The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual International Roadcheck is one of the biggest safety blitz events of the year. From May 12-14, this coordinated inspection initiative will deploy across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. 

This year’s Roadcheck will include thousands of inspections and regulatory compliance checks at weigh stations, temporary sites, and mobile patrols. For carriers and drivers, preparation is essential to avoid costly out-of-service violations and demonstrate commitment to regulatory compliance and highway safety. 

In this blog, we’ll answer critical questions about International Roadcheck for 2026, highlighting what fleets need to know about this year’s three-day inspection blitz. 

What does a normal inspection during Roadcheck look like? 

The primary inspection conducted during Roadcheck is the North American Standard Level I Inspection, which is a 37-step inspection that covers a driver’s credentials and fitness for operating the vehicle as well as the vehicle’s mechanical condition. 

What will inspectors will be focusing on? 

Every year, CVSA picks a driver focus area and a vehicle focus area for inspectors to emphasize. In 2025, CVSA focused on Hours of Service and proper tire maintenance.  

This year, inspectors will focus on ELD tampering on the driver side. For the vehicle, the focus is cargo securement. Additionally, CVSA has created a flyer outlining the specifics of what inspectors will be looking for as they concentrate on the two focus areas. 

In the driver focus with ELD tampering, inspectors will be keeping a keen eye on concealed Hours of Service violations and false ELD entries. This focus area, announced in February, takes on additional significance after an April 12 segment on CBS’ “60 Minutes.” In that report, a Serbia-based manager with Super Ego Holdings was recorded telling a driver that their HOS clock could be “fixed” remotely.

With the vehicle focus of cargo securement, inspectors will ensure that loads and all equipment are properly protected and don’t become dislodged to endanger other drivers or vehicle balance.

What resources are available from CVSA about this year’s Roadcheck?

CVSA has the following cheat sheets available for download:

• North American Standard Roadside Inspection Vehicle Cheat Sheet
• North American Standard Driver Inspection Cheat Sheet

What happens if a truck or driver fails the inspection? 

If a violation is deemed critical for vehicle or driver and meets the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria, then the vehicle and/or driver fails the inspection and is placed out-of-service until the issue is fixed or corrected. Any out-of-service time hurts driver and carrier bottom lines alike and stands to harm relationships with shippers and brokers. 

What do I get for passing the inspection? 

Vehicles that pass the inspection qualify for a CVSA decal that remains valid for three months. In general, vehicles are not re-inspected within the three months unless they show obvious issues. 

How can carriers best prepare for Roadcheck? 

Carriers should always be vigilant about having their drivers perform self-inspections, so fleets who already have stringent inspection and maintenance standards should be well-prepared for Roadcheck. Additionally, carriers should have no questions about their drivers’ credentials or medical status. 

As for the focus areas, drivers and fleet managers can spend extra time on tires weeks in advance, paying special attention to the items pinpointed by the CVSA focus flyer. Any possible securement issues or lax techniques should be addressed and fixed as soon as possible.

Similarly, fleets should make sure their ELD is on the registered list and that any new drivers or those who may have had ELD issues previously are clear on their understanding of driving time rules. As inspectors and the federal government ramp up enforcement of ELD tampering, the last thing a carrier or private fleet needs is for a misunderstanding of the rules to appear as falsification.

What did CVSA find during last year’s International Roadcheck? 

During International Roadcheck in 2025, inspectors conducted 56,178 inspections and found 13,553 vehicle out-of-service violations and 3,317 driver out-of-service violations. The overall vehicle out-of-service rate was 18.1%, while the driver rate was 5.9%.

Compared to 2024, the vehicle OOS rate declined 4.9%, while the driver rate increased by 1.1%.

Brake system and tires were the top two vehicle out-of-service violation categories, making up 24.4% and 21.4% of total vehicle out-of-service violations, respectively. For driver out-of-service violations, the top two violations were hours of service at 32.4% and no commercial driver’s license at 24.4%. 

What else should drivers and fleets know about CVSA enforcement and events? 

Each April 1, CVSA adds to its out-of-service criteria, and announces the changes months in advance, so industry stakeholders won’t be taken by surprise. While the complete handbook of 2026 North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria is available for a fee from CVSA, the organization has distributed the changes free of change. 

Most importantly for International Roadcheck 2026, this year’s changes include differentiation between false driver logs and false logs due to ELD tampering.

Along with International Roadcheck, CVSA runs other inspection programs throughout the year. In 2025, CVSA will be holding Operation Safe Driver Week from July 13-19, Brake Safety Week from August 24-30, and an unannounced one-day brake safety initiative.  

During Operation Safe Driver Week, law enforcement will be looking out for risky driving among commercial and passenger vehicle drivers. Inspectors focus on brake systems for commercial vehicles and buses during Brake Safety Week and the one-day brake safety campaign. 

Conclusion

With proper preparation, like conducting thorough cargo securement, making sure everyone is on the same page with ELD and HOS rules, and taking note of updated out-of-service criteria, carriers can navigate Roadcheck 2026 with confidence while positioning themselves for operational excellence throughout the remainder of the year.