A data snapshot of motor carrier violations occurring in Calendar Year (CY) 2020 was recently updated by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Analysis & Information (A & I) Online to include the entire year.

A & I Online summarizes motor carrier and driver compliance on and off the road and commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes, as appearing in Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS).

A & I Online captures MCMIS data and provides current year-to-date information, which is often incomplete for the current year. In late January 2021, A & I Online updated its data to reflect all available information on roadside inspections and investigations occurring in CY 2020.

ROADSIDE INSPECTIONS

In CY 2020, 2,570,280 roadside inspections were performed. Of those inspections, approximately:

56 percent resulted in a violation, and
18 percent resulted in an out-of-service violation.

The top five driver violations cited during roadside inspections in CY 2020 were primarily based on driving behavior:

Rank Violation
1. Speeding 6-10 miles per hour over the speed limit (392.2SLLS2)
2. Failure to obey traffic control device (392.2C)
3. Failing to use seat belt while operating a CMV (392.16)
4. False report of drivers record-of-duty status (395.8E)
5. Lane restriction violation (392.2LV)

Often a traffic violation is the reason a CMV vehicle is stopped and then inspected.

The top five vehicle-related violations occurring during roadside inspections in CY 2020 include:

Rank Violation
1. Inoperable required lamp (393.9)
2. Operating a CMV without proof of a periodic inspection (396.17C)
3. Clamp or roto-type brake out-of-adjustment (393.47E)
4. No/discharged/unsecured fire extinguisher (393.95A)
5. Inspection, repair, and maintenance of parts and accessories (396.3A1)

Investigations

In CY 2020, offsite reviews were the most common review type (50.32%), followed by onsite focused reviews (31.45%), and onsite comprehensive (17.21%). Other inspection types (cargo tank facilities, shipper reviews, non-rated reviews) together accounted for approximately 1% of the remaining reviews.

In addition to reviews, federal and state enforcement performed 40,579 new entrant safety audits last year.