Roadside Inspections: What Owner-Operators Should Have Ready Before There’s a Problem

A roadside inspection shouldn’t be the first time a carrier starts wondering where the registration is, whether the inspection paperwork is current, or how to pull up the records an inspector may ask to see.

Being prepared does not guarantee a violation-free inspection. It can, however, help keep an already stressful situation from becoming harder because documents are inaccessible, records are not current, or a vehicle issue that could have been discovered earlier was not addressed.

What Can Be Checked During a Roadside Inspection?

Roadside inspections can involve the driver, the commercial motor vehicle, cargo, or a combination of those areas depending on the type and scope of inspection. Rather than trying to predict exactly what an inspector will examine during a particular stop, owner-operators should build the habit of keeping the driver, equipment, cargo, and required records inspection-ready.

Keep Your Required Documents Organized

FMCSA tells carriers and drivers to make sure required documents maintained in the vehicle or carried by the driver are current before dispatch. Depending on the operation and what requirements apply, FMCSA’s inspection-readiness guidance identifies documents that can include a driver’s license or CDL, applicable medical documentation, record of duty status, truck and trailer registration, periodic inspection documentation, shipping papers or bills of lading, trip receipts, applicable hazardous-material documentation, proof of insurance, and certain state or registration credentials when required.

Not every item applies to every carrier, vehicle, or load. The point is not to copy somebody else’s paperwork folder. Know what applies to your own operation.

Your Truck Needs to Be Ready Too

Perfect paperwork does not repair a bad tire. A clean log does not fix unsafe equipment. And an organized folder does not secure freight that is moving on the trailer.

Under Part 396, motor carriers must systematically inspect, repair, and maintain vehicles subject to their control, and parts and accessories must be kept in safe and proper operating condition. FMCSA also states that a commercial motor vehicle must not be operated in a condition likely to cause an accident or breakdown.

If something is not safe, an appointment time is not a reason to ignore it.

Do Not Let Your ELD Become the Surprise

If your operation is subject to HOS and ELD requirements, know how to access the required records and use the system before an inspector asks you to do it.

FMCSA guidance states that, when requested during a roadside inspection, a driver must provide an authorized safety official with any supporting document that is in the driver’s possession. The driver does not have to convert that document into a different format just for the inspection.

FMCSA identifies supporting-document categories that include bills of lading or equivalent trip documents, dispatch or trip records, certain expense receipts, electronic mobile communication records, and payroll or settlement records.

DQ Tip: Our ELD Malfunctions: What Carriers Should Know Before There’s a Problem article goes deeper into what to do when the ELD itself malfunctions.

Cargo Is Part of Roadside Readiness

Do not think of the freight as separate from vehicle safety. Cargo and securement can be part of an inspection. Before moving the truck, the carrier needs to know that the freight is properly secured for the cargo, equipment, and conditions involved.

Instead of asking only, “Is the load tied down?” ask, “Is this load secured correctly for what I am actually hauling?”

Digital Queen Logistics will cover cargo securement separately in the Carrier Resource Center because different freight can involve different securement requirements.

What If You Receive a Roadside Inspection Report?

This is one of the most important post-inspection responsibilities. FMCSA’s Part 396 guidance states that a driver who receives a roadside inspection report must deliver it to the employing motor carrier. The carrier must examine the report.

When violations are identified, the carrier must certify that the violations have been corrected and return the completed report to the address indicated within 15 days following the inspection. The carrier must retain a copy of the inspection report for 12 months from the inspection date.

That is not paperwork to toss onto the passenger seat and deal with “eventually.”

The DQ Roadside-Ready Check

Preparation Is Better Than Panic

Nobody can predict exactly when a roadside inspection will happen. That is why inspection readiness should be part of normal operations, not something a carrier thinks about only after seeing flashing lights.

Keep your documents organized. Know how to access your HOS information. Inspect your equipment. Secure your freight properly. And when something is not safe: Never Rush.