Inspectors to Face Their Own Challenges at Truck Driving Championships

By Eric Miller, Staff Reporter

This story appears in the Aug. 18 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today.

A total of 54 award-winning commercial truck and bus roadside inspectors are scheduled to compete at the 2008 North American Inspectors Championship, set for Aug. 18-24 in Houston.

The competition among inspectors from the United States, Canada and Mexico will be held in conjunction with American Trucking Associations’ 2008 National Truck Driving Championships, also in Houston.

The inspectors’ championship, sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, will test the skills of inspectors in performing a standard Level I roadside inspection, as well as procedures for checking the condition of hazardous materials, cargo tank equipment and passenger vehicles (motor coaches).

The contestant with the highest overall combined score will be honored as the Grand Champion. The inspectors also will compete for first-place, second-place and third-place awards in seven categories.

The NAIC, the only international event dedicated to recognizing excellence in commercial vehicle inspections, will require inspectors to check out truck and bus equipment to ensure they are in good working order and comply with FMCSA regulations.

“We create mechanical deficiencies that are based on the regulation for them to find,” said Collin Mooney, director of enforcement programs for CVSA. “We have trucks that arrive in perfect condition, and then we set them on what we want to be a violation.”

The inspectors in the competition were either winners in state or provincial competitions or were chosen as representatives for their jurisdictions, Mooney said.

Inspectors also must complete a personal interview.