CCJ, in partnership with Bestpass, hosted a one-hour webinar on Wednesday featuring Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) roadside inspection expert Jeremy Disbrow. Disbrow's 25 years of experience focus on commercial motor vehicle safety, enforcement, outreach and training, and during Wednesday's 60-minute webinar, Disbrow answered nearly 300 questions from members of the trucking community, providing a guided approach to passing a commercial vehicle roadside inspection.
If you missed the webinar but still want to learn about it, you can click here to register and get a recording of the event.
CVSA's North American Roadside Inspection Army will be held May 14-16. This year's event focuses on tractor protection controls in air systems and possession of alcohol and controlled substances, but inspectors will also be on the lookout for common violations like brake and tire wear issues and hours of service.
"So every year, year after year, lights seem to be at the top of the list," Disbrow said. "It's low hanging fruit. Usually, it's something that should be found on a pre-trip inspection. I know that lights can go out in transit, but usually, it's probably out when you're leaving. So just get out of the car, walk around, take care of the obvious items, like lights, tires, things like that, those are always at the top of the list. I think in 2023, we're at about 300,000 violations nationwide, not just on Roadcheck, but throughout the year, and the number one violation is lighting. So it's definitely a very common issue."
"Obviously, (all lights) are important; all the required lights are important, but there's no doubt that the rear lights at the very back of the vehicle will definitely put you out of service. So brake lights, turn signals, those are going to put you out of service on the back. And of course the headlights. If those lights aren't working, that's going to put you out of service as well."