Roadcheck 2026 Results Show What Sidelined 10,350 Trucks
By Anthony Limpert, Supercanic, San Jacinto, California. Author Source EEAT Authors · Anthony's Author Page
Inspectors ran 54,575 inspections during CVSA's 2026 International Roadcheck and placed 10,350 vehicles and 3,184 drivers out of service. Brake systems were the top vehicle violation at 3,379, followed by tires at 2,914. Missing medical cards topped the driver list at 1,072.
The Short Version
- 10,350 vehicles out of service, 19 percent, and 3,184 drivers, 5.8 percent.
- Brake related violations totaled 5,451 when brake systems and defective brakes are combined.
- Tires were second with 2,914 violations.
- Cargo securement, this year's vehicle focus, ranked fourth with 1,724.
- Medical card violations led drivers at 1,072, ahead of hours of service at 929.
- English proficiency put 361 drivers out of service.
The Headline Numbers
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's International Roadcheck is a three day inspection push across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. CVSA released the 2026 results in late August. FleetOwner reported these totals.
- 54,575 vehicle and driver inspections.
- 10,350 vehicles placed out of service, or 19 percent. 81 percent had no out of service violation.
- 3,184 drivers placed out of service, or 5.8 percent.
- 13,924 vehicle out of service violations in all.
- 17,680 CVSA decals applied.
For comparison, the 2025 Roadcheck ran 56,178 inspections. In 2025, 81.6 percent of vehicles and 94.1 percent of drivers had no out of service violations. The vehicle pass rate barely moved in a year.
Top Vehicle Violations In 2026
| Rank | Violation | Out of service violations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake systems | 3,379 |
| 2 | Tires | 2,914 |
| 3 | Defective brakes | 2,072 |
| 4 | Cargo securement | 1,724 |
| 5 | Lights | 1,659 |
Brake systems made up 24.3 percent of all vehicle out of service violations. Put brake systems and defective brakes together and brakes account for 5,451 violations. Every one of the top five is something a pre trip or a shop PM can catch.
Source CVSA via FleetOwner. Chart by Fleet Repaired.
Brakes Come First
CVSA's separate Brake Safety Week in August 2026 points to where those brake violations come from. Truckinginfo reported 1,176 vehicles put out of service under the rule for 20 percent or more defective brakes, 600 brake hose or tubing violations and 145 excessive air loss violations.
The fix is boring and it works. Check pushrod stroke and lining wear at every PM. Listen for air leaks with the engine off and the brakes applied. Replace chafed hoses before they leak.
Tires Are a Close Second
Tires drew 2,914 violations in 2026. In 2025, FleetOwner reported 2,899 tire violations, or 21.4 percent of all vehicle out of service violations. Tires have been one of the biggest problems two years running.
Tire violations are the cheapest out of service orders to prevent. A tread depth gauge and an air gauge on every pre trip would cut most of them.
Cargo Securement Was the Focus Area
Each year Roadcheck adds one vehicle focus and one driver focus. In 2026 those were cargo securement and electronic logging devices. Cargo securement drew 1,724 out of service violations, fourth on the list, for freight that was not properly restrained, secured or tied down.
ELD tampering, falsification or manipulation drew 146 driver out of service orders, seventh on the driver list.
Top Driver Violations In 2026
| Rank | Violation | Out of service orders |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No valid medical card | 1,072 |
| 2 | Hours of service | 929 |
| 3 | No commercial driver's license | 620 |
| 4 | English language proficiency | 361 |
| 5 | False records of duty status | 266 |
Medical cards jumped to the top. That is a paperwork failure, and it is fully in the fleet's control. English language proficiency showed up in the top five with 361 out of service orders.
Hazmat loads drew 2,590 inspections, leading to 368 vehicle and 63 driver out of service violations. Placarding was the top hazmat problem with 40.
What the Rules Already Require
Most of these violations are covered by two federal rules every carrier already has to follow.
Under 49 CFR 396.11, drivers must report defects in service brakes and trailer brake connections, parking brake, steering, lights and reflectors, tires, horn, wipers, mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, and emergency equipment. The carrier must repair any listed defect that affects safety and certify the repair before the truck runs again. Those reports are kept for three months.
Under 49 CFR 396.17, every truck, trailer and converter dolly must pass a periodic inspection at least once in the past 12 months, with proof of that inspection on the vehicle.
How to Use These Numbers in Your Fleet
The 19 percent vehicle rate counts all 54,575 inspections. FleetOwner also reports 44,047 Level I, II and V vehicle inspections and 53,271 Level I, II and III driver inspections, so the rate looks different depending on which inspections you count. Use the totals as a rough yardstick, not an exact target.
Pull your own roadside inspection results for the last 12 months and sort them by violation type. If your top problems match the national top five, your PM and pre trip process has the same holes everyone else has. If tires or lights show up for your fleet more than brakes, start there. One fix per problem, worst first.
Look at the driver side too. A missing medical card or an expired CDL costs nothing to prevent. Put every driver's expiration dates on a calendar with 60 days of warning and check them at each dispatch review.
A Pre Trip Checklist Built From the 2026 Results
- Brakes. Check for air leaks, chafed hoses, out of adjustment pushrods and thin linings.
- Tires. Check tread depth, inflation, cuts, bulges and exposed cord on every tire, inside duals too.
- Cargo. Count tiedowns against the load weight and length and check that each one is tight and undamaged.
- Lights. Walk every light and reflector with the hazards and brakes on.
- Paperwork. Medical card current and in the cab, CDL valid, logs clean, annual inspection proof on the unit.
- Driver vehicle inspection report. Any defect written up gets fixed and signed off before the truck leaves.
If your trucks need a brake or tire fix on the road and you do not have a shop lined up in that area, you can find a mobile mechanic near the breakdown and get the unit moving again.
Roadcheck Is a Preview, Not the Test
Roadcheck lasts three days. Roadside inspections happen every day. The same five vehicle violations show up year after year because they come from daily habits, not one bad week. A fleet that fixes its pre trip and PM process for Roadcheck is fixed for the other 362 days too.
Sources
- FleetOwner, CVSA Releases 2026 Roadcheck Results Highlighting Vehicle and Driver Violations
- FleetOwner, CVSA Releases 2025 International Roadcheck Results
- Cornell Law, 49 CFR 396.11 Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports
- Cornell Law, 49 CFR 396.17 Periodic Inspection
- Truckinginfo, Brake Problems Sideline 15 Percent of Inspected Trucks
Anthony Limpert
Co-founder of Supercanic, a repair shop in San Jacinto, California that works on work trucks, vans and diesels. He writes Fleet Repaired from the shop floor and links every rule and number to its source.
