What This Year's Roadcheck Results Reveal About the State of Trucking Safety
Every year, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's International Roadcheck offers a clear snapshot of where the trucking industry stands on safety. This year's results, gathered over a 72-hour enforcement blitz in May, confirmed what many in the industry already suspected: enforcement is intensifying, and the margin for error is shrinking fast.
For companies like Inka Group, Inc, the results are not just statistics. They are a reminder of why discipline and preparation have to be part of daily operations, not just something drivers think about during inspection season.
A Record-Setting Enforcement Effort
This year's Roadcheck was one of the largest targeted enforcement campaigns on commercial vehicles anywhere in the world, with inspectors examining nearly 15 commercial motor vehicles every minute across North America. The scale of the effort reflects a broader shift happening across the industry, with regulators taking a more aggressive posture toward safety and compliance than in years past.
That shift is not limited to a single week in May. It reflects the direction the entire industry is heading.
Hours of Service Remain the Industry's Biggest Violation
Hours of service violations continue to be the most common issue found during inspections, accounting for roughly a third of all driver violations recorded during this year's Roadcheck. More than a thousand drivers were placed out of service as a result.
This pattern points to a persistent challenge across the industry:
Pressure to meet tight delivery windows
Inconsistent logging habits
Gaps in understanding updated hours of service requirements
Reliance on drivers to self-manage without strong dispatch support
At Inka Group, Inc, we know that hours of service compliance is not just a paperwork issue. It is directly tied to driver fatigue and road safety.
Brakes and Cargo Securement Still Drive Out-of-Service Orders
Vehicle-related violations told a similar story. Brake system issues remained the leading cause of vehicle out-of-service orders, and cargo securement problems, including unsecured freight and improperly secured components, accounted for thousands of additional violations nationwide.
These findings reinforce a simple truth: safety is built through consistent maintenance and inspection habits, not last-minute fixes before a scheduled check.
Why ELD Integrity Is Under the Microscope
One of the most significant shifts this year involves electronic logging devices. Regulators have taken an increasingly hard line on ELD tampering, revoking dozens of noncompliant devices and introducing new out-of-service criteria specifically targeting manipulation of hours of service data.
This heightened scrutiny sends a clear message to the industry: accurate, honest logging is no longer optional in practice as well as in principle.
What This Means for Responsible Fleets
For fleets already operating with strong safety and compliance standards, these enforcement trends are not cause for concern. They are validation that doing things the right way matters more than ever.
Staying ahead of this environment means:
Reinforcing hours of service training regularly, not just once
Treating pre-trip and post-trip inspections as non-negotiable habits
Investing in reliable equipment and proactive maintenance
Maintaining full integrity in electronic logging systems
At Inka Group, Inc, we view stronger enforcement as confirmation of a standard we already hold ourselves to.
Raising the Bar Industry-Wide
This year's Roadcheck results make clear that the industry is entering a period of tighter scrutiny and higher expectations. Fleets that treat safety as a daily discipline, rather than a once-a-year event, will be the ones best positioned to thrive as enforcement continues to intensify.
At Inka Group, Inc, we remain committed to a culture where safety is never seasonal.
Because the standard we hold ourselves to every day is the one that matters most, not just the one being measured this week.