The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance is adding a level of inspection focusing on electronic equipment in commercial vehicles.
The new Level VIII inspection is conducted electronically or wirelessly while the vehicle is in motion without direct interaction with an enforcement officer. Where required and/or applicable, Level VIII inspections must include the following:
• a descriptive location, including GPS coordinates;
• electronic validation of who is operating the vehicle;
• appropriate driver’s license class and endorsement(s) for vehicle being operated;
• license status;
• valid medical examiner’s certificate and Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate;
• current driver’s record of duty status;
• hours-of-service compliance;
• USDOT or (Canada) NSC number;
• power unit registration;
• operating authority;
• Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) compliance; and
• federal out-of-service orders.
“By adding a new electronic inspection level, our aim is to improve highway safety by providing additional options and strategies that will allow member jurisdictions to leverage technology while also increasing efficiency for industry,” CVSA Executive Director Collin Mooney said in a statement announcing the new level. “This new inspection level gives member jurisdictions a standard to apply to electronic inspections as described in the definition.”
CVSA says the goal of the new electronic inspection is to help expand roadside enforcement’s footprint by increasing the number of interactions an agency or department could have with the motor carrier industry. It also would provide member jurisdictions “with additional information to create unique compliance options and strategies” according to the release.
The next step in the implementation process for member jurisdictions will be developing the necessary digital infrastructure to capture the information. CVSA says there are currently no jurisdictions with the specific necessary data exchange capabilities in place to immediately begin conducting Level VIII Electronic Inspections. Participation by member law enforcement agencies in Level VIII inspections is strictly voluntary at this time, and there is no deadline for implementation.
