Brake violations top Roadcheck out-of-service conditions

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Updated Dec 28, 2020

Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Dec. 18, 2020: 

Brake violations lead Roadcheck out-of-service conditions
More than 15,000 trucks and drivers were placed out-of-service during the annual International Roadcheck inspection blitz in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The 72-hour enforcement spree, headed up by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, was held Sept. 9-11. In total, 50,151 inspections were conducted across North America.

The top five vehicle OOS violations during the blitz were brake system (3,163 violations), tires (2,326), lights (1,650), cargo securement (1,586), and brake adjustment (1,567). The total number of out-of-service vehicle violations from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. combined was 12,254.

Each year, inspectors key in on a specific area of violations, and the 2020 focus was driver requirements. The top five driver OOS violations were hours of service (1,128 violations); moving violations, cell phone use, etc. (709); wrong class license (687); false logs (455); and suspended license (141). The total number of driver out-of-service violations was 3,247.

Inspectors also checked seat belt usage during International Roadcheck. A total of 768 seatbelt violations were issued – seven in Canada, eight in Mexico and 753 in the U.S.

In the U.S., inspectors also found 173 out-of-service hazmat violations, including loading, shipping papers, placards and markings.

The next International Roadcheck is scheduled for May 4-6, 2021.

FMCSA extends CDL, CLP, med cert waivers through February
Truck drivers whose commercial driver’s licenses, commercial learner’s permits or medical certifications have expired since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have at least two more months to have those documents renewed.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Dec. 15, extended a waiver through Feb. 28, giving drivers more time to renew expired CDLs, CLPs and med certs because of difficulty scheduling DOT physicals and driver’s license renewals due staffing shortages and other issues.

The waiver applies to drivers whose CDLs and CLPs that expired on or after March 1, 2020, and for medical certificates that expired on or after Sept. 1, 2020.

Drivers are covered under the CDL and CLP portions of the waiver if their licensing state exercises discretion to extend the validity of CDLs and CLPs. Drivers are covered under the medical certificate portion of the waiver without further action.

The extension is in contrast to a statement by FMCSA’s Joe DeLorenzo in November during a virtual User Summit hosted by ERoad, an electronic logging device provider. At the time, DeLorenzo emphasized for carriers, owner-operators and other drivers that the intention when it comes to expired CDLs, medical certification renewals, hazmat endorsements and more was to get back on schedule after the previous waiver expired Dec. 31.