Glossary · updated October 24, 2026
Roadside Inspection
By Korey Sharp-Paar · Reviewed by the Fast Trucking Compliance team
Definition
A roadside inspection is the on-the-spot check a state law-enforcement officer or FMCSA-certified inspector performs on a commercial vehicle and its driver during interstate operations, governed by 49 CFR §396 and the CVSA North American Standard. CVSA's North American Standard defines eight inspection levels: I full driver and vehicle; II walk-around; III driver/credential/administrative; IV special; V vehicle-only; VI enhanced inspection for transuranic waste and highway-route-controlled radioactive shipments; VII jurisdictional mandated; VIII electronic. Violations identified during a roadside inspection are recorded with severity weights into FMCSA SMS, where they roll up into CSA BASIC percentiles within 30 days. Carriers should request the inspection report immediately, review for accuracy, and DataQ-challenge any errors within the 60-day window.
Authoritative source
Read more
CSA Scores & OOS RateHow FMCSA computes BASIC scores and what the out-of-service rate signals to brokers.
Related terms
- CSA(Compliance, Safety, Accountability)
- OOS / Out-of-Service Order
- DataQ Challenge(Request for Data Review (RDR))
- Safety Measurement System (SMS)(SMS)