How to Pass a DOT Roadside Inspection in 2026: Brakes, Tires, Paperwork and a Pre-Trip Checklist

A roadside inspection takes anywhere from a few minutes to about an hour, and its result follows a carrier for two years. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) published its 2026 International Roadcheck results in late August, and the numbers give a clear picture of where trucks and drivers are still getting parked. Inspectors completed 54,575 inspections across North America over three days. They placed 10,350 vehicles (19%) and 3,184 drivers (5.8%) out of service.

Most of those out-of-service orders came from a short list of items that can be checked in a yard before the truck leaves. This guide explains how inspections work, what the 2026 data shows, what changed in the out-of-service rules this year, and how to prepare.

The Inspection Levels in Plain Language

Inspectors across the U.S., Canada and Mexico follow the same North American Standard procedures. Four levels cover nearly everything a truck driver will see:

• Level I (full inspection): a 37-step check of both the driver and the vehicle, including the underside of the truck and trailer. This is the most thorough and the most common level during Roadcheck, with 31,241 completed this year.
• Level II (walk-around): the driver’s documents plus everything the inspector can see without going under the vehicle.
• Level III (driver only): license, medical certification, hours-of-service records and other credentials.
• Level V (vehicle only): the vehicle portion of a Level I, done without the driver present, often at a carrier’s terminal.

A vehicle that passes a Level I or Level V inspection with no critical violations can receive a CVSA decal, which is valid for up to three months. Inspectors generally do not re-inspect a vehicle with a current decal unless they see an obvious problem. CVSA says 17,680 decals were issued during this year’s Roadcheck.

What Put Trucks Out of Service in 2026

Inspectors recorded 13,924 vehicle out-of-service violations during Roadcheck. Five categories made up the large majority:

• Brake systems: 3,379 violations (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%)

Add the two brake categories together and brakes account for 39.1% of all vehicle out-of-service violations. The “20% defective brakes” category applies when one-fifth or more of a vehicle’s service brakes have a defect, such as a brake out of adjustment.

The same pattern showed up on April 14, when CVSA held its unannounced Brake Safety Day. Inspectors checked 4,021 vehicles and placed 574 of them (14.3%) out of service for brake violations. Of those, 313 failed the 20% criterion and 121 violations involved brake hoses or tubing. Brake Safety Week followed on August 23-29 with a focus on drums and rotors.

What Put Drivers Out of Service

On the driver side, inspectors recorded 3,969 out-of-service violations. Most involved documents and records, not driving behavior:

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

ELD tampering, falsification or manipulation was this year’s driver focus area. It produced 146 out-of-service orders and ranked seventh. The top item is the easiest to prevent: more than a quarter of driver out-of-service violations came from medical certification that was missing or expired.

What Changed in the 2026 Out-of-Service Criteria

CVSA updates its out-of-service criteria every year, and the 2026 version took effect April 1 with 17 changes. Several matter to everyday trucking operations:

• ELD tampering: there is now a specific out-of-service condition for cases where tampering makes it impossible to determine what the driver actually did.
• False logs: the criteria clarify when a driver is placed out of service for a false record of duty status.
• Service air connections: a disconnected air line connection is now counted under the 20% defective brakes rule instead of automatically placing the trailer out of service.
• Rims: a rim missing a piece longer than 3 inches at the bead area is out of service.
• License restrictions: the criteria clarify how inspectors handle a driver operating outside a CDL restriction.

English proficiency is also part of the out-of-service criteria, and FMCSA has a separate proposal on the subject with a comment period closing October 9. Whatever the final rule looks like, it is already an active roadside item, as the Roadcheck numbers show.

Why One Inspection Matters for Two Years

An out-of-service order costs a day and a repair bill. The longer cost is in the data. Roadside violations feed FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System, where they count against a carrier for 24 months, with recent violations weighted more heavily. Brokers, shippers and insurers look at that record when they decide who gets freight and at what premium.

The data works both ways. A clean inspection is also recorded, and it improves a carrier’s standing by adding a good result to the total. That is a practical reason not to treat an inspection as something to avoid: a truck in good condition gains from being inspected.

What to Do After an Inspection

• Driver: give the inspection report to the carrier promptly. If you are leased on, send a photo the same day.
• Carrier: fix the listed violations, sign the report to certify the repairs, and return it to the issuing agency within 15 days. Keep a copy for 12 months.
• Out-of-service items: these must be repaired before the vehicle moves or the driver drives again. Moving the truck early is a separate and serious violation.
• If the report is wrong: file a request through FMCSA’s DataQs system with documents and photos that support your case. Stay factual; the request is reviewed by the agency that wrote the inspection.

Pre-Trip Checklist: The Items That Park Trucks

Vehicle

• Brakes: listen for air leaks, check hoses and tubing for chafing or kinks, look at linings, drums and rotors for cracks, and have brake adjustment measured on a regular schedule.
• Tires: federal rules require at least 4/32 inch of tread on steer tires and 2/32 inch on the others. Check for flats, audible leaks, exposed cords and sidewall damage, including the inside duals.
• Lights: walk around with headlights, four-way flashers and brake lights on. Carry spare bulbs and fuses.
• Cargo securement: count tie-downs against the weight and length of the load, check straps and chains for cuts or wear, and recheck after the first miles of the trip.
• Wheels and coupling: look for loose or missing lug nuts, rim damage, and a properly locked fifth wheel.

Driver and Paperwork

• Medical certification: know the expiration date, renew early, and confirm your state licensing agency has the current certification on your record.
• License: correct class and endorsements for the vehicle and load, with no restriction you are operating outside of.
• ELD: know how to transfer logs to an inspector, and carry the user manual, the malfunction instructions and blank paper logs.
• Logs: keep them current and accurate. Annotate anything unusual when it happens, not at the scale house.
• Truck documents: registration, proof of the annual inspection, and shipping papers within reach.

Practical Tips

• Treat every week like an inspection week. Brake Safety Day was unannounced, and most inspections during the year happen outside the announced campaigns.
• Write defects down. A driver vehicle inspection report with a noted defect and a signed repair shows a working maintenance process.
• Keep the cab organized. Documents that are ready in seconds set a professional tone for the rest of the stop.
• Dispatchers: build time into the schedule for a real pre-trip, and keep a calendar of medical card and license expiration dates for every driver.
• Review every report. Look for repeated violations by truck, trailer or driver and fix the cause, not only the item.

The Bottom Line

The 2026 Roadcheck results repeat a familiar message. Brakes, tires, lights and cargo securement account for most vehicle out-of-service orders, and medical cards, hours of service and licensing account for most driver orders. None of these require special tools to check. A consistent pre-trip, a maintenance schedule that includes brake adjustment, and a calendar for driver credentials cover the large majority of the risk, and each clean inspection adds to a record that customers and insurers read.

Neal’s Take

When I look at these numbers, what stands out to me is how ordinary the list is. Brakes make up 39% of vehicle out-of-service violations and a missing medical card is the top driver violation, and both can be caught before the truck leaves the yard. I understand that drivers and small carriers are under real time pressure, and that an inspection can feel like one more delay in a tight day. At the same time, a clean inspection is one of the few things that improves a carrier’s record at no cost. For me the two things that matter most are a real pre-trip focused on brakes and tires, and a simple calendar for medical cards and licenses.

— Neal Cvetkovski, Founder of LOAD TIDE. Personal opinion, not legal or financial advice.

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Sources: CVSA, 2026 International Roadcheck results; CVSA, Brake Safety Campaign results; FleetOwner; FreightWaves; NTC, 2026 Brake Safety Day results.