The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance puts on a three-day inspection spree of commercial trucks and buses across North America each year. Known as the International Roadcheck, it is meant to enforce both driver- and vehicle-related safety regulations. Drivers in New Jersey are probably familiar with this event, and they may be wondering when this year’s inspection blitz will take place.
The CVSA has scheduled the 2018 International Roadcheck to take place June 5 to 7. The agency stated that inspectors will also be conducting Level I inspections, which are considered the most thorough type because they cover driver violations and vehicle-related noncompliance. This year’s focus will be on hours-of-service violations.
Regulations regarding hours of service were put in the spotlight after the U.S. Department of Transportation mandated the use of electronic logging devices on all commercial trucks. The regulation, which was instituted back in December 2017, has entered a period of hard enforcement. As most truckers know, electronic logging devices document their hours of service, making paper logs unnecessary and, consequently, cutting down on log falsification.
During last year’s International Roadcheck, 63,000 vehicles were inspected, which equated to an average of 15 vehicles every minute. Inspectors issued 15,000 out-of-service orders with 12,000 of them relating to vehicle-related violations. Brake regulation noncompliance was especially common, but hours-of-service violations ultimately topped the list.
When truckers cause accidents, the victims will want to see if they can file an injury claim against the trucking company. To strengthen their case, they will need to consult the maintenance records and driving history of the trucker in question and even have the crash site investigated. A lawyer could handle all of this and more. Accident attorneys usually have a network of investigators that can bring their specialized knowledge to bear on the case. Lawyers can then negotiate with the trucking company and litigate if necessary.
