In this briefing, Samuel Tucker, CPCU, CRM, presents the findings from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s 2026 International Roadcheck, which took place May 12‑14. Inspectors performed 54,575 inspections across North America, resulting in an 81% vehicle pass rate and a 94% driver pass rate, but still placed 10,350 commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) and over 3,000 drivers out of service (OOS). The top vehicle OOS categories were brake systems (including defective‑brake citations), tires, cargo securement, and lighting, together accounting for roughly 40% of vehicle violations. Driver OOS violations were led by missing medical cards, hours‑of‑service (HOS) infractions, operating without a CDL, English‑language proficiency issues, and ELD tampering/falsification. Tucker emphasizes that these findings reflect year‑round compliance risks and offers actionable recommendations: prioritize brake, tire, and lighting maintenance; enforce thorough pre‑trip inspections and prompt defect repairs; continuously verify driver medical qualifications and CDL status; monitor HOS and ELD data for irregularities; and use compliance tools such as MySafetyManager to manage DOT requirements.
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CVSA just released the results from the 2026 Road Check event, and more than 10,000 vehicles and 3,000 drivers were placed out of service in just 3 days. Let's look at what inspectors found and what fleets can learn from it. This year's Road Check event took place May 12th through the 14th. During the blitz, inspectors conducted 54,575 inspections across North America. First, the good news. Most of the trucks and drivers inspected passed without an out-of-service violation. 81% of vehicles and 94% of drivers inspected had no OOS violations. But inspectors still placed 10,350 CMVs out of service. The vehicle out-of-service rate was 23.5%. That's nearly 1 out of every 4 vehicles inspected. So what were inspectors finding? The top 5 vehicle out-of-service violation categories were brake systems, tires, defective brakes, cargo securement, and lighting. Brake systems were the number 1 vehicle out-of-service violation. Inspectors documented almost 3,400 brake system OOS violations, accounting for 24% of all vehicle out-of-service violations. But that doesn't tell the whole story. Another 2,000 violations involved the 20% defective brakes criterion. Combined, brake-related problems accounted for almost 40% of all vehicle out-of-service violations. Think about that— nearly 4 out of every 10 vehicle out-of-service violations found during road checks involved brakes. For fleets, brake inspection and maintenance should remain one of your highest priorities. Tires were another major problem. Inspectors found nearly 3,000 tire-related OOS violations. In the United States specifically, tires accounted for 22% of vehicle out-of-service violations. Many brake, tire, and lighting defects can be identified before a truck ever reaches an inspection station. Drivers need to perform meaningful pre-trip inspections, not simply check a box on a DVR. Reported defects also need to actually be corrected. Cargo securement was CVSA's special vehicle focus for the 2026 road check. Inspectors found over 1,700 cargo securement OOS violations, making it the 4th most common vehicle out-of-service category. Now let's talk about drivers. Inspectors placed over 3,000 drivers out of service during the road check event, and the number one reason might surprise you. The leading driver out-of-service violation was no medical card. There were over 1,000 of these violations, representing 27% of all That's significant because medical qualification is something carriers should be actively managing. Don't wait until a roadside inspection to discover there's a problem. Know when medical certifications expire and regularly verify driver qualification. Hours of service violations came in second. Inspectors documented almost 1,000 HOS out-of-service violations, representing 24% of all driver OOS violations. Another 600 out-of-service violations involved drivers operating without a commercial driver's license. That's a significant percentage. English language proficiency also made the list. Inspectors issued 361 out-of-service violations in the U.S. for English proficiency, representing 9.5% of U.S. driver OOS violations. ELD compliance received special attention during this year's road check, and inspectors cited 266 drivers with a false log out-of-service violation. CVSA specifically targeted ELD tampering, falsification, and manipulation during the 2026 road check. Inspectors issued almost 150 out-of-service orders involving ELD tampering. ELD compliance isn't just about whether a driver has enough hours available. Unassigned driving, improper personal conveyance, edits, missing driving time, and suspicious changes to duty status can all create inspection issues. So what should trucking companies take away from these results? Continue to focus on compliance basics because these are still regularly putting trucks and drivers out of service. On the vehicle side, pay particular attention to brakes, tires, and lights. Make sure drivers know how to perform effective pre-trip inspections and ensure reported defects are repaired promptly. On the driver's side, verify medical qualification and CDL status. Monitor hours of service compliance, review ELD records for questionable activity, and make sure your drivers are prepared for roadside inspections. Remember, International Road Check may only last 3 days, but these are the same violations inspectors look for throughout the year. RoadCheck gives us a snapshot of where the industry is struggling and where carriers should focus their compliance efforts. At MySafetyManager, we help trucking companies manage DOT compliance, driver qualification, ELD monitoring, CSA performance, and roadside inspection risk. Please like this video and subscribe to the channel for more practical DOT compliance and trucking safety updates.
