Every year, a nonprofit organization made up of local, state, and federal motor carrier safety officials from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), conducts roadside checks of semi-trucks and other commercial vehicles.

The CVSA’s roadside checks include participation by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, and Mexico’s Secretariat of Communications and Transportation.

The CVSA’s roadside checks take on a specific focus each year. For 2017, the focus of the roadside checks is ensuring semi-trucks cargo is secure. According to the CVSA’s website, “While checking for compliance with safe cargo securement regulations is always part of roadside inspections, CVSA is highlighting cargo securement safety this year as a reminder of its importance to highway safety.”

The CVSA’s inspections will take place throughout Canada, the United States, and Mexico from June 6 to June 8, 2017. During the inspections, safety officials will conduct the North American Standard Level I Inspection, which involves a 37-step process that includes checks of everything from truckers’ seat belt use to the effectiveness of the truck’s windshield wipers.

These international roadside checks make up the “largest targeted enforcement program on commercial motor vehicles in the world.” The CVSA states that it inspects 17 trucks or buses every minute during the 72-hour period of the inspections. Since the campaign began, the CVSA has inspected over 1.5 million commercial vehicles. One of the major challenges of these inspections, is that truckers will often times schedule personal time off so they can avoid having their semi inspected.

Loose or improperly loaded cargo can cause serious and deadly truck wrecks. Unbalanced or shifting cargo is one of the top causes of truck crashes. It can take many forms, including:

• Cargo that is stacked too high
• Unbalanced cargo
• Spilled cargo
• Overloaded cargo or cargo that is too heavy

Semi-trucks transport over 70 percent of our nation’s freight. When carriers or truckers are tempted to overload a truck’s trailer, they can cause a deadly wreck. The CVSA’s international inspections are designed to identify improperly loaded or overloaded trailers before a serious or fatal wreck can occur.  

Texas truck wreck lawyer Amy Witherite states: “Nearly all motorists have experienced the scary sight of a massive semi barreling down the highway with an open trailer stacked with lengths of steel, tree trunks, or other heavy cargo. Driving behind one of these huge vehicles can be terrifying. When a truck is traveling at 55 miles per hour or faster, shifting cargo can cause a devastating accident in mere seconds — and with no warning.”  

If you’ve been injured in a semi-truck crash, or you have lost someone you love in a truck wreck, compassionate and experienced legal help is available today. Contact a Texas truck wreck lawyer right away to discuss your rights and options.