Get Ready for Increased Roadside Inspections This June with Semi Truck Maintenance in Memphis, TN

The beginning of June always marks the start of the season for semi truck maintenance in Memphis, TN due to the increase in roadside inspections occurring all across the nation. These inspections are overseen by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), and the heightened enforcement activity typically occurs over a 78-hour period, which this year spans June 4-6. These inspections aren’t designed to “trap” any drivers or to unfairly punish them, but rather to ensure that vehicles being used for commercial purposes all meet minimum standards of safety.

According to information collected by the CVSA, it has performed more than a million truck inspections since 1998, which it estimates to have saved 200 lives and prevented more than 4,000 injuries. As such, while these inspections can be seen as an inconvenience by some drivers who go out of their way to keep their vehicle in prime, safe condition anyway, they are still an important part of improving safety in the trucking industry and cutting down on traffic deaths.

During this three-day blitz, an average of 14 buses or trucks will be checked per minute all throughout North America across 1,500 locations. Therefore, it’s important for you to be prepared for these inspections, just in case you end up being one of the drivers whose vehicle is chosen.

Here are some tips to help your CVSA inspection go off without incident:

• Wear your seatbelt: You should always wear your seatbelt when driving your vehicle anyway, but inspectors will want to see that you are taking this bare-minimum approach to driver safety.
• Inspect your tires: You should make it a point to regularly inspect the condition of your tires, as tires that are in bad shape, especially tires with sidewall problems, could result in your inspection being a little more thorough than you might otherwise like.
• Update your logbook and documents: Your logbook should be fully up to date and well-organized for inspection. It should have, at bare minimum, the most recent seven days of activity. You should also make sure you have your commercial driver’s license and medical card on hand, as the inspector may ask to see them.
• Know the most common violations: If you know what the inspectors are looking for before you actually get inspected, you can better prepare. The most common violations during CVSA inspections tend to be related to brakes, lights, tires/wheels, unsecured cargo, trailer issues, steering, suspension and fuel and exhaust systems.
• Reduce distractions: Don’t have your cell phone in hand while behind the wheel, and cut down on other distractions that you may face while you’re driving. This is just a safe driving practice you should always follow.
• Be polite: The last and yet one of the most important tips is to always be polite during your inspection. If you’re curt with the inspector, that may encourage them to search a little harder for a violation. A little bit of politeness goes a long way.

For more information about how you can prepare for the upcoming CVSA inspection blitz, contact United Diesel Power about semi truck maintenance in Memphis, TN today.

Categorised in: Semi Truck Maintenance

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