Canadian truckers perform well at ’07 Roadcheck blitz: OOS rate down

OTTAWA — The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) is the first NAFTA agency to reports this year’s CVSA Roadcheck results. The verdict? The large majority of Canadian truckers passed inspections with flying colors.

In fact, 82 percent of vehicles inspected during this year’s international Roadcheck passed the roadside compliance blitz, demonstrating a high level of mechanical fitness, says CCMTA.

The annual three-day safety inspection campaign of commercial vehicles was conducted across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico on June 5, 6 and 7 by Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) in concert with CCMTA member jurisdictions.

The Wild West: Alberta had the highest OOS rate for both
vehicles and drivers. BC was also high in both categories.

Vehicles are selected randomly and subjected to the most comprehensive and stringent of the CVSA on-road inspection procedures.

In total, a total of 7,275 vehicles and drivers underwent full inspections for mechanical and driver fitness. Of those vehicles, 5,926 passed the rigorous inspection standards. Inspectors issued 8,681 new decals to individual trucks, trailers and motor coaches across the country.

Consistent with previous years, a total of 4 percent of drivers were placed out of service for logbook, driver qualification, or documentation problems. In total, 1,324 trucks, 25 motor coaches and 291 drivers were placed out of service for various safety defects and violations.

This year’s out-of-service rate of 18.5 is marginally better than last year’s figure of 20.1 percent, and continues a steady, overall downward trend in the OOS rate over the past ten years.

Alberta and New Brunswick had the highest vehicle OOS rates at 29.9 percent, and 23 percent respectively. B.C was a close third with 21.8 percent. Alberta and B.C. inspections also uncovered the most drivers not in compliance, at 8 percent, and 7.6 percent, respectively — both far higher than Ontario, which was 5.5 percent.

Ontario, where the largest number of trucks were inspected, scored an impressive 18 percent OOS vehicle rate.

Nova Scotia recorded the lowest vehicle OOS rate at 8.7 percent, followed by PEI at 12.5 percent.

There were several jurisdictions that had driver OOS rates less than 1 percent, including Manitoba, Quebec, Newfoundland, and NWT.

Consistent with historical roadside inspection data, brake-related defects continue to account for half of all out-of-service violations. As such, CVSA Region V officials strongly encourage governments, industry associations and individual carriers and drivers alike to take an active part in the upcoming 2007 Brake Safety Week planned for August 26-September 1.