2008 Press Releases
2008
CMV Inspection Contest Bestows Houor Greater Than Trophy
NAIC 2008 Recognizes Outstanding Role Inspectors Play in Highway Safety
WASHINGTON, DC (August 27, 2008) –To the men and women whose job title is ‘CMV inspector’, inspecting commercial motor vehicles (CMV) and motorcoaches daily is much more than completing a checklist. For many, their dedication and skill is all about saving lives. Inspectors representing 52 jurisdictions across North America vied for the top spot at this year’s North American Inspectors Championship (NAIC) in Houston, August 18-24. For participants, the contest was about more than getting a trophy–it was receiving recognition for the role they play 365 days a year.
Pictured left to right: NAIC 2008 Grand Champion Daniel Slick - Wisconsin and CVSA President Capt. John E. Harrison
This year, Daniel Slick, a CVSA-certified North American Standard Level I inspector from Wisconsin was awarded the Jimmy K. Ammonds Grand Champion Award for his combined performances in seven competition elements including the North American Standard Level I Inspection, Level V Passenger Vehicle Inspection, and HAZMAT/Transportation of Dangerous Goods Inspection.
“CMV law enforcement officers are on the front line of highway safety,” said Stephen F. Campbell, Executive Director of CVSA. “NAIC is the only event dedicated to recognizing and rewarding commercial vehicle inspector excellence.”
Award presenters included former CVSA president Jack Van Steenburg, now FMCSA Director of the Office for Enforcement & Compliance, CVSA President Capt. John E. Harrison, and CVSA’s Stephen F. Campbell. NAIC also has been recognized by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) as an event that “Advances America.”
“NAIC honors the vitally important contribution to safety made by thousands of dedicated and skilled inspectors every singe day,” said FMCSA Administrator John H. Hill. “Through NAIC, we salute all commercial vehicle inspectors who are working to make our roads and highways safe for every traveler.”
NAIC is managed by CVSA; funded in part by FMCSA and is successful due to strong industry participation and sponsorship.
Of the 52 CVSA-certified North American Standard Level I roadside inspectors that competed in the 16th annual Championship, seven inspectors represented Canada; three inspectors represented Mexico-SCT; and 42 representing the U.S.
In addition to the Grand Champion award, the following were also presented:
- High Points United States: Daniel Slick - Wisconsin
- High Points Canada: Dan Armstrong - Ontario
- High Points Mexico: Jacobo Garcia - Mexico
- North American Standard Level I Inspection: 1. Monty Kinder - Colorado; 2. Daniel Slick - Wisconsin; 3.Brad Semeniuk - Alberta
- North American Standard Level V Passenger Vehicle Inspection: 1. Robert McNamara - North Dakota; 2. Monty Kinder - Colorado; 3. Paul Richardson - Michigan
- North American Standard Hazardous Materials/Transportation of Dangerous Goods & Cargo Tank/Bulk Packagings Inspection: 1. Daniel Slick - Wisconsin; 2. John Thompson - Virginia; 3. Frederick Heggestad - Arizona
- John Youngblood Award: Paul Richardson - Michigan
- Team Award: Gray Team: Avelino Martinez - Team Leader, James Canard - Arkansas, Brent Moore - Georgia, Elmer Hanson - Manitoba, William Keane - New York, Paul Sikorskyj - Rhode Island, John Thompson - Virginia
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA visit www.cvsa.org.
2008
CVSA Seeks to Educate CMV Stakeholders on Use of EOBRs
Symposium Provides Points of View, Hands-On Technology Demonstrations
WASHINGTON, DC (August 15, 2008) – Hours of Service regulations are arguably the most debated and critical safety concern relative to the commercial vehicle industry. As a result, automated hours of service tracking systems such as Electronic On Board Recording (EOBR) devices have become a significant topic of discussion throughout North America. To address issues and potential options for next generation EOBRs, CVSA will hold its first ever symposium on the subject, December 1-3, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, Minneapolis, MN.
“The objective of the EOBR Symposium is to educate regulators, law enforcement, drivers, suppliers, safety directors, insurers, fleet managers and others on what these devices can do, what they can't do, and to identify, document and prioritize the key issues and concerns relative to their successful deployment in the U.S. and Canada,” said CVSA’s Executive Director, Stephen F. Campbell.
Sessions will provide historical background, regulatory environment and status, and stakeholder viewpoints on EOBRs, as well as relevant research on fatigue, time on task and related issues with respect to hours of service and EOBRs in the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, the symposium will provide attendees with hands-on technology demonstrations and educational sessions by various EOBR suppliers, vendors and service providers.
Different kinds of EOBRs have been in use on a voluntary basis throughout the U.S. and Canada and many other countries have mandated their use for years. This symposium intends to capitalize on the experience gathered in the U.S. as well as in other regions of the world to draw general recommendations on critical success factors for EOBRs.
For more information, or to register online, visit www.cvsa.org, select ‘Events’ and scroll down to Electronic On-Board Recorders (EOBRs) Symposium.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA visit www.cvsa.org.
2008
Commercial Vehicle Inspectors Prove Professional Prowess
During NAIC, Contestants Convey Competition Into Win-Win Opportunity for All
WASHINGTON, DC (August 8, 2008) – Fifty-four roadside inspectors from across North America will convene in Houston and compete to become the best commercial vehicle inspector during the annual North American Inspectors Championship (NAIC), August 18-24, 2008. The event, sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), is held in conjunction with the American Trucking Associations National Truck Driving Championship.
“Each inspector competing in NAIC raises the commercial vehicle safety bar,” said Stephen F. Campbell, CVSA’s Executive Director. “Individually, they demonstrate their expertise but the combination of their efforts to share knowledge and techniques with others create a win-win atmosphere for all.”
“Specialized training is required for a commercial vehicle safety inspector,” said FMCSA Administrator John H. Hill. “These committed public servants protect travelers on the road everyday. NAIC is more than an annual competition, it is a well-deserved recognition of the professionalism and the dedication to duty practiced by North American commercial vehicle safety inspectors.”
NAIC’s purpose is to recognize the inspector for demonstrating inspector excellence. NAIC’s goals are to provide contestants with education on the latest commercial vehicle safety issues, promote uniformity of inspections throughout North America, challenge contestants utilizing real world scenarios, provide CVSA with a snapshot of the current inspection environment, strengthen the industry and enforcement partnerships and promote camaraderie between inspectors, jurisdictions and countries.
NAIC contestants are evaluated in the following seven categories:
- North American Standard Level I Inspection;
- North American Standard Level I Inspection Procedures;
- North American Standard HAZMAT/Transportation of Dangerous Goods Inspection;
- North American Standard Cargo Tank/Other Bulk Packagings Inspection;
- North American Standard Level V Passenger Vehicle Inspection;
- North American Standard Personal Interview; and,
- North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria Exam.
All of the inspection categories are timed events and the compilation of scores for these categories result in a Grand Champion. In addition to a Grand Champion, awards are given for first, second and third place for selected inspection events.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA visit www.cvsa.org.
2008
CVSA Hails Introduction of Senate Truck Safety Bill
Measure Aims To Significantly Reduce CMV Crashes and Save Lives
WASHINGTON, DC (August 6, 2008) – The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) applauds and actively supports Senate legislation recently proposed that aims to significantly reduce commercial vehicle crashes and save lives. Senate Bill 3428, introduced just prior to the August recess by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and George Voinovich (R-OH) would provide a tax credit to those who purchase trucks and buses with certain safety technologies installed.
"This bill is the right thing to do. It is about encouraging investment in safety through the purchase and installation of technologies on trucks and buses that have been tested and proven to work," said Stephen F. Campbell, CVSA's Executive Director. "It will certainly help reduce heavy truck fatalities which have been hovering around 5000 per year for the last 10 years," Campbell said.
Specifically, the bill provides tax credits for four safety technologies identified by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in its recent Large Truck Crash Causation Study. The four identified technologies that would help reduce truck crashes and fatalities are: collision avoidance, lane departure warning, stability control, and brake stroke monitoring systems. The tax credit would be equal to 50 percent of the cost of a qualified system, up to $1500; allow a total credit of up to $3500 per vehicle; limit the qualifying taxpayer to a maximum credit to $350,000 per taxable year; and extend credit eligibility for the purchase of school busses, intercity buses and vehicles used in commerce.
The Senate Bill's approach also has received support from the FMSCA and National Transportation Safety Board. In testimony last year before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said the quickest way to promote widespread use of motor vehicle safety technologies was through the tax incentive approach. FMCSA Administrator John H. Hill in a variety of public comments has also been a proponent of tax incentives as an effective way to accelerate the widespread use of new safety technologies.
On Capitol Hill, Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) also signed on to the measure as an original co-sponsor. It is a companion bill to HR 3820 introduced in the House last October by Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Ron Lewis (R-KY) There are now 16 co-sponsors of the House bill.
"Efforts to gain as much support as possible for this legislation are being made in order to ensure it becomes a high priority for consideration in next year's reauthorization bill," said Campbell.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA visit www.cvsa.org.
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2008
CVSA’s Roadcheck 2008 Shows Lowest Vehicle Out-of-Service Rate in Decades; Credits Partnership with Government, Industry for Ensuring Safety on Highways
WASHINGTON, DC (June 26, 2008) – Despite concerns that a weakening economy combined
with ever-increasing fuel prices would push safety to the bottom of the list for commercial
motor vehicle fleets, a recent check on the industry shows the lowest rate of out-of-service vehicles in two decades.
“This rate (23.9 percent vehicle out-of-service rate for Level I Inspections) is the principal barometer used to measure compliance and it is the lowest we’ve seen in the 21-year history of Roadcheck,” said Stephen F. Campbell, CVSA’s Executive Director. “It is clear the safety message is being heard and that the increased enforcement presence is making a difference. We appreciate the industry’s continued commitment to make safety its top priority not just during Roadcheck, but throughout the entire year.”
From June 3-5, 9,148 CVSA and FMCSA certified inspectors at 1,683 locations across North America performed 67,931 truck and bus inspections. 52,345 of the total were North American Standard Level I inspections, the most comprehensive roadside inspection. Both the total number of inspections and Level I inspections were records for the annual Roadcheck event. 2008 saw significant positive gains in out of service rates for most vehicle and driver types.
CVSA sponsors Roadcheck each year with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (Mexico).
For drivers, the 5.3 percent overall out-of-service rate was a 14.5 percent improvement over last year’s rate, a significant jump. For drivers, there was a significant improvement in hours of service compliance rates, reversing a trend from the past several years. In 2007, 66.3 percent of drivers placed out of service were done so for hours of service violations. In 2008, this number was 55.6 percent. 3.8 percent of all drivers inspected in 2008 were placed out of service for a hours of service violation, down from 4.9 percent last year.
Despite some positive trends, the number of safety belt violations rose significantly this year – from 829 in 2007 to 1,226 this year. Safety belt enforcement continues to be a primary focus each year. Brakes continue to be the dominating vehicle out of service defect, comprising 52.6 percent of the total vehicle defects. The percentage of vehicle out of service defects that were brake related has declined noticeably over the last few years, down from a high of 56.6 percent in 2004.
“It’s critical that everyone pulls together to make our highways and roads continually safer,” said FMCSA Administrator John H. Hill. “The annual Roadcheck event provides a great focus on commercial vehicle safety. It is also important that the public do its part by driving safely in the vicinity of large trucks and buses. Let’s all of us continue to make safety the highest priority of every day.”
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA visit www.cvsa.org.
ROADCHECK 2008 FACT SHEET
Driver results for the vehicle types were as follows:
- All vehicles: 94.7 percent of drivers passed the inspection, and 5.3 percent were placed out of service (6.2 percent were out of service in 2007).
- Hazmat: 97.6 percent of drivers passed the inspection, and 2.4 percent were placed out of service (3.5 percent were out of service in 2007).
- Passenger carrying vehicles: 95.5 percent of drivers passed the inspection, and 4.5 percent were placed out of service (3.8 percent were out of service in 2007).
Vehicle results were as follows:
- All vehicles: 79.2 percent of vehicles passed the inspection, and 20.8 percent were placed out of service (21.5 percent were out of service in 2007).
- HAZMAT: 82.4 percent of vehicles passed the inspection, and 17.6 percent were placed out of service (17.7 percent were out of service in 2007).
- Passenger carrying vehicles: 87.8 percent of vehicles passed the inspection, and 12.2 percent were placed out of service (12.3 percent were out of service in 2007).
2008
CVSA'S SURPRISE INSPECTIONS KEEP BRAKE SAFETY IN CHECK
Operation Air Brake Places CMVs Out of Service for Brake System Defects
WASHINGTON, DC (June 11, 2008) — Forty-five states and provinces across the U.S. and Canada blitzed the continent during a 12-hour surprise inspection on May 7, 2008 focusing on commercial motor vehicle (CMV) braking systems. Each year the unannounced brake check days that are a part of CVSA's Operation Air Brake Campaign result in thousands of trucks and buses being pulled off the highways, saving countless lives. Operation Air Brake is an ongoing effort of an international truck and bus brake safety dedicated to improving CMV brake safety throughout North America.
"Poorly adjusted or defective air brakes reduce the braking capacity of large vehicles and further increase their stopping distance, said CVSA's Executive Director Stephen F. Campbell. "Even under ideal conditions, the stopping distance of commercial vehicles can be twice as far as that of cars and other smaller vehicles. Having defective brakes increases the risk to the driver and any passenger, as well as to others traveling the roads".
The May 7 unannounced brake check day resulted in the following:
- 11,908 vehicles inspected
- 93,751 brakes inspected
- 9.9 percent of vehicles placed out of service for brake adjustment defects
- 8.3 percent of vehicles placed out of service for brake component defects
- 15.8 percent of vehicles placed out of service for brake related defects
- 9.4 percent of brakes with manual brake adjusters placed out of service
- 3.8 percent of brakes with self-adjusting brake adjusters placed out of service
- 4.7 percent of all brakes inspected placed out of service for brake adjustment defects
Since 1998, when the Operation Air Brake Campaign was launched, the cumulative effect of the 14 unannounced brake check days have resulted in a total of:
- 138,749 vehicle inspections
- 1,134,841 brakes inspected
- 11.4 percent of vehicles placed out of service for brake adjustment defects
- 7.7 percent of vehicles placed out of service for brake component defects
- 17.3 percent of vehicles placed out of service for brake related defects
- 8.9 percent of brakes equipped with manual brake adjusters placed out of service
- 3.9 percent of brakes equipped with self-adjusting brake adjusters placed out of service
- 5.1 percent of all brakes inspected placed out of service for brake adjustment defects
"A significant problem we are noticing in recent years is the practice of manually adjusting self-adjusting brake adjusters," said Campbell. "If you have a brake that is over-stroking and it has a self-adjusting (automatic) brake adjuster, you more than likely have a problem with the brake or the adjuster. If you readjust it, you aren't fixing the underlying problem."
In a recent issue of the Technology and Maintenance Council's Fleet Adviser Newsletter, Kevin Kuhn, fleet shop maintenance manager for the TravelCenters of America said "manually adjusting auto slack adjusters can give operators a false sense of security about the effectiveness of the brakes. Adjusted auto-slacks will likely go out of adjustment again soon after their adjustment and manually adjusting auto slacks does not fix the underlying issue with the braking system."
With the help of industry, Operation Air Brake intends to reduce the number of highway crashes caused by faulty braking systems on commercial vehicles by conducting roadside inspections and educating drivers, mechanics and others on the importance of proper brake inspection, maintenance and operation.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security.
2008
Law Enforcement Hammers Home Point of Truck, Bus Safety with Roadcheck Event Officers at the Ready to Hand Out A Ticket for Drivers Who Don't Click It
WASHINGTON, DC (May 22, 2008) — Thousands of law enforcement officers will be blanketing North America's roadways for 72 continuous hours beginning June 3 to hammer home the importance of comprehensive safety inspections of trucks and buses and on enforcing safety belt use. "Roadcheck," sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), dispatches federal, state, provincial and local inspectors to more than 1,000 locations across the continent to conduct comprehensive North American Standard Level I Inspections.
"While we certainly have a long way to go and we can never be satisfied until we have zero deaths," said Stephen F. Campbell, CVSA's executive director, "It is clear there have been dramatic safety improvements over the last 20 years and, in large part, this success has been the direct result of an increase in roadside inspections and enforcement through the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP)."
In 1988, to conduct these activities $50 Million in federal dollars were made available to the states through the MCSAP vs. $197 Million in 2007.
Last year, the 62,370 roadside inspections performed during Roadcheck saved 15 lives and prevented 271 injuries. Over the course of a year, that performance rate would equal 1,825 lives saved and 32,972 injuries prevented. Annually, there are more than 3.5 million roadside inspections conducted across North America.
Roadcheck was launched in 1988 when there were 4,885 fatal crashes involving large trucks resulting in 5,679 fatalities in the U.S. That equates to 4.12 crashes per 100 million miles. Also in 1988, there were 94.4 (per 100 million miles) persons injured in large truck crashes, and 215.2 (per 100 million miles) large trucks involved in property damage only crashes. Fast forward to 2006 and the statistics show dramatic improvements: 2.24 fatalities/100MM (84 percent improvement), 47.4 injuries/100MM (99 percent improvement) and 134.4 PDO/100MM (60 percent improvement).
"Roadcheck gets to the core of what CVSA stands for: uniformity and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections and enforcement activities. It is through programs such as this that we are able to demonstrate to the public that we are getting results," said Campbell.
"CVSA plays a pivotal role in making our roadways safer, and Roadcheck is just one of the many methods used to accomplish that goal," says John H. Hill, Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. "Partnering with CVSA has been a great success and the statistics prove it — Roadcheck and other enforcement activities conducted throughout the year save lives."
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The organization's mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security through a coalition of enforcement, industry and policy makers. Alliance members, as well as several hundred associate members, are dedicated to achieving the shared goals of uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections and enforcement activities throughout North America. For more on CVSA visit www.cvsa.org.
