Let me say this loud and clear:
🚨 Roadcheck is not the time to “hope for the best.”
It’s the time to fix the things you’ve been ignoring since last year’s Roadcheck.
Because when the CVSA shows up with tread gauges and laptops, they’re not handing out second chances or gold stars. They’re looking for two things this year—and if you’re not ready, they’re gonna find ‘em:
✔️ Tires that can’t pass a tricycle test
✔️ Time logs written like a bedtime story
Let’s talk about why these two issues still knock trucks off the road—and how you can stop being one of the fleets that gets benched during a week you should be making money.
Roadcheck 101: The Inspection Blitz You Can’t Ignore
Every year, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) teams up with DOT enforcement to run a 72-hour roadside inspection bonanza. And they don’t just pull over one or two trucks—they pull over tens of thousands.
You know it’s coming. They announce the dates. They publish the focus areas. Heck, they practically send out a save-the-date card.
And yet? Thousands of trucks still get parked because of the exact same stuff—bald tires and bad logs.
This year’s Roadcheck is zeroed in on those two Roadcheck killers. If that’s not a sign to fix your operation today, I don’t know what is.
🚫 Killer #1: Tires That Belong in a Museum
Look, I get it. Tires are expensive. But you know what’s more expensive?
Getting parked during Roadcheck with a loaded trailer and a driver on the clock.
Here’s what those clipboard warriors are looking at when they crawl under your rig:
🔧 Tread Depth
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Steer tires: At least 4/32″
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All others: At least 2/32″
Your $200k truck isn’t going anywhere with tires that wouldn’t pass on a kid’s scooter.
🔧 Inflation
Too low? Violation. Too high? Also a violation. It’s not rocket science—just check the PSI.
🔧 Damage
Cuts. Bulges. Exposed cords. If the tire looks like it’s been through a meat grinder, they’re flagging it.
🔧 Mismatched duals
Mixing radials and bias-ply is not “custom work.” It’s a ticket waiting to happen.
🔧 Debris
If your tire’s hauling a nail the size of a railroad spike, it’s time for a replacement—not a prayer.
📉 Fact: Over 1 in 5 out-of-service violations during last year’s Roadcheck were tire-related.
Translation? If you’re not checking your tires daily, you’re gambling with your paycheck.
📉 Killer #2: Time Logs That Look Like Fiction
Now let’s shift gears and talk about logs.
Time logs are supposed to be the story of your day—not a poorly written science fiction novel.
And yet, we see it all the time:
Drivers misusing personal conveyance.
Companies misunderstanding the short-haul exemption.
Logs that say the driver was off-duty in one state while fueling up in another.
The inspector doesn’t need Sherlock Holmes to figure that out—they’ve got an iPad and common sense.
Here’s where most folks get busted:
🕒 Short-Haul Confusion
Start and stop at the same location? Good. But if you roll past 150 air miles or stretch past 14 hours, you’re no longer exempt. Game over.
🕒 PC Abuse
Personal conveyance isn’t a cheat code. You can’t use it every time you get hungry or don’t want to hit “Drive.”
🕒 Uncertified or Faulty ELDs
Your driver saying, “It wasn’t working,” isn’t going to stop the violation. Inspectors check registration and compliance.
🕒 Supporting Docs Don’t Match
Logs say one thing. Fuel receipts say another. That’s a one-way trip to violation-ville.
🕒 No One’s Watching the Logs
Letting your drivers manage logs without supervision is like letting kids play with fireworks. Sooner or later, something’s gonna blow.
📊 Last year, over 11,000 drivers were placed out of service during Roadcheck for hours-of-service violations. That’s 11,000 loads that didn’t make it. 11,000 companies explaining delays. 11,000 drivers sitting around burning time and money.
⚙️ Why Fleets Keep Getting Burned
You want the truth?
It’s not that these problems are hard to fix. They’re just easy to ignore.
It’s easy to say “we’ll check tires later.”
It’s easy to trust that logs are accurate—until they’re not.
It’s easy to assume your team “gets it”—until you’re parked on the side of the highway while your driver tries to explain what PC mode is.
🛠️ Dan Greer’s 6-Step Plan to Beat Roadcheck
Now, if you’re like most of our clients, you don’t want fluff. You want a plan. One that works, one that’s fast, and one that doesn’t break the bank.
So here it is—the same 6-step fix we use at Eclipse DOT to help fleets pass inspections with confidence.
✅ 1. Train the Drivers—Today
Don’t hand them a DOT handbook and call it good.
Show them how to check tires.
Walk through how to log hours properly.
Explain PC vs Drive time. Use pictures. Use sarcasm. Use snacks if you have to.
They can’t follow rules they don’t understand.
✅ 2. Turn Pre-Trips Into a Weapon
Forget the lazy lap around the truck with a coffee in one hand and zero intention in the other.
Make your drivers use a tread gauge.
Make them document air pressure.
Make them take pride in their inspection.
And if you’re still using paper forms? You’re asking for problems. Use DOTDocs and have everything timestamped and stored.
✅ 3. Review Logs Like It’s Your Business (Because It Is)
Set aside one hour a week. That’s it.
Go through logs.
Look for gaps.
Check for odd duty status changes.
Make sure supporting docs match the entries.
The DOT will do this anyway. Might as well beat them to it.
✅ 4. Get a Mock Audit
You don’t know what you don’t know—until an inspector shows up and educates you with a violation.
Let us do a mock audit. We’ll show you what they’re going to find before they do. Then we’ll help you fix it. Fast.
✅ 5. Centralize Your Compliance with DOTDocs
Driver files. Maintenance logs. Inspections. Training records.
They all live in one place.
You don’t dig through folders or call Susan from payroll for “that one paper.”
DOTDocs = Calm during chaos.
And in an inspection? Calm wins.
✅ 6. Book Your Free Micro Audit
Fifteen minutes. No pressure. Just insights.
We’ll tell you what’s working and what’s not—and we won’t charge you a dime.
You’ll leave that call with real answers and a plan you can actually use.
🎯 Here’s What You Do Next
No more delays. No more excuses. You’ve got two Roadcheck killers staring you in the face—and now, you’ve got the tools to fix them.
🚨 Schedule your FREE DOT Micro Audit
📲 Start using DOTDocs
🛠️ Run a mock audit and prep your team
Because Roadcheck shouldn’t scare you. It should prove that your operation is built right.
And if it’s not? That’s what we’re here for.
You’ve got trucks to run. Clients to serve. Money to make.
Let’s get your house in order—and show the DOT how a real company handles compliance.
Let’s fix it. Let’s pass Roadcheck. And let’s keep those wheels turning.