Common Reasons Trucks Are Targeted for Inspections: Tips from a Transportation Service
At some point, every trucker is going to be stopped for a roadside inspection—it’s just something that comes with the territory. However, these inspections could potentially become more frequent if there are certain noticeable problems with your vehicle or your driving. These types of inspections are authorized by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and can be conducted at any time.
Our transportation service in Aurora, CO has compiled a list of common reasons why trucks are targeted for roadside inspections. Here are a few of them:
- Clear vehicle defects: Approximately 63 percent of all inspections occur because an inspector observed some type of noticeable defect. Common examples of such defects include lights that are not working, flat or underinflated tires, hazardous material placards not being in place, fluid leaks, broken or missing mirrors and more. All of these violations are easy triggers for authorized inspectors to pull you over and order an inspection. This can be avoided by simply taking good care of the vehicles, and by conducting thorough inspections before taking the truck out to begin a haul.
- Moving violations: Approximately 22 percent of all roadside inspections happen because the driver committed some sort of moving violation. Speeding is the most common of these by far, but other common examples include failure to wear a seat belt, failure to obey the rules of the road, following other vehicles too closely, failure to yield, unsafe passing of other vehicles, radar detector pullovers and more. All of these behaviors are easily controlled by the driver. Because of the sheer size of the trucks and the potential damage that could be caused by a truck colliding with another vehicle, officers take this behavior quite seriously and are quick to pull vehicles over and have inspections performed.
- Inspection Selection System (ISS): The ISS is the tool used by the FMCSA along roadways to screen commercial trucks for inspection. Approximately 15 percent of all inspections are triggered by ISS. There does not need to be any “probable cause” for ISS to trigger an inspection—it is simply a random method that is implemented to ensure all truckers and truck companies are following FMCSA regulations at all times. Just because there are no observable vehicle defects or moving violations does not necessarily mean the trucker or trucking company are following all of the rules and regulations in place.
While some roadside inspections are indeed random, the vast majority of inspections happen because of the driver’s behavior, whether it’s aggressive or illegal driving practices or a failure to properly inspect the vehicle before heading out on a trip. Drivers can be educated to avoid these types of issues through continued training, and there should be constant reminders that drivers are subject to all the rules of the road as well as of the FMCSA.
For more information about the various reasons truckers are likely to get pulled over for vehicle inspections, contact the trusted team at Osage Specialized Transport, your transportation service in Aurora, CO.
