Don Hummer Trucking Corporation

CVSA Roadcheck 2021: Lighting and Hours of Service

Posted on April 27, 2021 at 10:36 AM by Blog Committee

CVSA Roadcheck 2021: Lighting and Hours of Service

Every year the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) holds the International Roadcheck. The roadcheck measures compliance, enforcement, and educational initiatives. This roadcheck is aimed at various components of motor carrier, vehicle, and driver safety.

This year the CVSA Roadcheck 2021 will be held May 4-6. The inspectors will be focused on lighting and hours of service. Likewise, drivers should be prepared to have a full Level 1 inspection.

 

A few tips for the Hours of Service (HOS) portion include:

  • Know where your ELD device instructions are located.
  • Have at least 8 days of blank paper logs and know where to find them.
  • Your ELD device must be able to be handed out of the cab for an officer to review. Double-check your cord to make sure this is possible.
  • Be prepared to show the officer how to transfer your logs electronically. 
  • Make sure you are putting notes in your duty time and status changes; it can make the inspection go faster.
  • If you utilized ‘personal conveyance’ or ‘yard moves’, be sure it was done properly and you can explain the time spent traveling. This is another good place for comments when you make the status change.
  • Make sure you have properly reflected on-duty (or duty period), not driving time. Remember the hours of service regulations include pre and post-trips, loading and unloading, fueling, etc. as work functions. This means they should be recorded as on-duty, not driving time with comments.

A level one inspection can easily be done at a resting location or fueling station. Drivers should always perform a pre-trip inspection, but here's how to prepare for the lighting portion and Level 1 inspection:

  • Do a walk-around inspection: See if anything on the truck looks damaged or out of place. Check your mirror brackets, doors, windows, steps, and weather stripping to make sure everything is working
  • Check your lights: Do a basic lighting inspection by checking all lights, lenses, and headlights to make sure there is no fogging or cracking.
  • Check the engine compartment:  Look at your water pump, radiator, air compressor pump, and power steering pump to make sure they are not cracked, damaged, or loose.
  • Check your tiresCheck the air pressure to make sure it’s at the recommended psi and make sure tires are free from bumps, cuts or abrasions, don’t have nails in them, and have plenty of tread.
  • Check the brake system: Look at your truck’s brake pads and drums to make sure they are not cracked, damaged, or loose. Be sure to test your brakes, making sure you push your brake knobs in before testing. Do a static brake check, applied pressure test, low-pressure warning signal test, and check your emergency valves.
  • Inspect the inside of the cab:  Look at your truck’s windshield, mirrors, defroster, windshield wipers, hazard signals, turn signals, and gauges to make sure everything is working properly
  • Test the engine and horns: Check that the engine is working properly by revving the engine and testing your horns. The readiness of a motor should be included in your check.

Truck driver using ELD in truck

Here are a few additional tips to make everything go more smoothly:

  • Have your CDL ready and it can’t hurt to have your medical card even though it should be reflected when they check your CDL. States can make mistakes and having the paper medical card can help.
  • Have your permit book in order and be familiar with what is in it. Being familiar with the hours of service rules is helpful.
  • If you are loaded, have your bills of lading in order. Understand what you are hauling and be able to explain it.
  • If in line and still moving, leave your seatbelt on until you park and set your brakes.
  • Come into a scale or rest area at a prudent speed and do not tailgate, especially in adverse driving conditions.
  • Smile and be pleasant. This works wonders.

Thanks to all the professional drivers for all you do to be safe and keep America moving.

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