Roadcheck 2026 runs May 12–14.
Here is what your drivers will face, and what your fleet needs to have in order before the 72-hour window opens.
Roadcheck is not a surprise. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) announces this annual road check event every year, publishes the focus areas in advance, and makes no secret of the fact that every available certified inspector will be working. That transparency is either an advantage or a liability, depending on how prepared your fleet is.
This year, CVSA inspectors will be focusing on two priority areas: ELD tampering and falsification, and cargo securement. Both showed up prominently in 2025 data — five of the top ten most-cited violations were hours-of-service related, and cargo securement violations continue to climb. If your fleet has gaps in either area, Roadcheck is the moment those gaps become inspection reports, out-of-service orders, and CSA score damage.
We covered this in depth on a recent episode of The Road Ahead, with Todd James, a program manager at Fleetworthy and 26-year Colorado State Patrol veteran who ran the state’s CSA program. What follows is the practical summary.
The Three Levels of Roadside Inspection
Every fleet manager should understand what actually happens when a driver gets pulled over — whether during Roadcheck or any other time of year. Officers have discretion on which inspection level to conduct, and the scope varies significantly.
Level 1 — Full Inspection This is the most time-consuming and thorough inspection. The officer will:
- Review all vehicle paperwork, including annual inspection records and registration
- Check driver credentials: CDL, clearinghouse status, and medical certifications
- Request hours-of-service records (ELD, paper log, or exemption documentation)
- Complete a full walk-around inspection covering tires, wheels, brakes, lighting, and steering as specified in Part 393 of the federal regulations
- Inspect cargo securement
- Conduct an undercarriage inspection on a creeper — brakes, suspension, steering, and frame
Missing or expired annual inspection paperwork is a serious violation. It carries weight on your safety score and it is one of the first things an officer checks.
Level 2 — Walk-Around Inspection Same credentialing and paperwork process as Level 1. Same walk-around of the exterior. The difference: the officer does not go underneath the vehicle. Still time-consuming, still consequential.
Level 3 — Credential and Paperwork Only This is a documentation-only inspection. The officer reviews vehicle permits, annual inspections, driver CDL, clearinghouse status, medical certifications, ELD or exemption records, and shipping papers. No physical vehicle inspection. ELD data is still transferred and reviewed.
ELD Falsification: What Officers Are Actually Looking For
The 2026 Roadcheck focus on ELD tampering is not arbitrary. Falsification is a persistent problem, and officers are trained to find it.
At the roadside, inspectors look for anomalies — large mileage jumps, time gaps that do not make sense, patterns inconsistent with the route. If something looks off, they ask questions. They use mapping tools to verify whether the claimed activity is plausible given the route and timing. If supporting documents are available, they request them.
One point worth emphasizing to your safety staff: falsification is treated more harshly than an actual violation. A driver found in violation of the 11-hour rule may be placed out of service for four or five hours to get back into compliance. A driver found with a falsified log can be placed out of service for 10 hours. And the falsification itself generates a separate, more damaging entry on the inspection report.
Todd James’ advice from the podcast is direct: if a violation happened, document it and let it show. Trying to edit it creates a bigger problem than the original violation.
Fleet-side, your team should be running spot checks against supporting documents — fuel receipts, GPS data — to catch anomalies before an officer does. If an ELD starts behaving erratically, address it before it malfunctions. A malfunctioning ELD sends a driver back to paper logs, which creates its own compliance risk.
Cargo Securement: More Than Flatbeds
Cargo securement violations fall under Part 393-100 of the federal regulations. The requirements have two tiers: general cargo securement rules that apply to everything, and commodity-specific requirements for loads like heavy machinery, dressed lumber, and large equipment.
The general rule is simple: if it can come off the vehicle and cause a crash or damage another vehicle, it must be secured. That applies to dunnage and blocking material sitting loose on a flatbed. It applies to equipment with mud and debris caked on from a job site. It also applies to cargo inside enclosed van trailers — unsecured freight that shifts in transit can affect vehicle handling.
Common violations inspectors find: machinery without sufficient chains or with unsecured attachments, loose blocking and bracing on flatbeds, and loads that do not meet the weight-based or length-based tie-down requirements specified in the regulations.
The practical fix for fleet managers is operational: build cargo securement instructions into your load-specific workflows. Drivers picking up the same commodity regularly should have clear, written guidance — strap placement, tarp requirements, minimum tie-down count. Pair that with training that covers both the regulatory standard and your company’s specific policy.
The Downstream Cost of a Bad Inspection
A roadside violation does not end at the roadside. Every violation logged on an inspection report feeds into your SMS (Safety Measurement System) scores. Violations are additive. Enough accumulation and you are looking at a compliance review — an on-site investigation of your operation’s adherence to federal safety rules.
Out-of-service orders stop freight. A driver placed out of service for hours-of-service or for a brake defect is not moving until the issue is resolved. If the vehicle defect requires a tow, you are adding thousands of dollars in towing and repair costs on top of the delivery delay.
Roadcheck is not the threat. The underlying compliance gaps are.
Treat Roadcheck as an Audit Opportunity
The event is announced, the focus areas are published, and the dates are fixed. That means fleets have time to prepare. Targeted driver training in the two weeks before May 12 — specifically on ELD integrity and cargo securement — gives your team a clear lens going into the inspection window.
Clean inspections during Roadcheck count. They contribute positively to your inspection history and help offset prior violations in your CSA scores. Some fleets use the period as an internal benchmark: where are we, and what do we need to fix?
Do not rely on the ELD to keep drivers compliant on its own. It is a record-keeping tool, not a compliance program. Understanding the intent of the regulations — not just the mechanics of the device — is what keeps drivers on the right side of an inspection.
For a deeper breakdown of personal conveyance, split sleeper berth rules, and how officers evaluate ELD anomalies in the field, listen to the full episode of The Road Ahead with Todd James.
Fleetworthy offers the only complete technology suite for fleet readiness, uniting safety and compliance, toll management, and weigh station bypass solutions. Learn more at fleetworthy.com.