An investigative analysis of the security gaps in American commercial trucking, from terrorism to trafficking and how CVSA Roadcheck plays an important role.
Every year, roughly the same time, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance runs its International Roadcheck. Three days. Thousands of inspectors. Tens of thousands of trucks. The dates get announced months in advance, the focus areas get published, and somehow, fleets still get caught off guard.
CVSA’s five-day Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative kicks off today across the United States, with law enforcement and carriers conducting coordinated outreach at truck stops and weigh stations through Jan. 16. Since Truckers Against Trafficking launched in 2009, the organization has trained over 1.8 million transportation professionals, generating thousands of hotline calls and identifying more than 1,200 potential victims.
When you got your CDL and started hauling freight on public highways, you traded some constitutional protections for the privilege of operating in a closely regulated industry. Here’s what that actually means when a badge knocks on your sleeper berth door.
Inspectors pulled 2,296 commercial vehicles off the road during the 2025 Brake Safety Week, a 15.1% out-of-service rate virtually identical to 2024’s 15% failure rate. With next year’s enforcement already scheduled for Aug. 23-29, 2026, the question isn’t whether we’ll see similar results
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s 2025 International Roadcheck brought more than 56,000 inspections to highways across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, revealing that the same familiar culprits, brake systems, tires, and logbook falsifications, continue to drive out-of-service violations.
Operation Safe Driver Week begins July 13, targeting speeding and unsafe driving behaviors across North America. For fleets, these blitzes can directly impact FMCSA data, ISS scores, and safety ratings, which affect your ability to win freight, retain insurance, and stay on the road. Here’s what to know, what’s coming next, and how to build a clean inspection strategy before it’s too late.
For the first time in decades, the federal government is shifting its attention from policy roundtables to the actual drivers and fleets keeping the country moving.
With over 12% of trucks sidelined during last year’s CVSA Brake Safety Week, the 2025 focus on rotors and brake drums puts heavy-duty and vocational trucks in the crosshairs. This guide breaks down what inspectors look for and how clean, well-maintained rigs are more likely to pass or avoid inspection altogether.
With CVSA reinstating English proficiency violations as out-of-service offenses, FMCSA’s new guidance puts front-line carriers and drivers on high alert and raises deeper questions: What about drivers who are deaf, mute or communicate differently? Who gets left behind, and what can fleets do now to stay compliant?
Tender rejections are already near last year’s July Fourth peak.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is gearing up to formally request a big change: a federal time cap on personal conveyance use by truck drivers
Critics of the reinstatement of English language proficiency out-of-service violations argue that the directive is more political than practical and risks diverting attention from more pressing safety issues on U.S. highways.
With CVSA’s International Roadcheck around the corner, thousands of inspectors will be out in force, and if you’re not ready, your truck could be the one parked roadside with an out-of-service sticker. This guide breaks down what a Level 1 inspection really involves.
CVSA enforcement blitzes like International Roadcheck, Operation Safe Driver Week, and Brake Safety Week can make or break a fleet’s compliance record. Failing an inspection means out-of-service violations, increased ISS scores, and higher insurance costs. The key to staying ahead? Proactive fleet technology. AI-powered dashcams, electronic DVIRs, predictive maintenance systems, and compliance automation help fleets avoid costly violations. With FMCSA safety ratings on the line, adopting these tools ensures that fleets remain inspection-ready year-round because trucking compliance isn’t seasonal.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) International Roadcheck is scheduled for May 13-15. Mark Barlar, director of DOT regulatory compliance at Reliance Partners, shares some insightful tips for carriers and drivers to stay compliant during this period of increased scrutiny.
Updates to the CVSA Out-of-Service criteria have been released, set to take effect April 1.
On a recent episode of Loaded and Rolling, Matt Leffler, the Armchair Attorney, spoke about the explosion in nuclear verdicts impacting trucking.
Driverless truck developers are looking to third-party validators to back their safety claims.
A recent Flock Freight survey reports 43% of truckload orders were partially empty, highlighting ongoing challenges for trailer space utilization.
CVSA International Roadcheck is Tuesday through Thursday. Its focus is on tractor protection systems in addition to alcohol and controlled substance possession.
Canadian transport and logistics provider TFI International plans to spin off Daseke as a separate company sometime in 2025.
To view more FreightWaves infographics, click here
To view more FreightWaves infographics, click here
Kodiak Robotics and Drivewyze are working with Texas authorities to make it easier for autonomous trucks to bypass weigh stations.
To view more FreightWaves infographics, click here
“Unfortunately there are still drivers on the road that give the rest a bad name. We’re as an industry looking to change that perception,” Reliance Partners’ Robert Kaferle said.
In this edition: Brake Safety Day results released; noncompetes return to the limelight; and Nikola has to get creative.
In just a few weeks, law enforcement personnel across North America will be posted at roads, weigh stations and designated inspection areas to conduct thousands of inspections during CVSA’s 2023 International Roadcheck.
2022 Brake Safety Week Results
Knight-Swift is the first carrier to put its own driver behind the wheel of a tractor embedded with autonomous software from Embark Trucks.
VSA Releases 2022 Operation Safe Driver Week Results
After years of collaboration, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has figured out how to inspect autonomous trucks for safe operation.
On Monday, the Iowa-based truckload carrier acquired several assets from the Contract Freighters Inc. (CFI) portfolio
Preparing your fleet for an inspection is a continual process that requires monthly monitoring of safety data.
Reliance Partners’ Brian Runnels offers tips ahead of the inspections on May 17-19.
Reliance Partners’ Mark Barlar reacts to CVSA’s HM/DG Road Blitz and encourages the industry to clean up its act when hauling volatile materials.
While dates for other CVSA inspection weeks are announced in advance, the precedent set by Canada was not to disclose the dates for what is known as HM/DG inspection week.
Brake Safety Week is set for Aug. 22-28, meaning drivers and carriers have only a few more days to tighten up on brake safety.
Law enforcement will be on the lookout for unsafe drivers on roadways throughout North America starting Sunday, July 11, as part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual Safe Driver Week.
Auto technician-turned-police officer explains what he looks for as CVSA inspector in one of North America’s largest freight markets.
Are you ready for next week’s International Roadcheck? Reliance Partners’ Brian Runnels offers some tips to remain violation free.
CVSA inspectors will focus on lighting and hours of service during the annual 72-hour safety blitz throughout North America on May 4-6.
Drivers often take the blame for roadside violations, but remaining in compliance with regulations is a team effort that includes maintenance personnel and safety operations in a fleet.
As International Roadcheck 2021 quickly approaches, truck drivers need to prepare for the inspection process. Here are five tips J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. recommend drivers follow to make the process easier.
The next CVSA championship is scheduled for Aug. 15-19, 2022, in Indianapolis.
In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has resigned. Plus, safety groups are concerned about an HOS exemption for ag haulers, and a worker classification rule could be scrapped.
As trucking fleets reassess their safety programs for 2021 and the post-pandemic world, here are five steps they can take to reduce their risk exposure.
Although the pandemic has forced cutbacks in many areas, safety shouldn’t be one of them. In fact, fleets should invest more in safety compliance. Start by hiring a safety manager.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual International Roadcheck set for Sept. 9-11 will focus on driver requirements.
The Daily Dash is a quick look at what is happening in the freight ecosystem. In today’s edition, Hurricane Laura has left quite an impact in Louisiana. Plus, Convoy and UPS name new presidents, and drivers beware: Another inspection blitz is coming. No fuel, no place to rest Truck stops in and around areas where […]
Speeding is the focus of CVSA’s annual week-long Operation Safe Driver inspection blitz, which starts Sunday, July 12.
COVID-19 delayed CVSA’s annual International Roadcheck blitz in May.
An integration with 3PL Systems will make Trucker Tools’ Smarter Capacity platform available to all 3PL customers. Plus, a major airline failure could be on the horizon, online car buying could be here to stay, and more Pennsylvania rest stops open.
Operation Safe Driver and Brake Safety weeks are both still on.
CVSA sets dates for Roadcheck and announces focus on driver requirements. Also, FedEx goes old school to build its future, Canada tackles USMCA approval and Democratic presidential candidates lay out their transportation plans.
Inspectors will be out in full force from Sept. 15-21 as part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week.
Small carrier profits are about to be pressured by a large government organization and it’s not the FMCSA, DOT, or CVSA.
Approximately 9,000 inspectors in North America will be inspecting commercial vehicles and drivers during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual enforcement blitz scheduled for June 4-6.
Last year, carriers avoided hotspots for vehicle inspections during CVSA’s Roadcheck week. Now the market has turned, so has their attitude about these areas.
Approximately 9,000 inspectors in North America will be checking to ensure trailer underride guards meet federal regulations as part of CVSA’s annual International Roadcheck blitz scheduled for June 4-6.
The new fees for 2019 are more than in 2018 but less than they were two years ago.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance issued new guidance dissuading enforcement officials from waking up sleeping drivers in order to perform random inspections.
Brakes were also the biggest cited factor in Roadcheck Week earlier in the year.
In partnership with Reliance Partners …Learn how truck drivers can be more proactive about safety on the roadways in light of the recent increase in fatal crashes.
A total of 67,502 inspections took place in 2018.
In partnership with Reliance Partners …Many of the 1,600 violations were easily preventable, but no one had caught them prior to the surprise inspection.
Despite publicizing that hours-of-service (HOS) violations would be the focus of this year’s International Roadcheck, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual June event resulted in 43.7% of all drivers placed out of service done so because of HOS violations.
A letter from two U.S. Senators has spurred CVSA to begin looking at its role in enforcing a rule on truck underrides.
The statistics on 2018’s spot brake check day on trucks and buses are remarkably similar to what was found in 2017.
Fleets that run without an ELD could get into a lot of trouble with the inspectors, insurance companies, and customers, who can access the CSA data with regard to crash incidents and violation details.
The CVSA roadcheck is in full swing now, with the hours of service and the presence of an e-logging device on the deck coming under scrutiny by the DOT officials.
39,000 citations issued during the 2017 Operation Safe Driver initiative? The results sounded alarming, especially when compared with the 2016 results of 20,648 total citations or warnings issued throughout the United States and Canada.
Nearly 17 years in the making since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration first attempted to require electronic logging devices (ELDs) on commercial vehicles, the day has finally arrived for most of the nation’s 3 million plus driver workforce to begin using the devices.
The ELD mandate has finally arrived, but lets stop pretending this is a safety issue. Its not. The ELD mandate is about money. If we wanted to talk safety, our attention should focus on the real-evil: Hours of Service rules.
A one-day brake enforcement inspection by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance resulted in 14% of commercial vehicles in the U.S. and Canada being placed out of service for brake violations. A full 22% of vehicles were placed out of service for some kind of violation, CVSA said.
When the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) announced in late August that it would delay out-of-service orders for ELD violations until April 1, 2018, many cheered the decision. According to Collin Mooney, executive director of CVSA, many assumed that meant officials would not enforce the ELD rule at all until April. That is simply not true.
As efforts to delay implementation of the electronic logging device rule continue to flounder in Congress, opponents have received an olive branch from CVSA. The group says that while it will enforce the ELD mandate on Dec. 18 as planned, out-of-service orders will not be issued until April 1, 2018.
