Hours-of-Service and ELP Violations Put Truck Drivers Out of Service: 2026 International Roadcheck Results

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has released the results of its 2026 “International Roadcheck” inspection and enforcement initiative. The three-day inspection campaign was conducted across North America, with certified commercial motor vehicle inspectors carrying out 54,575 inspections, with the goal of identifying potential violations and, at the same time, educating the transportation industry on the importance of proper compliance.

According to information shared by the CVSA in its official statement, 81% of vehicles and 94.2% of drivers inspected did not have violations that warranted an out-of-service (OOS) order. During the campaign, inspectors issued 17,680 CVSA decals, indicating that a vehicle had passed a comprehensive safety inspection with no critical mechanical violations or violations that would require it to be placed out of service.

Meanwhile, a total of 10,350 commercial motor vehicles (19%) and 3,184 drivers (5.8%) were placed out of service.

Vehicle-Related Violations

This year, CVSA inspectors focused on cargo securement violations during vehicle inspections. Inspectors conducted 44,047 Level I, II, and V inspections and placed 10,350 vehicles or vehicle combinations (23.5%) out of service after identifying 13,924 out-of-service violations, according to the CVSA.

The most common violation that resulted in vehicles being placed out of service in North America involved brake systems. Inspectors identified 3,379 brake-system violations that resulted in an OOS order, accounting for 24.3% of all vehicle out-of-service violations. Overall, 5,451 brake-related OOS violations were recorded, including brake-system violations and violations involving 20% defective brakes, representing 39.1% of all vehicle out-of-service violations.

Inspectors identified 11,952 vehicle out-of-service violations in the U.S., 1,923 in Canada, and 49 in Mexico. The most common vehicle-related violations were:

• Brake systems – 3,379 (24.3%)
• Tires – 2,914 (20.9%)
• 20% defective brakes – 2,072 (14.9%)
• Cargo securement – 1,724 (12.4%)
• Lights – 1,659 (11.9%)

Driver Violations

Of the 53,271 Level I, II, and III inspections conducted on drivers during the 2026 International Roadcheck, a total of 3,184 drivers (6%) were placed out of service.

The leading reason drivers received an out-of-service order was the failure to have a valid medical card, accounting for 27% (1,072) of all driver out-of-service violations.

Inspectors identified a total of 3,806 driver out-of-service violations in the U.S. and 163 in Canada, for a combined total of 3,969 driver out-of-service violations for the following reasons:

• No medical card – 1,072 (27.0%)
• Hours of service – 929 (23.4%)
• No commercial driver’s license (CDL) – 620 (15.6%)
• English language proficiency – 361 (9.1%)
• False records of duty status – 266 (6.7%)

Increase in English Language Proficiency (ELP) Violations

This year’s Roadcheck campaign placed particular emphasis on reviewing driver records to identify potential alterations, falsifications, or manipulation of electronic logging devices (ELDs), according to the CVSA. During inspections, officials verified compliance with hours-of-service records and reviewed ELD data to identify any altered or fraudulent information.

However, ELP (English language proficiency) violations rose this year to rank among the top five driver out-of-service violations. This increase is a direct result of the new guidelines announced last summer by the Department of Transportation, as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to remove drivers deemed “unqualified” from the nation’s roads. The measures call for drivers who fail to comply with these requirements to be placed out of service.

The full report on the results of the 2026 International Roadcheck can be found on the CVSA’s official website.