FMCSA 2013 Roadcheck Hits The Streets

 

 

2013 Roadcheck hits the streets with one goal: Safety

It's time once again for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's (CVSA) annual Roadcheck, the largest targeted inspection and enforcement program on commercial motor vehicles in the world.
Each year, approximately 10,000 CVSA-certified local, state, provincial, and federal inspectors at 1,500 locations across North America perform truck and bus inspections, with approximately 14 trucks or buses being inspected, on average, every minute from Canada to Mexico during the 72-hour event last year.
From sunrise this morning until sunset Thursday, we expect 2013's Roadcheck officers to conduct more than 70,000 inspections.

FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro with motorcoach operator

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne Ferro attended this morning's kickoff event at FedEx Field in Landover, MD, and FMCSA Chief Safety Officer Jack Van Steenburg will be in Ontario, Canada, tomorrow for another Roadcheck event.
Safety is the FMCSA’s number one mission. And our partnership with CVSA and the States truly raises the safety bar for commercial motor vehicles. This year alone, FMCSA will award more than $300 million in grants to directly support nearly 10,000 state and local inspectors dedicated to motor carrier, commercial vehicle, and driver safety. 
This year, Roadcheck inspectors and enforcement officers will emphasize motorcoach safety and properly securing cargo loads on trucks.

Since February when I called for a nationwide crackdown on high-risk motorcoach carriers, we placed out of service 18 bus companies for violating basic safety standards and putting their passengers in jeopardy. Eleven of those companies were placed out of service since our Quick Strike enforcement teams got up and running in early April.  Working with our state law enforcement partners and CVSA, we are committed to removing those carriers and commercial drivers who cut corners to make a buck at the expense of safety.



With large trucks, cargo securement is important to the safety of every type of load from flat beds to van trailers and cargo tankers. Loss of cargo onto the roadways or shifting cargo that causes unstable trucks and buses can pose serious safety hazards. 

Last year, cargo securement violations accounted for one in ten of all commercial vehicle violations found during random inspections. So this year, along with our CVSA partners, we will scour every commercial truck to ensure that cargo is secured properly.

When it comes to unsafe trucks and buses, for the sake of everyone who uses our roadways, we have zero tolerance. We simply cannot allow commercial drivers, vehicles, and carriers that endanger the public.

That's why, working with our partners, we put action behind our words in events like Roadcheck and in our ongoing inspections of commercial motor vehicles. 
I want to thank the many men and women of law enforcement who put themselves on the front lines to protect the public’s safety, not just during Roadcheck, but every day of the year. Because of you, we save lives.
And I also want to thank the professional drivers who are out there on the road doing a good job day in and day out. You set a terrific example, and I urge you to continue setting that example for your colleagues.