CVSA Roadcheck 2026: What Carriers Should Expect and How to Prepare

Each spring, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance conducts its International Roadcheck, a 72-hour inspection, enforcement, and data-collection initiative that places commercial motor vehicles and drivers under concentrated scrutiny across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. This year’s event runs May 12–14, and carriers should be confirming now that equipment, documentation, and driver records are in order.

International Roadcheck is the largest targeted enforcement program for commercial motor vehicles in North America.

During the 72-hour window, inspectors conduct approximately a dozen inspections per minute at weigh stations, inspection stations, and pop-up inspection sites across North America. Most are North American Standard Level I inspections, a 37-step procedure covering driver operating requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness. Vehicles that pass without critical vehicle inspection item violations may receive a CVSA decal valid for up to three months.

The 2026 focus areas are false records of duty status (RODS), including ELD tampering and manipulation, and cargo securement. Inspectors are expected to focus on discrepancies between logged activity and supporting records.

The Driver Focus: ELD Tampering and Falsification

Last year, falsification of record of duty status was the second most-cited driver violation across all FMCSA inspections, with 58,382 violations recorded. Five of the top ten driver violations overall were hours-of-service or ELD related.

During inspections, officers review a driver’s record of duty status (RODS), including electronic logging data, and cross-reference it against supporting documents such as fuel receipts, toll records, and dispatch data. They’re looking for inconsistencies, including driving time recorded while the ELD was disconnected, edits without annotations, gaps that don’t match supporting records, or patterns that suggest the device was manipulated to conceal hours-of-service violations.

This cross-referencing matters more than many drivers realize. If a log shows a 10-hour break in Memphis, but a fuel transaction places the truck in Nashville two hours into that break, that discrepancy is treated as a falsification finding, regardless of how it occurred.

Maximum civil penalties for ELD recordkeeping violations can reach $1,584 per day, up to $15,846 depending on severity. Beyond the fine, a driver placed out of service for ELD-related violations cannot move freight until the issue is resolved.

Ahead of Roadcheck:

• Confirm every ELD in your fleet is on FMCSA’s registered device list. The agency removed dozens of devices from the approved list in the months leading up to this event.
• Drivers are required to carry an 8-day supply of blank paper logs in case of malfunction. Verify that’s in every cab.
• Practice the data transfer process. During an inspection, drivers must transmit ELD records to the officer on request. Fumbling through it raises flags.
• Spot-audit recent logs for unexplained edits, missing annotations, or gaps that don’t match supporting records.

Inspectors will also verify that ELD data can be transferred on demand and that required supporting documents are available during the inspection.

The Vehicle Focus: Cargo Securement

In 2025, inspection data recorded 18,108 violations for cargo not secured to prevent leaking, spilling, blowing, or falling, and another 16,054 for unsecured vehicle components and dunnage. That’s more than 34,000 cargo-related violations in a single year.

Improperly secured cargo affects vehicle handling and creates hazards for other drivers. A load that is not properly secured or appears likely to shift, fall, or come loose can result in an out-of-service violation.

Inspectors evaluate whether cargo is secured in a way that prevents it from shifting, leaking, spilling, blowing, or falling from the vehicle during transport.

During the vehicle inspection, officers assess:

• Blocking and bracing to ensure the load cannot shift in transit
• Tie-down condition and adequacy, including whether straps, chains, and webbing meet applicable working load limit (WLL) requirements and show no damage or excessive wear
• Anchor points for cracks, deformation, or structural weakness
• Doors, tailboards, and end gates to confirm they are properly secured
• Dunnage and spare equipment, including chains, straps, and tarps, to ensure they are secured to the vehicle and not loose

Cargo securement requirements are governed by 49 CFR Part 393, Subpart I.

A note on brakes: while cargo securement is the 2026 vehicle focus, brake system violations consistently account for the largest share of vehicle out-of-service conditions and will remain a key inspection category. In 2025, brake-related issues accounted for more than 40% of all vehicle OOS violations. Inspectors do not stop checking brakes because the focus area shifts.

2025 Roadcheck Results in Context

Last year’s event produced 56,178 inspections. The vehicle out-of-service rate was 18.1%, and the driver out-of-service rate was 5.9%. Nearly one in five vehicles inspected was placed out of service.

These results reflect what inspectors identify when vehicles and drivers are evaluated against North American Standard inspection criteria at scale. Issues that may not surface during day-to-day operations are more likely to be identified during a concentrated enforcement period like Roadcheck.

Preparation happens before the inspection, not during it.

It’s worth being clear about what “out of service” actually means. The truck stops where it is, whether at the inspection site, on the shoulder, or at a weigh station. The freight doesn’t move. The driver doesn’t earn. If the issue cannot be corrected roadside, the vehicle may need to be towed.

The violation remains on the safety record regardless of how quickly it is corrected. That is the real cost: not just the citation, but the downtime, the disrupted freight, and the impact on CSA scores.

How Roadcheck Results Affect Your CSA Score

Inspections conducted during Roadcheck are reflected in a carrier’s CSA BASIC scores, just like any other DOT inspection. Violations identified during an inspection contribute to a carrier’s safety profile and are evaluated within the relevant BASIC categories.

Out-of-service violations generally carry higher severity weights than non-OOS findings, and multiple violations within a single inspection can increase the overall impact on a carrier’s score.

For carriers already operating near intervention thresholds in the Hours of Service or Vehicle Maintenance BASICs, a poor inspection during this period can have a measurable effect. Understanding where your fleet may be exposed before Roadcheck week is more effective than reacting after the fact.

For a breakdown of which violations carry the most weight, see our guide to the 10 most common CSA violations. If scores are already a concern, our guide to resolving a poor CSA score outlines the process, including how to challenge inspection data through the DataQs system.

What Roadcheck Week Means for Shippers

For shippers, Roadcheck can affect available capacity. Some drivers choose to park during the 72-hour Roadcheck period rather than risk inspection, especially if there are known equipment or documentation issues. When that happens, capacity can tighten, tender acceptance may decline, and spot rates may fluctuate.

Where possible, get freight tendered and booked ahead of Roadcheck week. If you’re moving time-sensitive loads during that window, communicate early with your logistics provider about carrier availability and have backup options identified. Most disruption is short-lived, but it is easier to plan around than react to.

Roadcheck Preparation Checklist

Driver:

• Valid CDL
• Current medical examiner’s certificate
• Record of duty status (RODS) is current, accurate, and complete
• At least an 8-day supply of blank paper logs in the cab in case of ELD malfunction
• Ability to transfer ELD data to an inspector on request
• Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse status is current
• Seat belt is present and in working order

Vehicle:

• Brake systems checked, including pads, drums, air lines, and stroke
• Cargo secured in accordance with 49 CFR Part 393, Subpart I
• Tie-downs inspected for wear, damage, and proper securement
• All lights functional
• Tires within legal limits
• Dunnage and spare equipment secured to the vehicle

Process:

• Confirm all ELDs in use appear on FMCSA’s current registered device list
• Review DVIRs from the past 30 days and ensure any reported defects have been repaired and documented as resolved before the vehicle operates
• Brief drivers on the inspection process and how to transfer ELD records calmly and correctly

The DVIR Problem Most Carriers Don’t See Coming

The Driver Vehicle Inspection Report is required by law. Under 49 CFR 396.11, drivers must document any defect or deficiency identified at the end of each shift. The next driver must review and sign that report, and every commercial motor vehicle must be systematically inspected, repaired, and maintained.

That process works when a reported defect leads to a repair. It becomes a problem when it does not.

If a driver reports a brake defect on a DVIR and the vehicle continues to be dispatched without that issue being addressed, the DVIR is no longer just a maintenance record. It becomes documentation that a known safety defect existed, was recorded, and was not corrected. Under FMCSA enforcement, that can create civil penalty exposure for each day the vehicle operates with a documented and unresolved defect.

The issue is not usually that carriers lack a DVIR program. Most do. The issue is that the DVIR process and the maintenance workflow are not connected. Reports get filed, defects get noted, and no one with authority to remove the vehicle from service acts on the information. During an FMCSA audit, that gap creates a clear compliance risk.

Before Roadcheck week, review your DVIR records from the past 30 days. If a defect was reported and there is no clear record of when it was repaired and who verified the repair, that gap should be addressed. This is not just for Roadcheck, but for any audit that may occur throughout the year.

Running Roadcheck-Ready All Year

Carriers that move through Roadcheck without issue are not scrambling in the days leading up to it. They operate with well-maintained equipment, accurate records, and properly secured freight as standard practice. Roadcheck lasts three days. The habits that support compliance are year-round.

First Call’s carrier network operates under those same expectations. If you have questions about compliance, freight availability during the event, or carrier requirements, our team is available around the clock.