2022 Operation Road Check

The CVSA annual North America Operation Road Check begins tomorrow through Thursday--17 to 19 May. This year's focus is said to be "wheel ends", so what can be really looked at? Anything from the trailer registration, to logs, to your BOL, to the headlights. Anything the inspector chooses to inspect.

I was pulled into a scale house this morning in West Virginia on I-70 and had a Level 2 inspection. The officer told me they were starting early. He checked all the lights, the tractor and trailer registrations, my CDL , and I had to electronically send over my logs (for the first time ever).

Perfect everything and I got a new window sticker.

You have been warned

The CVSA annual North America Operation Road Check begins tomorrow through Thursday--17 to 19 May. This year's focus is said to be "wheel ends", so what can be really looked at? Anything from the trailer registration, to logs, to your BOL, to the headlights. Anything the inspector chooses to inspect.

I was pulled into a scale house this morning in West Virginia on I-70 and had a Level 2 inspection. The officer told me they were starting early. He checked all the lights, the tractor and trailer registrations, my CDL , and I had to electronically send over my logs (for the first time ever).

Perfect everything and I got a new window sticker.

You have been warned

Appreciated and duly noted. A 'mouse' told me that some companies gave some someones a day off...and will have'em work Saturday, upcoming, instead.

~ Anne ~

Days off are overrated.

Days off are overrated.

Im off for 2 of the days . Strangely enough I've had my CDL going on 5 years and have not had the "pleasure" of being inspected....yet....

Here's a sheet my employer sent us showing exactly what they're most focused on this year

I'm going on a vacation at the end of the week I thought it was going to work out and I would miss all the fun. Unfortunately it looks like I'm going to be able to participate!!

Im off for 2 of the days smile.gif. Strangely enough I've had my CDL going on 5 years and have not had the "pleasure" of being inspected....yet....

I haven't either really, I pulled into the scale on I-65 a month ago and they came out and looked at my lights and inspection sticker but that has been it.

What are the consequences for a company driver if they fail the inspection??

What are the consequences for a company driver if they fail the inspection??

The CVSA is not concerned with the ownership of the vehicle, only the defects.

If you are getting maintenance performed and doing adequate pre and post trip inspections, you should be fine. For HOS , log what you do as you do it, same as always.

If any major problems are discovered, it could result in being placed Out Of Service, receiving warnings, or being issued citations. I cannot answer what Knight/Swift policies are regarding inspections or violations. Ask Shawn.

What are the consequences for a company driver if they fail the inspection??

The CVSA is not concerned with the ownership of the vehicle, only the defects.

If you are getting maintenance performed and doing adequate pre and post trip inspections, you should be fine. For HOS , log what you do as you do it, same as always.

If any major problems are discovered, it could result in being placed Out Of Service, receiving warnings, or being issued citations. I cannot answer what Knight/Swift policies are regarding inspections or violations. Ask Shawn.

Ask Shawn, that's funny. He told me to pick up this specific trailer I have now. The left turn signal isn't working and a marker light is busted, he told me to take it anyway. I dont think Shawn cares. From what I see he's only concerned about getting the runs completed.

I always do the pre and post trip inspections. Majority of these trailers need tires and service done. Maintenance, here?? Not sure they understand these trailers need to be maintained. I have told Shawn about these problems but nothing ever gets fixed...

I know exactly what you're dealing with because he was my DM , too. Probably the biggest reason I departed was because of the non-maintenance at Carlisle.

Okay guys I am going to try to address this problem of not being able to get maintenance done on your trailers. This comes with a caveat... I do not have to deal with Shawn, and I am glad of it. I feel for you TwoSides11. It is hard enough being a rookie driver, but dealing with a hard headed obstinate driver manager just adds insult to the whole experience.

I have told Shawn about these problems but nothing ever gets fixed.

One thing we drivers sometimes don't even realize is that everybody in this business is measured by their performance. That includes driver managers, terminal managers and a whole host of others in the chain of command. There is a chain of command in trucking and it is many layers deep. It is of utmost importance that we understand how this works. We are the lowest team member on that chain. That sucks, but it also gives us some authority to get things done.

Driver managers are tasked with goals by the managers above them in this chain of command. They are given quotas and volumes of work to be accomplished so the company can make money at this. Their goals are difficult (very difficult at times) to reach. They have freight volumes, tonnage levels, and mileage goals they are expected to reach with the drivers they are assigned. It is not an easy task, and if they can get it done, they are rewarded for it. Think about the things you are willing to do to reach a good level of work to make your bonus money. They have those same motivations. Sometimes, and maybe many times they are willing to ignore what they consider minor problems to reach those objectives. You'd probable be doing the same thing if you were sitting in that office under the pressure that is put on them by their superiors. It is not an easy position to be in, and the rewards are well worth it if you meet the goals you are assigned.

Now, that puts the driver in an uncomfortable position. Twosides11 has expressed his frustrations many times. I don't have the problems that he does. That can easily be explained by the fact that I am at a different terminal and have a different driver manager. Or can it really be explained because of that? We have drivers quit down here all the time. They complain excessively about the same things TwoSides11 does. They are the new drivers who come into this account. They are either rookies or new to flatbed, and often times they are new to flatbed because they haven't done very well in any of the other divisions they have experimented with. You don't have to be a rookie to not understand how the chain of command works. You do have to understand how much control you have in the maintenance process.

TwoSides, Do you remember when I told you, "No more phone calls?" Shawn needs to reach his goals. When you call him telling him a trailer needs to be repaired, he brushes you aside because he is pushing to get more freight tonnage moved and more miles toward the goals that have been imposed on him. He is under pressure from people you don't even know about. You make it easy for him to push your concerns aside. He knows there is only a slight chance that you will get inspected or cited and he sees about a 98% chance that you will make your delivery on time and get back for another load even if you have a few problems with the trailer. He's right too. You are a dependable driver who gets things done. He loves that he can count on you for getting things done, so he takes a little advantage of your abilities to move the freight he needs moved. You are both heroes when it gets done. Once that load is done he is on to the next one with no regard for the trailer that you called him about.

Now, how do you do your electronic pre-trip inspection report? Do you check that box that says the trailer has issues but is safe to drive? If you will just check the other choice, saying the trailer is not safe to drive, someone from maintenance will be giving you a call. They will help you set up a way to get the trailer repaired. Big wake up call here... It is not Shawn's responsibility. It is yours! What is the consequence of this? You are going to turn less miles. You are responsible for balancing this act of getting maintenance done and turning big miles. You are responsible for keeping your record clean for good inspections.

Stop the phone calls to Shawn. Why? When you send him a message through the Zonar or the Knight app on the phone, there are other people in the chain of command who will see it. Guess what? He won't be brushing your concerns off to the side too many times in that exchange. He runs the risk of exposing himself to the people who oversee his work. In a phone call he can say whatever he wants. In fact if you start sending him messages about the trailers he will probably try to call you instead of just responding to the message via email. When he does that just tell him to put it on the Zonar message system. Make sure your communications are clear. Make sure that what you are telling him is accurate and that the trailer really does need to be serviced. MAKE IT CLEAR WHAT IS WRONG. Make him tell you to drive it on that email system. This is how you start getting things done. You have got to learn how things work. The last thing he wants is someone breathing down his neck about him forcing drivers to drive unsafe equipment.

Good luck my friend!