Category: CVSA

CVSA Opens Nominations for 2023 International Driver Excellence Award

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by CVSA

Photo: IDEA

Washington, D.C. (March 8, 2023) – The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is now accepting nominations for its International Driver Excellence Award (IDEA), an annual award that recognizes an extraordinary professional commercial motor vehicle driver and their commitment to public safety.

In addition, the Alliance is pleased to announce that it has increased the monetary award amount for the IDEA winner, doubling it from the previous amount of $2,500, to $5,000 this year.

The 2023 IDEA recipient (and a guest) will also receive complimentary airfare to Grapevine, Texas, along with a two-night, one-room hotel stay at the Gaylord Texan, to attend the CVSA Annual Conference and Exhibition awards luncheon where they will receive their check and crystal trophy.

Nominees must have:

  • At least 25 cumulative years of crash-free driving in a commercial motor vehicle with a clean driving record for the past three years
  • No felony convictions
  • No safety-related driving suspensions in the past three years
  • No driver violations in the past three years, excluding form and manner violations

CVSA’s simplified application enables individuals to easily fill out the nomination form and submit the required supporting documentation, all online. Access the 2023 IDEA online nomination submission form.

As the leading organization working to improve commercial motor vehicle safety and enforcement by providing guidance, education and advocacy for enforcement and industry across North America, CVSA recognizes the exceptional careers of professional commercial motor vehicle drivers and their commitment to public safety through this award program. Therefore, IDEA is open to the entire commercial motor vehicle industry. There are no stipulations that nominees must be a member of or affiliated with CVSA to apply.

“Commercial drivers are the backbone of North America’s supply chain, ensuring people and goods reach their destinations safely,” said CVSA President Maj. Chris Nordloh with the Texas Department of Public Safety. “IDEA is the perfect way for a motor carrier to honor and recognize drivers for their vital work.”

Check out previous IDEA winners.

This year’s International Driver Excellence Award is sponsored by PrePass Safety Alliance. PrePass Safety Alliance is a non-profit, public-private partnership of state agencies and trucking industry leaders devoted to safe, secure and efficient use of North America’s highway system.

If you have any questions about IDEA, contact CVSA Fatigue Management Specialist Rodolfo Giacoman via email or at 202-998-1830.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

International Roadcheck Is May 16-18 with Emphasis on ABS and Cargo Securement

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by CVSA

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has announced May 16-18 as this year’s International Roadcheck. International Roadcheck is a high-visibility, high-volume 72-hour inspection and enforcement event where CVSA-certified inspectors in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will conduct inspections of commercial motor vehicles and drivers at weigh/inspection stations, designated inspection areas and along roadways.

This year, inspectors will focus on  to highlight the importance of those aspects of vehicle safety. Although ABS violations are not out-of-service violations, ABS play a critical role in reducing the risk of collisions by preventing the wheels from locking up or skidding, allowing a driver to maintain control of the vehicle while braking. In addition, improper cargo securement poses a serious risk to drivers and other motorists by adversely affecting the vehicle’s maneuverability, or worse, causing unsecured loads to fall, resulting in traffic hazards and vehicle collisions.

During International Roadcheck, inspectors will conduct their usual roadside safety inspections of commercial motor vehicles and drivers. Data will be gathered from those three days and shared later this year, as a snapshot of the state of commercial motor vehicle and driver safety.

International Roadcheck also provides an opportunity to educate the motor carrier industry and general public about the importance of safe commercial motor vehicle operations and the North American Standard Inspection Program.

During a routine , inspectors focus on two areas – driver and vehicle safety compliance.

  •  – Inspectors will ensure the vehicle’s brake systems, cargo securement, coupling devices, driveline/driveshaft components, driver’s seat, fuel and exhaust systems, frames, lighting devices, steering mechanisms, suspensions, tires, wheels, rims, hubs and windshield wipers are compliant with regulations. Inspections of motorcoaches, passenger vans and other passenger-carrying vehicles also include emergency exits, seating, and electrical cables and systems in the engine and battery compartments.
  • Driver safety – Inspectors will check the driver’s operating credentials, hours-of-service documentation, status in the drug and alcohol clearinghouse, seat belt usage, and for alcohol and/or drug impairment.

Vehicles that successfully pass a Level I or Level V Inspection without any critical vehicle inspection item violations may receive a CVSA decal, which is valid for three months. If the inspector does identify critical vehicle inspection item violations, as outlined in the , the vehicle will be restricted from operating until the identified out-of-service conditions have been corrected. Inspectors may also restrict the driver from operating if the driver is found to have driver out-of-service violations, such as not possessing a valid or necessary operating license or exhibiting signs of impairment.

CVSA’s law enforcement member jurisdictions in cities, states, districts, provinces and territories in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. participate in International Roadcheck with support from trucking associations, transportation safety organizations and federal agencies, such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Transport Canada and Mexico’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Today is the Start of CVSA’s Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative in the U.S.

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published CVSA

Washington, D.C. (Jan. 9, 2023) – Today is the first day of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) five-day annual awareness and outreach effort to educate commercial motor vehicle drivers, motor carriers, law enforcement officers and the general public about the crime of human trafficking, the signs to look for and what to do if you suspect someone is being trafficked.

This week, CVSA law enforcement jurisdictions in the U.S. will track human trafficking awareness and outreach activities and events, and submit that data to the Alliance. CVSA will gather the information and report the results this summer.

In addition, in the months leading up to the awareness campaign, CVSA educated its membership and the general public on human trafficking through webinars, radio appearances and online resources. The Alliance also worked with Truckers Against Trafficking to distribute wallet cards and window decals, which are still available upon request.

CVSA selected this week for its 2023 Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative to align with U.S. National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, which is Jan. 11, and National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, which is January.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, human trafficking involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services or engage in commercial sex acts. The coercion may be subtle or overt, physical or psychological. Victims of human trafficking can be anyone, regardless of race, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, education level or citizenship status.

“CVSA’s law enforcement and motor carrier communities are committed to bringing attention to human trafficking,” said CVSA President Maj. Chris Nordloh with the Texas Department of Public Safety. “Working together, we will put an end to this crime.”

If you suspect someone is in a human trafficking situation or you are the victim of human trafficking, call the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or text 233733. The hotline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Support is provided in more than 200 languages and all calls are confidential and answered live by highly trained anti-trafficking hotline advocates.

To find out what your local jurisdiction is doing to increase human trafficking awareness, contact the agency/department responsible for overseeing commercial motor vehicle safety within your state or territory.

CVSA is comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal commercial motor vehicle safety officials and industry representatives in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. As a North American organization, Canada and Mexico will also be participating in CVSA’s 2023 Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative. In Canada, the initiative is scheduled for Feb. 20-24 and in Mexico, it will be March 13-17.

The Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative is part of CVSA’s Human Trafficking Prevention Program. The program seeks to reduce human trafficking throughout North America through coordinated enforcement and investigative and educational awareness measures within the commercial motor vehicle industry.

View last year’s Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative results.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

CVSA Receives $5 Million State CMV Enforcement Training and Support Grant

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by Safety+Health

On Jan. 3, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that it awarded CVSA with a $5 million Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Enforcement Training and Support Grant/Cooperative Agreement to train and certify law enforcement individuals to conduct commercial motor vehicle safety activities, such as inspections, investigations, audits, traffic enforcement, etc.

Through this cooperative agreement, CVSA will develop and deliver high-quality motor carrier safety training to its state and local partners. Building on FMCSA’s current instructor pool and course and testing materials, CVSA will expand and deliver a comprehensive suite of certification and non-certification training courses, leveraging existing content and partnering with issue-specific industry leaders.

As the organization that currently develops and maintains all non-regulatory elements of the roadside North American Standard Inspection Program, CVSA has, for decades, been responsible for developing training, tools and equipment used in the roadside inspection process. Not only is CVSA the author of materials upon which the roadside inspection program is based, CVSA is also directly involved in the creation and production of training content already used by FMCSA’s National Training Center.

As a result, CVSA has the infrastructure and resources available to provide training and education to the inspectors and local agencies that focus on commercial motor vehicle inspections and regulatory enforcement. CVSA also has a skilled team in place that has extensive inspection and enforcement experience, technical abilities and subject matter expertise to effectively deliver the required training.

CVSA pursued this grant opportunity because we believe we possess the knowledge and ability to deliver high-quality training that will give jurisdictions assurance and confidence that their inspectors and enforcement personnel have the necessary training they need to effectively enforce the regulations consistently and uniformly – a mission and priority for the Alliance.

As the organization whose members serve as the first line of defense in reducing crashes and saving lives by performing commercial motor vehicle safety inspections, CVSA shares FMCSA’s commitment to providing jurisdictions with the tools to succeed and supports its mission to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. The Alliance thanks FMCSA for this opportunity and for its consideration and selection.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Canada’s ELD Progressive Enforcement Period Changes Jan. 1

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by CVSA

Photo: CVSA

Effective Jan. 1, 2023, inspectors and roadside enforcement personnel in Canadian provinces and territories may begin documenting electronic logging device (ELD) violations and issuing citations to commercial motor vehicle drivers operating vehicles without a Canadian-compliant ELD.

Each Canadian province and territory has jurisdictional regulations for applying the ELD rule to its regulated carriers. Therefore, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance recommends that drivers and motor carriers check with each Canadian province and/or territory they may travel in or through to verify each jurisdiction’s requirements.

The ELD mandate does not change any of Canada’s underlying .

View Transport Canada’s list of .

View  regarding the Canadian ELD mandate, including exemptions, links to each province and territory, the benefits of ELDs and much more.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Speeding tops list of most cited violations during Operation Safe Driver Week

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
Original article published by Safety+Health
roadside-inspection-2.jpg

Photo: Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance

Greenbelt, MD — Law enforcement officials issued more than 26,000 citations and warnings to passenger-vehicle, truck and bus drivers during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Operation Safe Driver Week.

From July 10 to July 16, law enforcement officials throughout North America remained on the lookout for drivers engaging in unsafe behaviors including speeding, following too closely, driving distracted, making improper lane changes, failing to wear a seat belt and driving while impaired.

Citations and warnings related to speeding were most common among both passenger-vehicle drivers and commercial truck/bus drivers. Passenger-vehicle drivers were assessed 7,096 citations and 4,722 warnings for speeding, while truck and bus drivers received 1,490 citations and 2,577 warnings.

Citing National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, CVSA says more than 11,000 speeding-related deaths occurred in the United States in 2020.

The next most common citations issued to truck and bus drivers were failure to use seat belt (735), failure to obey a traffic-control device (505), texting/using a handheld phone (239) and improper lane change (84).

For passenger-vehicle drivers, the next most common citations involved failure to wear a seat belt (1,156), reckless driving (703), improper lane change (263) and texting/using a handheld phone (257).

The next Operation Safe Driver Week is slated for July 9-15.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

CVSA Releases 2022 Operation Safe Driver Week Results

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Washington, D.C. (Nov. 30, 2022) – During this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week, which was July 10-16, officers in Canada and the U.S. pulled over more than 35,000 commercial motor vehicles and passenger vehicles and issued 26,164 warnings and citations to commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in unsafe driving behaviors.

Speeding, which was the focus of this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week, was the top violation – in warnings given and citations issued – for both types of drivers. Officers issued 8,586 citations and 7,299 warnings for speeding/violating basic speed law/driving too fast for conditions. Broken out, that amounts to 2,577 warnings to commercial motor vehicle drivers and 4,722 to passenger vehicle drivers. Citations were given to 1,490 commercial motor vehicle drivers and 7,096 passenger vehicle drivers.

Operation Safe Driver Week is a seven-day, driver-behavior traffic enforcement and awareness and outreach activity of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). CVSA’s law enforcement community participates in this voluntary week-long campaign to identify unsafe driving behaviors and target those unsafe drivers for intervention and education in an effort to reduce driver-behavior-caused crashes on our roadways.

View the full press release for much more data and information.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

CVSA Releases 2022 Brake Safety Week Results

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by CVSA

Photo: Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance

Commercial motor vehicle inspectors in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. conducted 38,117 inspections of commercial motor vehicles Aug. 21-27 for Brake Safety Week. Of the total number of the commercial motor vehicles inspected, 13.3% were placed out of service for brake-related critical vehicle inspection item violations. That also means that nearly 87% of the commercial motor vehicles inspected throughout North America during Brake Safety Week did not have brake-related critical vehicle inspection item violations.

The inspections conducted during Brake Safety Week are no different from the inspections conducted any other day of the year. During the week, inspectors compiled and then submitted brake-related data to the Alliance for compilation, analysis and release.

Fifty-three Canadian and U.S. jurisdictions, and Mexico’s Ministry of Communications and Transportation participated in this year’s Brake Safety Week, which is a voluntary brake-safety inspection and enforcement initiative.

Broken out by country, inspectors in Canada inspected 1,975 commercial motor vehicles and placed 351 (17.8%) out-of-service for brake-related violations. In Mexico, 1,740 commercial motor vehicles were inspected. Forty-four (2.5%) were placed out of service. In the U.S., of the 34,402 commercial motor vehicles inspected, 4,664 (13.6%) were placed out of service (OOS).

Table 1: Percentage and number of brake-related OOS violations by country

Also, inspectors identified and documented 6,305 brake hose/tube chafing violations, which are a common brake-related violation and was the focus area for this year’s Brake Safety Week. Inspectors reported brake hose chafing violations in four different categories, with varying levels of chafing severity, including two which were out-of-service violations. Read More»

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

CVSA Expands Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative from Three Days to Five

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by CVSA

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative (HTAI) has increased from three to five days for 2023.

CVSA’s HTAI launched in early 2022 as a three-day awareness and outreach effort to educate commercial motor vehicle drivers, motor carriers, law enforcement officers and the general public about the crime of human trafficking, the signs to look for and what to do if you suspect someone is being trafficked. Building on the success of the , the CVSA Human Trafficking Prevention Program decided to extend the campaign to five days for 2023.

All three countries of the Alliance – Canada, Mexico and the United States – plan to participate in the 2023 HTAI. To capitalize on each country’s already-established Human Trafficking Awareness Day, CVSA set its five-day HTAI to align with that day in each country. Therefore, in the U.S., HTAI is scheduled for Jan. 9-13, 2023. In Canada, the HTAI dates are Feb. 20-24, 2023. And in Mexico, HTAI is set for March 13-17, 2023.

According to the , human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception with the aim of exploiting them for profit. Men, women and children of all ages and from all backgrounds can become victims of this crime, which occurs in every region of the world, including North America. Human traffickers often use violence or fraudulent employment agencies and fake promises of education and job opportunities to trick and coerce their victims.

In preparation for the 2023 Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative, CVSA is offering human trafficking awareness  to its membership and working with the  organization to  wallet cards and window decals.

During the five-day awareness initiative in each country, CVSA jurisdictions will note human trafficking awareness and outreach efforts and projects and submit that data to the Alliance. The results will be released in summer 2023.

To find out what your jurisdiction is doing to increase human trafficking awareness,  the agency/department responsible for overseeing commercial motor vehicle safety within your state, province or territory.

The Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative is part of CVSA’s . The program seeks to reduce human trafficking throughout North America through coordinated enforcement and investigative and educational awareness measures within the commercial motor vehicle industry.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

More Than 6,000 Vehicles Transporting Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Goods Were Inspected During CVSA’s Unannounced Five-Day Inspection Initiative

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by CVSA

On June 13-17, commercial motor vehicle inspectors inspected 6,204 vehicles transporting hazardous materials/dangerous goods (HM/DG) and 6,668 HM/DG packages in Canada and the U.S. for a five-day unannounced HM/DG inspection and enforcement initiative for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). The total number of violations was 1,774.

Drivers who transport HM/DG are specially trained in emergency safety and applicable HM/DG federal regulations. CVSA’s HM/DG Road Blitz spotlights the safety-compliant drivers, shippers and motor carriers that ensure HM/DG are always appropriately marked, placarded, packaged and secured while being transported on our roadways.

Vehicles found to have HM/DG-related out-of-service violations, and/or any other driver or vehicle out-of-service violations, were restricted from traveling until all out-of-service violations were addressed.

During the 2022 HM/DG Road Blitz, inspectors discovered the following HM/DG violations:

  • 408 shipping papers violations
  • 269 non-bulk/small means of containment packaging violations
  • 272 bulk packaging/large means of containment packaging violations
  • 76 non-bulk/small means of containment labeling violations
  • 159 bulk packaging/large means of containment placarding violations
  • 79 other safety marks violations
  • 168 loading and securement violations
  • 43 HM/DG package integrity (leaking) violations
  • 84 Transportation of Dangerous Goods Training Certificate violations (Canada only)

Below is a summary of the HM/DG class types inspected, broken out by country and combined for a North American total.

Governments in Canada and the U.S. have strict inspection and enforcement programs to ensure compliance with regulations regarding the transportation of HM/DG. In the U.S., the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) are responsible for regulating and ensuring the safe and secure movement of hazardous materials. In Canada, the TDG Regulations are the safety requirements for the transportation of dangerous goods.

According to FMCSA’s data for last calendar year (as of Aug. 26, 2022), the top five hazmat violations in the U.S. were:

  1. Package not secure in vehicle
  2. No copy of USDOT HM registration number
  3. No or improper shipping papers (carrier)
  4. Shipping paper accessibility
  5. Vehicle not placarded as required

The HM/DG Road Blitz helps increase awareness of the HM/DG rules and regulations in place to keep the driver, the public and the environment safe. It also highlights the hard-working, specially trained commercial motor vehicle law enforcement individuals who inspect vehicles transporting HM/DG.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.