How to prepare for DOT blitz week, every week of the year

As of September 24, 2026, every announced CVSA campaign for 2026 has already taken place. CVSA says it will post the 2027 dates for International Roadcheck, Operation Safe Driver Week, and its brake safety campaigns at the end of this year.

Roadcheck is the most predictable. It fell in mid-May in each of the last four years: May 16-18, 2023; May 14-16, 2024; May 13-15, 2025; and May 12-14, 2026, according to CVSA's results archive.

Each step maps to something a Level I inspector checks, and each one works in any week of the year.

Step 1: Walk every unit the way an inspector would

CVSA's vehicle inspection cheat sheet lists what inspectors examine: brakes, coupling devices, fuel and exhaust, frame, lighting, cargo securement, steering, suspension, and tires, wheels, rims, and hubs. Use it as your yard checklist. For brakes, that means listening for air leaks, measuring pushrod travel, and confirming the air system holds 90 to 100 psi.

Step 2: Fix defects before the truck moves

A driver must be satisfied that the brakes, steering, lights, tires, coupling devices, and other listed parts are in good working order before driving (49 CFR 392.7). When a driver vehicle inspection report lists a safety defect, the carrier must repair it and certify the repair before the vehicle runs again, then keep the report for three months (49 CFR 396.11). Carriers operating a single vehicle are exempt from this written-report rule, but the driver's duty under 392.7 still applies.

Step 3: Confirm the annual inspection is on board

Every vehicle in the combination, including each trailer, needs a periodic inspection within the preceding 12 months, with documentation on the vehicle (49 CFR 396.17). The inspection report or a sticker or decal with the required details both count.

Step 4: Build each driver's document kit

CVSA's driver inspection cheat sheet lists what the inspector checks:

• License or CDL: expiration date, class, endorsements, restrictions, and status
• Medical examiner's certificate, plus a skill performance evaluation certificate if one applies
• Record of duty status and supporting documents, and the ability to transfer ELD records on request
• Printed copies of any exemption the driver is using, which CVSA recommends to avoid delays
• In the U.S., a Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse query to confirm the driver is not prohibited

Electronic copies are fine if the driver can display them without delay. Keep the ELD information packet in every cab, too: two instruction sheets and blank logs for at least 8 days (49 CFR 395.22). Drivers should also be ready to state the trip's starting point, destination, load, and most recent stops.

Step 5: Audit logs for edits and gaps

Review records of duty status weekly for hours-of-service violations and unexplained edits. Since April 1, 2026, CVSA's out-of-service criteria include a condition for ELD tampering that makes it impossible to determine what events occurred.

Step 6: Brief drivers on the behaviors being targeted

Operation Safe Driver Week looks for speeding, distracted driving, following too closely, unsafe lane changes, impaired or fatigued driving, and missing seat belts. Seat belts matter at every inspection: inspectors wrote 667 seat belt violations during 2026 Roadcheck. In a property-carrying truck, the driver and every other occupant of a belted seat must be buckled (49 CFR 392.16).

Step 7: Close out every inspection report

When a driver brings back an inspection report, the carrier has 15 days to certify that every violation was corrected, and keeps a copy for 12 months. Since July 22, 2026, the form goes back to the state only if the issuing agency asks for it (49 CFR 396.9).

If you want a second set of eyes on the routine, our DOT safety compliance team covers truck inspections, driver vehicle inspection reports, driver files, and hours of service.