Dive Brief:
- Hours-of-service
compliance is the focus of this year’s Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance
(CVSA) International Roadcheck, an annual event which involves inspections
across North America on commercial vehicles and drivers. The event runs
Tuesday through Thursday this week.
- This
is the first Roadcheck to take place with the electronic logging device
(ELD) mandate in effect. “The ELD mandate placed a spotlight on
hours-of-service compliance,” CVSA President Christopher Turner
said in a news release. - The
CVSA expects to find some ELD violations in its inspections, but
does not have an estimate or specific number, Will Schaefer, director of
safety programs for CVSA, told Supply Chain Dive in an email.
· Dive Insight:
Since the April 1 enforcement
date, news on the ELD front has been relatively quiet. The Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration “reported fewer than 1 percent of all
inspections [resulted] in an ELD violation since April 1,” Schaefer
said.
date, news on the ELD front has been relatively quiet. The Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration “reported fewer than 1 percent of all
inspections [resulted] in an ELD violation since April 1,” Schaefer
said.
But this could be the calm before
the storm, said Drew McElroy, CEO and co-founder of Transfix, a digital
trucking marketplace.
the storm, said Drew McElroy, CEO and co-founder of Transfix, a digital
trucking marketplace.
Conducting “updated and
upgraded inspections and doing that all correctly and at a significant velocity
— we just assumed it was going to happen on April 1,” he told Supply
Chain Dive. “But it may be that [inspectors] are still trying to get
their legs under them.”
upgraded inspections and doing that all correctly and at a significant velocity
— we just assumed it was going to happen on April 1,” he told Supply
Chain Dive. “But it may be that [inspectors] are still trying to get
their legs under them.”
During Roadcheck, inspectors go
through a 37-step process to examine the driver’s operating requirements and
“vehicle mechanical fitness,” including brake systems, steering,
suspension and tires, CVSA said. In last year’s event, hours-of-service and
falsified log books were some of the most common violations discovered among
the more than 60,000 inspections across North America.
through a 37-step process to examine the driver’s operating requirements and
“vehicle mechanical fitness,” including brake systems, steering,
suspension and tires, CVSA said. In last year’s event, hours-of-service and
falsified log books were some of the most common violations discovered among
the more than 60,000 inspections across North America.
With hours-of-service compliance
the focus of this year’s event, inspectors will likely pay extra attention to
ELDs.
the focus of this year’s event, inspectors will likely pay extra attention to
ELDs.
Schaefer, however, said
inspections shouldn’t take any longer because of ELDs. “If drivers
are familiar with their own ELDs, that speeds up the process of the inspector
checking hours and tends to make inspections faster,” he said.
inspections shouldn’t take any longer because of ELDs. “If drivers
are familiar with their own ELDs, that speeds up the process of the inspector
checking hours and tends to make inspections faster,” he said.
Many truckers and carriers haven’t been receptive to
regulations designed to enhance safety in the trucking industry and dread times
of heavy inspection.
regulations designed to enhance safety in the trucking industry and dread times
of heavy inspection.
McElroy said some truckers have called
Roadcheck “the worst week of the year,” with some drivers
choosing to go on vacation to avoid the event altogether.
Roadcheck “the worst week of the year,” with some drivers
choosing to go on vacation to avoid the event altogether.
Despite regulations that some
drivers have seen as bureaucratic, drivers are enjoying the benefits of a carrier’s market.
“Demand is robust, carriers are getting paid well, most 3PLs are reporting
good numbers,” McElroy said. Some of those good numbers are falling into
truckers’ hands via pay raises. “It’s
a good market out there right now.”
drivers have seen as bureaucratic, drivers are enjoying the benefits of a carrier’s market.
“Demand is robust, carriers are getting paid well, most 3PLs are reporting
good numbers,” McElroy said. Some of those good numbers are falling into
truckers’ hands via pay raises. “It’s
a good market out there right now.”
SupplyChain Dive.
