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The goal of the roadside inspection program is to ensure that both safe drivers and vehicles are on the road.
These requirements apply to commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) and intermodal equipment operated in interstate commerce.
Authorized Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) officials perform inspections of CMVs and intermodal equipment on the highway, and in certain instances, at terminals. Motor vehicles or intermodal equipment likely to cause an accident or breakdown will be placed out of service.
States and provinces use the North American Uniform Out-of-Service Criteria, which was developed by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). It identifies critical vehicle inspection items and provides criteria for placing a vehicle out of service.
Inspection report. When a driver receives an inspection report at a roadside inspection, the regulations state that:
Record retention. The motor carrier and/or IEP must keep a copy of the completed form at its principal place of business or where the vehicle is house for 12 months.
“Out-of-Service” sticker. Vehicles or intermodal equipment declared out of service must not be operated and will receive an “Out-of-Service Vehicle” sticker. The “Out-of-Service Vehicle” sticker must not be removed until all required repairs have been satisfactorily completed.
A motor carrier must neither require nor permit any person to operate, nor shall any person operate, any motor vehicle declared and marked out of service until all repairs required by the out-of-service notice have been satisfactorily completed.