Level 3 Inspection

Scope of a Level III Inspection

A North American Standard (NAS) CVSA Level III Inspection is defined as a Driver/Credential/Administrative Inspection. The primary limitation of a Level III inspection is that it is confined to driver-focused administrative compliance and explicitly excludes the physical and mechanical condition of the vehicle.

According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) procedures and the FMCSA's NAS Student Guide, inspectors are trained to enforce the following specific Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) and Hazardous Materials (HM) regulations during a Level III stop:

Driving of Commercial Motor Vehicles (Part 392)

During initial contact, the inspector observes the driver and cab to enforce rules surrounding driving behavior and conditions:

• Local Laws: Determining any local law violations (§392.2).
• Driver Condition: Observing for signs of illness, fatigue, or other impairment (§392.3).
• Substance Use: Checking the cab for the possible illegal presence or use of drugs (§392.4) or alcohol (§392.5).
• Seat Belts: Verifying seat belt usage and condition (§392.16).
• Cab Contents: Checking for unauthorized passengers (§392.60) and radar detectors (§392.71).
• Device Usage: Enforcing prohibitions on texting while driving (§392.80) and using hand-held mobile telephones (§392.82).

General Applicability & Definitions (Part 390)

The inspector verifies the administrative identity of the motor carrier and applicability of the FMCSR:

• Operating Authority: Verifying the carrier has an active safety registration, UCR compliance, and proper operating authority (USDOT/MC/FF/MX number) for interstate commerce (§390.5T, §392.9a).
• Markings: Ensuring the vehicle displays the proper markings (trade name and USDOT number) and checking rental agreements (§390.21T).
• Scope & Exceptions: Applying regulations to CMVs while observing specific exceptions such as school bus operations, government entities, emergency vehicles, and Covered Farm Vehicles (CFV) (§390.3T, §390.23, §390.39).

Commercial Driver’s License Standards (Part 383)

The inspector thoroughly examines the driver's license to ensure they are legally permitted to operate the specific vehicle:

• License Class: Verifying the driver holds the proper license class for the GVWR/GCWR of the vehicle (§383.5).
• Endorsements: Ensuring the CDL contains necessary endorsements (e.g., hazardous materials, tanker, passenger).
• Learner's Permits: Enforcing restrictions for Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) holders, including the requirement to be accompanied by a valid CDL holder (§383.25).

Qualifications of Drivers (Part 391)

The inspector reviews medical documentation to ensure the driver is physically and legally qualified:

• Minimum Qualifications: Verifying age, English language proficiency, and general qualification standards (§391.11).
• Medical Certificate: Checking that the Medical Examiner’s Certificate (MEC) is valid and the examiner is on the National Registry (§391.41).
• Disqualifications: Enforcing driver disqualification standards (§391.15).
• Skill Performance: Verifying the presence and validity of a Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate for drivers with missing or impaired limbs (§391.49).

Hours of Service of Drivers (Part 395)

The inspector reviews the driver's Record of Duty Status (RODS) to prevent fatigued driving:

• Applicability: Determining the applicability of HOS rules to the operation (§395.3).
• Record Keeping: Verifying that logs (via ELD or other methods) are current, accurate, and reflect the correct duty status (§395.8).
• eRODS: Utilizing the Electronic Record of Duty Status (eRODS) software to analyze log data and detect potential violations (§395.8).

Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance (Part 396)

While a Level III inspection focuses on the driver, it includes administrative verification of maintenance records:

• DVIR: Reviewing the Driver Vehicle Inspection Report, specifically for applicable carriers such as those from Canada (§396.11).
• Annual Inspection: Verifying that documentation of the vehicle's Annual Periodic Inspection Report is physically present on the vehicle, either as a copy of the report or via an approved equivalent decal/sticker (§396.17).