventing approximately 1,400 crashes and 560 injuries, and saving 19 lives each year based on a study conducted in 2013.

HOURS OF SERVICE HISTORY

HOURS OF SERVICE REACTION

Hours of Service laws have had a history of causing a burden on truck drivers and fleet owners.  While they are meant to keep drivers off the road when fatigue is likely to set in, it puts many trucking companies in a pinch regarding how they operate their business.  The top issued voiced by trucking companies consist of:

• Drivers exceeding the speed limit to race against the 14-hour rule
• Dealing with the available hours after traffic and inclement weather
• Waiting for a receiver to unload the trailer – utilizing hours of possible drive-time from their day
• Finding a close, safe place to park in order to get the required 10 hours of off-duty time

Many suggest a fix by lengthening the 14-hour limit or possibly incorporating a “pause button” during delay instances experienced on a regular basis.