Project Goal:

As part of its commitment to explore innovative ways to improve roadway safety, FMCSA is researching the feasibility and potential benefits of in-motion commercial motor vehicle (CMV) inspections, referred to as electronic inspections or Level VIII Inspections. Through a proof-of-concept operational test, FMCSA will test the technical feasibility of Level VIII Inspections; measure their potential impact on safety and efficiency; evaluate use cases and implementation options; and determine the feasibility of nationwide adoption.

Background:

In 2017, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) developed criteria for a new type of inspection, the Level VIII Electronic Inspection, as a way to improve safety and efficiency by enabling enforcement officials to check for Federal safety regulation compliance wirelessly, while CMVs are traveling at roadway speeds and without direct interaction with a driver or safety official. Level VIII Inspections focus on carrier and driver compliance, most similar to a Level III Inspection.

If implemented nationwide, Level VIII Inspections have the potential to:

• IMPROVE ROADWAY SAFETY – electronic inspections would collect more data on more carriers to help enforcement focus on higher-risk carriers.
• SAVE TIME FOR CARRIERS AND DRIVERS – electronic inspections would not require the driver to stop unless a potential issue is detected, saving time for motor carriers and drivers.
• INCREASE EFFICIENCY FOR ENFORCEMENT – electronic inspections would increase the number and broaden the reach of inspections without requiring additional enforcement resources.

Until now, the technology required to implement Level VIII Inspections has not been developed or tested, though technology providers have made significant progress in electronically collecting and transferring motor carrier and vehicle data in real time. Working with CVSA and technology providers, FMCSA is exploring whether electronic inspections are technically feasible and how the concept could be leveraged to help improve safety.

Level VIII Inspection Concept:

As envisioned, Level VIII Inspections would check records indicating whether the driver and the motor carrier are in compliance with safety regulations. As currently conceptualized, the inspections would be completed as follows:

• Data would be collected wirelessly while the CMV is traveling at roadway speeds. This data then would be validated electronically against data in FMCSA systems to determine the driver’s or carrier’s compliance with FMCSA’s safety regulations. 
• If potential issues were identified through the electronic validation process, the driver would be directed to pull into an inspection station for a safety official to conduct an inspection.
• All other vehicles would bypass the inspection point, but unlike current bypass programs, bypassed vehicles would be considered inspected, and the results of the Level VIII Inspection would be recorded as part of the motor carrier’s or driver’s safety record.

This is a working concept and may be adjusted as FMCSA learns more during the operational test.

Operational Test:

Conducting an operational test enables FMCSA to thoroughly evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of Level VIII Inspections by testing the technology in real-world contexts. 

FMCSA is carrying out the operational test in collaboration with CVSA and voluntary participants.

The operational test follows a phased approach, beginning on-road testing in 2024. The first phase is a proof-of-concept to test the technology and evaluate the integrity and usefulness of the data. Future phases will be tailored based on the outcomes of earlier phases and will answer further questions about how Level VIII Inspections could be used and what impact they could have on safety and efficiency.

The operational test will help FMCSA decide whether to move forward with implementing Level VIII Inspections and, if so, how they will be used alongside current motor carrier safety monitoring tools.

Participation in the operational test is voluntary and limited to nine carriers in the initial phase. Data collected during early phases of the operational test will be used for analysis purposes only and will not be used to make bypass decisions nor will it affect a motor carrier’s or driver’s safety record.

Status Update:

Initial on-road testing began in March 2024, starting in Mississippi and Kentucky with a limited subset of carrier and vehicle identification data. After bringing six motor carriers and four States on board, the test expanded to include driver license data and other data obtained from ELD files.

Phase 1 of the test will continue to proceed incrementally, involving more motor carriers, States, and technology providers as they complete setup. The test data is used for analytical purposes only, informing decisions on whether to continue exploring the Level VIII Inspection concept.

Current Participation Statistics

Level VIII Inspection Components

The operational test is currently collecting data that can be used to assess the feasibility of the following components in CVSA's Level VIII Inspection definition:

☒ Descriptive location, including GPS coordinates

☒ USDOT Number

☒ Power Unit (PU) registration

☒ Operating authority

☒ Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) compliance

☒ FMCSA Out-of-Service Orders

☐ Electronic validation of who is operating the vehicle

☒ Appropriate driver’s license class and endorsement(s) for vehicle being operated

☒ License status

☒ Valid Medical Examiner’s Certificate and Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate

☒ Current driver’s Record of Duty Status (RODS)

☐ Hours-of-service (HOS) compliance

Learn More:

Carriers, States, and technology providers who are interested in participating in the operational test should contact CVSA at cvsahq@cvsa.org.

Please send questions or feedback about this project to FMCSALevel8@dot.gov.

Contractor:

U.S. DOT Volpe Center