Tomorrow, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) will begin its 72 hour road check enforcement program working in conjunction with the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA). This 3 day Safety Blitz will be held June 4-6, 2013 throughout all parts of the US. There will be approximately 1,500 inspection locations set up to inspect commercial vehicles. I remember last year, I saw little evidence that this was even going on and didn’t get inspected. Either way, we should always be ready for an inspection because the inspectors are only enforcing the law. It’s not the law June 4-6 only; it’s the law every day of the year so nothing should be different for us.
In any event, we can never hear too much about safety and it does our industry good to go through such an intense period of scrutiny. Sadly, there are companies out there that make it a habit to operate illegally and unsafe in the interest of making more money. They get caught and put out of business, but many times get resurrected with a new name after a short period of time. Thankfully, the FMCSA is tightening the vise on those companies and removing them from our highways.
In preparation for our upcoming test, our federal government is giving us the answers beforehand so no one will fail. Go to this link from the CVSA to find out what they’ll be looking for this year. As I looked over it, I saw nothing listed that’s not already on a pre-trip sheet that you can get at any truck stop. The bottom line is that they’re not checking for anything that we shouldn’t already be doing.
Even though they’ve given us the answers to the test beforehand, I’m sure they will find instances of gross negligence and substandard equipment that needs to be put out of service. We all benefit when our roads are safer. Remember, if you get inspected during the blitz, they are doing their jobs of enforcing laws that protect our safety and the safety of our families. And when you pass, it will help improve your CSA score. Ever Forward.