A CVSA sticker is issued to a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) after that vehicle successfully “passes” a Level 1 DOT inspection or Level 5 Inspection.
To pass an inspection, the truck, bus, trailer, car etc. must have no “critical violations” discovered according to the North American Standard Out-of-Service criteria.
What does a CVSA Sticker Mean?
A CVSA sticker is literally a little brightly colored sticker that is placed on the lower right of a truck or buses windshield or the lower right front corner of a trailer.
Many also call this a DOT Level 1 inspection sticker since you can’t earn one for your truck passing a DOT Level 2 inspection or a Level 3 DOT inspection.
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CVSA Sticker Colors and their meaning
The quarter that the inspection was performed determines the color of the truck, bus or trailer’s CVSA sticker.
- Green -1st Quarter of the year (January, February, March)
- Yellow – 2nd Quarter of the year (April, May, June)
- Orange 3rd Quarter of the year (July, August, September)
- White – 4th Quarter of the year (October, November, December)
The big number on top represents the year of the inspection. 2, for instance, would be for 2022.
The official CVSA logo appears right below the year number along with a serial number.
The cool looking barcode just below that is there so that cameras and scanners at the weigh stations (chicken coops) can help better identify the presence of a CVSA sticker. This brings us to our next point.
Why is a CVSA Sticker important?
A CVSA sticker is essentially a “get out of inspection” free card. So, having one pretty much guarantees that the truck, bus, trailer, etc. displaying it will not be subject to a Level 1 inspection until after it expires (often despite the fleet’s ISS Score).
Notice that I said “pretty much there” as nothing prevents a re-inspection if an inspector feels that it is warranted.
Want to watch a quick video on this topic?
How Long is a CVSA Sticker Valid?
After the inspected commercial motor vehicle passes their Level 1 or Level 5 inspection, the CVSA sticker is affixed to the vehicle by the qualified inspector and it is valid for up to 3 consecutive months.
(Not all DOT officers or law enforcement officers who conduct truck and/or bus inspections are “qualified” to issue a CVSA sticker. Those that are have undergone a specific training program).
Fun Fact!
Depending on which month of the quarter the inspection was completed, the sticker may have the upper corners (1st month of the quarter) or the lower corners of the sticker (2nd month of the quarter) removed as well.
If the roadside inspection was completed during the 3rd month of the quarter, no corners are removed.
What is a CVSA Inspection?
A CVSA Level 1 inspection is a VERY thorough inspection of a commercial motor vehicle or trailer. Here is a list of the steps that are involved:
- Choose the Inspection Site
- Approach the Vehicle
- Greet and Prepare the Driver
- Interview Driver
- Collect the Driver’s Documents
- Check for Presence of Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Goods
- Identify the Carrier
- Examine Driver’s License or CDL
- Check Medical Examiner’s Certificate and Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate (if applicable)
- Check Record of Duty Status
- Review Driver’s Daily Vehicle Inspection Report (if applicable)
- Review Periodic Inspection Report(s)
- Prepare Driver for Vehicle Inspection
- Inspect Front of Tractor
- Inspect Left Front side of Tractor
- Inspect Left Saddle Tank Area
- Inspect Trailer Front
- Inspect Left Rear Tractor Area
- Inspect Left Side of Trailer
- Inspect Left Rear Trailer Wheels
- Inspect Rear of Trailer
- Inspect Double, Triple and Full Trailers
- Inspect Right Rear Trailer Wheels
- Inspect Right Side of Trailer
- Inspect Right Rear Tractor Area
- Inspect Right Saddle Tank Area
- Inspect Right Front Side of Tractor
- Inspect Steering Axle(s)
- Inspect Axle(s) 2 and/or 3
- Inspect Axle(s) 4 and/or 5
- Prepare the Vehicle and Check Brake Adjustment
- Inspect Tractor Protection System (this procedure tests both the tractor protection system and the emergency brakes)
- Inspect Required Brake System Warning Devices
- Test Air Loss Rate
- Check Steering Wheel Lash & Emergency Equipment (warning triangles, Fire Extinguisher, etc.)
- Check Fifth Wheel Movement
- Complete the Inspection
As you can see, this is no joke. Each inspection can take almost an hour! You can read more about the Level 1 Inspection and other inspection levels at the CVSA’s website.
Who is the CVSA?
The CVSA is a really cool group of commercial vehicle and driver inspectors. (I guess that depends on how you feel about them).
The group generally consists of State, Federal, Local, Territorial and Provincial law enforcement officers from all over North America.
These are mainly law enforcement officers and other government employees that are directly responsible for ensuring that our roadways remain safe.
What does the CVSA do?
The CVSA started in 1980 and their official mission is to “to improve commercial motor vehicle safety and uniformity throughout Canada, Mexico and the United States by providing guidance and education to enforcement, industry and policy makers”.
They’re actually a non-profit entity and have about 13,000 members currently.
The CVSA has a number of different programs that they oversee or administer throughout the year, including the very intensive inspection blitz known as International Roadcheck.
This is a 72-hour enforcement blitz that covers all of North America. During each event, about 15 buses or trucks are inspected every minute! Read more about last year’s Roadcheck event here.
The next International Roadcheck event will be in May 2026!
Operation Airbrake, Brake Safety Week and Operation Safe Driver are other important annual initiatives for the group. You can learn more about the CVSA inspection programs here.
The CVSA is also heavily involved in the nationwide efforts to prevent human trafficking. They also recently began spearheading the National Fatigue Management Program. It will be very interesting to see what they do with this program now that they have the reins!
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