CVSA International Roadcheck: Dates, Focus Areas and How to Prepare

International Roadcheck is a 72-hour commercial vehicle inspection event run each year by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In 2026 it ran May 12 to 14, with special attention to ELD tampering and falsified logs on the driver side and cargo securement on the vehicle side. About 19% of inspected vehicles and 5.8% of drivers were placed out of service.

What is CVSA International Roadcheck?

International Roadcheck is the largest planned truck inspection event in North America. For 72 hours, inspectors from state, provincial and federal agencies run a high volume of roadside inspections at weigh stations, temporary sites and on patrol. CVSA, the organization of commercial vehicle enforcement agencies that sets the North American Standard inspection procedures and out-of-service criteria, coordinates it.

Most Roadcheck inspections are the North American Standard Level I inspection, the full check of driver documents and vehicle mechanical condition. Each year CVSA names one driver focus area and one vehicle focus area, but inspectors still check everything in a normal inspection. The levels are explained in our guide to DOT inspection levels, and the event’s official page is CVSA International Roadcheck.

When are CVSA’s enforcement weeks each year?

CVSA runs three announced enforcement events a year and publishes the dates in advance. The 2026 schedule:

CVSA also runs an unannounced Brake Safety Day, as it did in 2026. Roadcheck normally falls in May, Operation Safe Driver Week in July and Brake Safety Week in late summer. Dates for 2027 come from CVSA’s announcements, usually several months ahead.

What did inspectors find during Roadcheck 2026?

CVSA’s published results for the 2026 event showed 10,350 vehicles, about 19% of those inspected, and 3,184 drivers, or 5.8%, placed out of service, as reported by trade publications citing CVSA. That compares with a vehicle out-of-service rate of 18.1% in 2025, according to the same reports.

Brake problems were again the leading reason trucks were taken off the road, even though brakes were not a focus area. On the driver side, trade reports of the results put missing medical certificates at the top of the out-of-service list, at about a quarter of driver out-of-service violations. A vehicle or driver placed out of service cannot move until the violation is fixed, and every violation found becomes part of the carrier’s inspection history in FMCSA’s systems.

What does Operation Safe Driver Week check?

Operation Safe Driver Week targets unsafe driving behaviors rather than equipment. Officers look for speeding, following too closely, improper lane changes, distracted driving such as handheld phone use, failure to wear a seat belt and similar moving violations, by both truck drivers and passenger car drivers around trucks. Instead of a full inspection, most contacts are traffic stops that end in a warning or a citation.

Moving violations for CMV drivers count heavily in the Unsafe Driving category of a carrier’s safety profile; see CSA scores explained.

What happens during Brake Safety Week?

Brake Safety Week is a week of inspections focused on brake systems. Inspectors check air brake adjustment, chambers, hoses and lines, drums and rotors, linings and pads, air leaks, and antilock braking system warning lights. Out-of-service brake conditions, such as a set number of brakes out of adjustment, take the truck off the road on the spot. The unannounced Brake Safety Day uses the same approach without advance notice.

How should carriers and drivers prepare?

Preparation for any CVSA event is the same as for an everyday inspection, with extra attention to that year’s focus areas:

1. Driver documents. Valid CDL with the right endorsements and a current medical certification on the state driving record, with a copy of the certificate on hand. Rules are in DOT physical and medical card.
2. Logs. ELD working, logged in, and able to transfer records to the inspector; instruction sheets and blank paper logs in the cab. Edits and unassigned drive time explained. More in ELD rules explained.
3. Brakes. Adjustment checked, no audible air leaks, ABS lamp working correctly.
4. Cargo securement. Enough tiedowns for the cargo’s length and weight, working load limits marked, edge protection where straps cross sharp edges, and nothing loose.
5. Lights, tires and wheels. All required lamps working, tread depth above minimums, no flat spots or exposed cord, lug nuts tight.
6. Pre-trip inspection. A thorough walk-around before the shift catches most of what inspectors find.

A truck that passes a Level I or Level V inspection with no critical violations can receive a CVSA decal, and inspectors generally do not re-inspect a decaled vehicle without a visible defect while the decal is valid.

Bottom line

The out-of-service rate at Roadcheck has stayed close to one truck in five, and brakes cause the largest share every year whatever the announced focus. A brake adjustment check and a document check before mid-May, July and late August cover most of what these events catch.

FAQ

Is International Roadcheck every year?

Yes. CVSA holds it annually, normally over 72 hours in May. The dates and focus areas are announced in advance on cvsa.org.

Can you avoid Roadcheck by parking the truck?

Some drivers take those days off, but inspections continue all year, and Operation Safe Driver Week, Brake Safety Week and the unannounced Brake Safety Day add more. An avoided inspection is not a passed one.

Do Roadcheck violations count on CSA scores?

Yes. Violations found during Roadcheck are recorded like any roadside inspection and feed the carrier’s safety measurement data in FMCSA systems. Clean inspections are recorded too.

What were the Roadcheck 2026 focus areas?

The driver focus was ELD tampering, falsification or manipulation, and the vehicle focus was cargo securement. Inspectors also checked all the usual items.