CVSA: More Than 94% of Truck Drivers Passed International Roadcheck
According to results released by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) on Aug. 25, more than 94% of drivers inspected during the 2026 International Roadcheck avoided out-of-service violations.
The annual enforcement campaign, held May 12-14 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, included 54,575 inspections of commercial vehicles and drivers. For truckers, fleets, and safety professionals, the results show an industry that continues to improve driver compliance while still facing familiar challenges with vehicle maintenance and documentation.
Quick Summary:
- CVSA-certified inspectors conducted 54,575 commercial vehicle and driver inspections across the United States, Canada, and Mexico during the three-day event.
- A total of 94.2% of inspected drivers had no out-of-service violations, showing strong overall driver compliance.
- About 81% of inspected vehicles had no out-of-service violations, while 10,350 vehicles were placed out of service for serious safety violations.
- Inspectors placed 3,184 drivers out of service, with 3,969 driver out-of-service violations recorded during the event.
- ELD tampering resulted in 146 out-of-service violations, while only 667 drivers were cited for not wearing a seat belt.
- Inspectors issued 17,680 CVSA decals to eligible power units, trailers, and buses that passed inspections without critical violations.
What is International Roadcheck?
International Roadcheck is CVSA's annual 72-hour commercial vehicle inspection and enforcement initiative conducted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Since the program began in 1988, inspectors have completed more than 1.8 million roadside inspections aimed at improving commercial vehicle safety and reducing crashes involving trucks and buses.
During the event, CVSA-certified inspectors conduct North American Standard Inspections and place vehicles or drivers out of service when serious safety violations are discovered.
Strong Driver Compliance Across North America
Across the three-day event, 94.2% of drivers and 81% of vehicles were found without an out-of-service violation. An out-of-service violation is serious enough that a driver or vehicle cannot continue operating until the issue has been corrected.
CVSA estimates inspectors examined roughly 13 commercial vehicles every minute throughout the 72-hour operation, making International Roadcheck one of the largest coordinated safety enforcement events in North America.
This Year's Focus: ELDs and Cargo Securement
Before the event began, CVSA announced two special emphasis areas for 2026: electronic logging device (ELD) tampering and cargo securement.
Inspectors paid close attention to records of duty status and signs of manipulated or falsified electronic logs. They also closely examined how cargo was secured, looking for potential hazards that could result from shifting or falling loads.
While both areas generated violations, neither topped the list of the industry's most common compliance problems.
Brake Problems Continue to Lead Vehicle Violations
As in previous years, brake-related issues remained the most common reason trucks were placed out of service.
Inspectors recorded 13,924 vehicle out-of-service violations during Level I, II, and V inspections, with brake-related violations accounting for the largest share.
Combined, the two brake categories accounted for 5,451 violations, or 39.1% of all vehicle out-of-service violations. The findings reinforce a message fleets hear every year: preventive maintenance remains one of the most effective ways to avoid costly roadside delays.
Missing Medical Cards Lead Driver Violations
The driver side of the inspection results tells a different story. Rather than equipment problems, many driver out-of-service violations involved qualifications, paperwork, and regulatory compliance.
Missing medical certificates emerged as the leading driver violation, while hours-of-service issues remained a major enforcement concern. English proficiency also appeared among the top violations, reflecting increased attention to existing federal requirements.
ELD Tampering Remains a Concern
Because ELD tampering, falsification, or manipulation was one of CVSA's two designated focus areas for the 2026 International Roadcheck, inspectors paid particular attention to electronic logging records and potential attempts to conceal driving time or create inaccurate records.
During the three-day campaign, CVSA reported 146 out-of-service violations for ELD tampering. The violation ranked among the top driver OOS violations identified during Roadcheck, although it represented a relatively small share of the 3,969 total driver out-of-service violations recorded during the event.
The focus on ELDs is important for truckers because electronic logging devices are designed to provide an accurate record of a driver's hours of service. Attempts to manipulate an ELD or falsify records can result in enforcement action and, when serious enough, an out-of-service order.
One Bright Spot: Seat Belt Usage
Among the most positive findings from the 2026 International Roadcheck was the high rate of seat belt compliance among commercial drivers. During the three-day inspection campaign, inspectors recorded 667 seat belt violations, meaning approximately 1.25% of the 54,575 drivers inspected were found not wearing a seat belt.
That means roughly 98.75% of inspected drivers were wearing their seat belts when checked. While seat belt violations do not necessarily result in an out-of-service order, they remain an important safety concern because commercial drivers face significant crash risks, particularly given the size and weight of the vehicles they operate.
The results also put seat belt compliance into perspective alongside the broader Roadcheck findings. While inspectors identified thousands of serious vehicle and driver violations, failure to wear a seat belt affected a relatively small percentage of the drivers inspected.
A Positive Sign for the Industry
That result reflects the professionalism of today's drivers and the efforts many carriers have made to strengthen compliance programs. At the same time, the inspection data reminds everyone that routine maintenance, proper documentation, and hours-of-service compliance remain critical.
For fleets and owner-operators preparing for future inspections, the lessons are familiar but important. Keep equipment maintained, ensure paperwork is current, and address potential issues before they become roadside violations.
The 2026 results show that most truckers are already doing exactly that.
