A compiled reference of 54 verified statistics on commercial motor vehicle roadside inspections in the United States: annual inspection volume and out-of-service rates from FMCSA's inspection database for 2021 through 2025, the split by inspection level and carrier fleet size, the most-cited violation codes of 2025, out-of-service rates for every state, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's International Roadcheck and brake enforcement results, the pre-trip, driver vehicle inspection report, and annual inspection rules in 49 CFR Part 396, the current civil penalty schedule, and the per-mile operating cost that makes a parked truck expensive. Every figure is drawn from a named public source (FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, CVSA, the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, and the American Transportation Research Institute) and independently checked before publishing. The FMCSA annual tables were pulled directly from the agency's report endpoints, since its public dashboards render only as charts, and every pull was reproduced before publishing.
Key statistics
7 highlights from this report
Key statistics
Key takeaways
Two out-of-service rates circulate and they are constantly confused. FMCSA's full-year figure for 2025 is 23.51% of vehicle inspections; CVSA's three-day Roadcheck, announced in advance, ran 18.1%. Both say the same thing: about one truck in four or five inspected has a defect serious enough to park it, the rate is rising, and the defects are the ones a pre-trip inspection exists to catch, brakes, tires, and lights. The single most-cited violation is not a defect at all but a missing piece of paper, the annual inspection record, and the penalties for paperwork run $1,584 a day.
In 2025, 23.51% of vehicle inspections and 7.25% of driver inspections ended with an out-of-service order, across 3.17 million inspections.
The number one roadside violation in America is a missing annual-inspection record: 171,606 citations, and it almost never parks the truck.
A truck is more than three times as likely to be placed out of service in Nebraska (42.02%) as in Mississippi (12.93%).
The vehicle out-of-service rate has climbed from 21.41% in 2021 to 23.51% in 2025.
Nearly every tire citation is an out-of-service order: 102,825 of 104,089 in 2025.
Brakes were 41.1% of out-of-service vehicle violations in the 2025 three-day International Roadcheck.
Driving under an out-of-service order costs the driver at least $3,961 and the employer up to $39,615.
How we built this report
Every figure was compiled in September 2026 from named public sources and verified against the original table, release, or regulation text before publishing.
- Pulled from the agency's own tables
FMCSA's Analysis and Information Online publishes its roadside inspection data as chart dashboards. We pulled the underlying national, by-level, by-fleet-size, all-states, and violation report tables directly from the agency's report endpoints for calendar years 2021 through 2025, and reproduced every pull before publishing.
- Two universes, never conflated
FMCSA full-year rates and CVSA's three-day Roadcheck snapshot are reported separately and labeled every time. The Roadcheck is announced in advance and includes Canada and Mexico; the annual data is not and does not.
- Current regulation text
Inspection rules and penalty amounts are quoted from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations as of August 1, 2026. Several trade sites still quote the 2025 penalty schedule; the amounts here supersede it.
- What we could not verify is left out
Carrier and vehicle registration counts, crash-factor figures, and the number of certified inspectors sit behind sources we could not open, and no "average cost of an out-of-service order" exists from any primary source. None appear here.
- Independent review
Written by one co-founder, reviewed by the other before publishing.
Scope caveat: vehicle and driver out-of-service rates use vehicle inspections and driver inspections as separate denominators, not total inspections. State rates use the state (MCSAP) column, which is over 96% of activity, and reflect each state's screening strategy and inspection mix as much as fleet condition. The 2026 International Roadcheck ran May 12 to 14, 2026; its results had not been published as of September 1, 2026.
Where trucks get parked: state vehicle out-of-service rates, 2025
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, state MCSAP inspections, calendar 2025; national state-column rate 23.48%Highest
Lowest
Bars are scaled to 50%. State rates reflect screening strategy and inspection mix as much as fleet condition: states that pre-screen with weigh-in-motion or bypass programs inspect a dirtier sample. California and Texas together account for roughly a quarter of all state driver inspections.
Roadside inspections, by the numbers
All 54 figures, grouped by theme, each from a named public source and independently verified, or computed by RapidEye from the FMCSA tables with the method stated.
Annual volume and out-of-service rates
According to FMCSA's Analysis and Information Online (ai.fmcsa.dot.gov), U.S. enforcement personnel conducted 3,172,161 roadside inspections in calendar 2025, 3,065,354 of them by state personnel and 106,807 by federal. 20.34% of inspections found at least one out-of-service violation and 43.65% found no violation at all. Inspectors recorded 5,654,033 violations, 1,045,587 of them out-of-service. The vehicle out-of-service rate was 23.51% and the driver rate 7.25%, with hazmat at 4.37%. The vehicle rate has risen every year but one since 2021, from 21.41% to 23.51%, while vehicle inspection volume stayed roughly flat at about two million and driver inspections grew from 2.77 million to 3.07 million.
Statistic 1
U.S. enforcement personnel conducted 3,172,161 roadside inspections in calendar 2025: 3,065,354 by state personnel and 106,807 by federal, so 96.6% of inspections are state work.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, roadside inspection activity (2025); share is RapidEye arithmetic
Statistic 2
20.34% of 2025 roadside inspections (645,166) found at least one out-of-service violation, and 43.65% (1,384,759) found no violation of any kind.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online (2025)
Statistic 3
Inspectors recorded 5,654,033 violations in 2025, about 1.78 per inspection, of which 1,045,587 (18.49%) were out-of-service violations.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online (2025)
Statistic 4
The 2025 vehicle out-of-service rate was 23.51% (479,583 of 2,039,598 vehicle inspections); the driver rate was 7.25% (222,701 of 3,073,262 driver inspections); the hazardous materials rate was 4.37%.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, out-of-service rates (2025)
Statistic 5
The national vehicle out-of-service rate ran 21.41% in 2021, 22.58% in 2022, 22.57% in 2023, 22.98% in 2024, and 23.51% in 2025, up 2.1 points in five years.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, out-of-service rates (2021-2025)
Statistic 6
The driver out-of-service rate ran 6.17% in 2021, 6.89% in 2022, 6.38% in 2023, 5.97% in 2024, and 7.25% in 2025.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, out-of-service rates (2021-2025)
Statistic 7
Vehicle inspection volume was roughly flat from 2021 (1,966,974) to 2025 (2,039,598), while driver inspections rose from 2,770,773 to 3,073,262.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online (2021, 2025)
Statistic 8
The share of inspections finding at least one out-of-service violation ran 19.19% in 2021, 20.27% in 2022, 19.59% in 2023, 19.35% in 2024, and 20.34% in 2025.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, roadside inspection activity (2021-2025)
What this means: One inspection in five ends with something parked, and the vehicle rate is drifting up. The "1 in 5 inspections" figure and the "23.51% vehicle rate" are different denominators; both are right, and the pages that quote one as the other are wrong.
By inspection level and fleet size
According to FMCSA's by-level table (ai.fmcsa.dot.gov), the Level III driver-only inspection was the most common in 2025 at 1,127,491 (35.54%), the Level II walk-around a close second at 1,122,826 (35.40%), and the full Level I at 821,710 (25.90%). The commonly repeated claim that Level I is the most common inspection holds only during Roadcheck. Level I and II inspections produced 241,580 and 317,516 out-of-service results respectively; RapidEye's calculation from those counts puts the out-of-service rate at 29.4% for Level I, 28.3% for Level II, and 7.2% for Level III. Carriers with 1 to 6 power units accounted for 32.47% of all inspections and carriers with 7 to 20 another 15.92%, so nearly half of roadside inspections land on fleets of 20 trucks or fewer.
Statistic 9
In 2025, Level III driver-only inspections numbered 1,127,491 (35.54%), Level II walk-around 1,122,826 (35.40%), Level I full 821,710 (25.90%), Level V terminal 93,827 (2.96%), Level IV special 5,072, and Level VI radioactive 1,235.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, inspections by level (2025)
Statistic 10
Level I inspections produced 241,580 out-of-service results in 2025, Level II 317,516, and Level III 80,756.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, inspections by level (2025)
Statistic 11
Dividing out-of-service results by inspections at each level gives an out-of-service rate of about 29.4% for Level I, 28.3% for Level II, and 7.2% for Level III.
RapidEye Research calculation on FMCSA by-level counts (2025)
Statistic 12
Carriers with 1 to 6 power units accounted for 1,029,901 inspections (32.47%) in 2025, 7 to 20 units 505,149 (15.92%), 21 to 100 units 660,266 (20.81%), and more than 100 units 882,935 (27.83%).
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, inspections by fleet size (2025)
What this means: Nearly half of all inspections, 48.4%, fall on carriers running 20 trucks or fewer, the fleets least likely to have a maintenance department. The walk-around Level II finds an out-of-service defect almost as often as the full Level I, which says the defects are visible from outside the truck.
The violations inspectors actually write
According to FMCSA's 2025 violation report (ai.fmcsa.dot.gov), the single most-cited roadside violation in the country was operating a commercial motor vehicle without documentation of a periodic inspection, 171,606 violations across 134,833 inspections, and only 6 of them out-of-service; add the related "without proof of a periodic inspection" code and annual-inspection paperwork tops 232,000 citations. Six of the top ten are physical conditions a pre-trip walk-around is designed to catch: brakes out of adjustment (133,054), inoperable required lamps (127,864), tires flat, leaking, or under 50% inflation (104,089), inoperative identification lamps (71,256), missing warning devices (63,448), and 20% or more defective brakes (62,105). Vehicle violations were 59.8% of all violations but 68.9% of out-of-service violations.
Statistic 13
The most-cited roadside violation of 2025 was operating a CMV without documentation of a periodic inspection (49 CFR 396.17): 171,606 violations across 134,833 inspections, 3.04% of all violations, of which 6 were out-of-service.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, roadside inspection violations (2025)
Statistic 14
The related code for operating without proof of a periodic inspection added 60,637 violations, so annual-inspection documentation accounted for more than 232,000 citations in 2025.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online (2025); sum is RapidEye arithmetic
Statistic 15
The top ten 2025 violations by count: no periodic-inspection documentation (171,606), state registration or tag (157,388), brakes out of adjustment (133,054), inoperable required lamp (127,864), tires flat, leaking, or under 50% inflation (104,089), state registration or plate (78,535), inoperative identification lamp (71,256), state and local law violations (68,181), failure to obey a traffic control device (64,286), and missing or improper stopped-vehicle warning devices (63,448).
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, roadside inspection violations (2025)
Statistic 16
Tire violations for leaks or inflation below 50% of maximum produced 102,825 out-of-service violations from 104,089 citations, 9.83% of all out-of-service violations and a near-100% conversion rate.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, roadside inspection violations (2025)
Statistic 17
The 20%-defective-brakes violation (49 CFR 396.3) was cited 62,105 times in 2025 and produced 61,873 out-of-service violations, 5.92% of all out-of-service violations.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, roadside inspection violations (2025)
Statistic 18
Vehicle-only totals for 2025: 2,039,598 vehicle inspections, 3,382,175 vehicle violations, and 720,427 vehicle out-of-service violations, which is 59.8% of all violations and 68.9% of all out-of-service violations.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online (2025); shares are RapidEye arithmetic
Statistic 19
Inspectors cited 59,267 hours-of-service false-report violations under 49 CFR 395.8 in 2025; CVSA separately counted 6,823 "false report of driver's record of duty status" violations through August 29, 2025.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online (2025); CVSA Roadcheck results release (2025)
What this means: The condition of the equipment, not the driver, is what parks trucks: vehicle defects are seven in ten out-of-service violations. And the most common citation of all is a document that should be in the cab. A photographed, dated annual inspection sticker is the cheapest violation in the country to eliminate.
Out-of-service rates by state
According to FMCSA's all-states table for calendar 2025 (ai.fmcsa.dot.gov), using the state-inspection column that carries over 96% of activity, the vehicle out-of-service rate ranged from 42.02% in Nebraska and 41.83% in Minnesota to 12.93% in Mississippi and 14.30% in New Mexico, against a national state-column rate of 23.48%. Driver rates ran highest in Oregon and Wyoming at 16.81% and Massachusetts at 16.02%. California conducted 400,635 driver and 383,269 vehicle inspections and Texas 336,689 and 318,980, together roughly a quarter of all state driver inspections.
Statistic 20
The highest 2025 state vehicle out-of-service rates were Nebraska 42.02%, Minnesota 41.83%, South Carolina 36.99%, Wyoming 36.96%, Arkansas 36.17%, Iowa 36.02%, Connecticut 34.47%, Utah 34.03%, Washington 33.60%, and Tennessee 32.88%.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, out-of-service rates by state (2025)
Statistic 21
The lowest were Mississippi 12.93%, New Mexico 14.30%, West Virginia 14.84%, Hawaii 15.59%, California 15.84%, the District of Columbia 16.49%, and Kansas 16.66%.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, out-of-service rates by state (2025)
Statistic 22
The highest 2025 state driver out-of-service rates were Oregon and Wyoming at 16.81%, Massachusetts 16.02%, Rhode Island 14.76%, Arizona 13.84%, and Georgia 12.32%.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, out-of-service rates by state (2025)
Statistic 23
The five busiest states in 2025 by state-column inspections: California 400,635 driver and 383,269 vehicle inspections; Texas 336,689 and 318,980; New York 122,849 and 83,483; North Carolina 117,398 and 56,505; Florida 101,541 and 55,316.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, out-of-service rates by state (2025)
Statistic 24
State personnel conducted 2,968,099 driver inspections at a 7.37% driver out-of-service rate and 1,943,314 vehicle inspections at a 23.48% vehicle rate in 2025.
FMCSA Analysis and Information Online, out-of-service rates by state, grand total (2025)
What this means: The threefold spread between Nebraska and Mississippi is mostly about who gets pulled in, not whose trucks are worse: states that pre-screen with weigh-in-motion and bypass programs inspect a dirtier sample. For a fleet, the practical reading is that the same truck faces very different odds depending on the route.
International Roadcheck and brake enforcement
According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (cvsa.org), enforcement personnel in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. conducted 56,178 inspections during the May 13-15, 2025 International Roadcheck, placing 10,148 vehicles and 3,342 drivers out of service at an 18.1% vehicle and 5.9% driver rate. Brake-related violations, brake systems plus 20% defective brakes, were 41.1% of vehicle out-of-service violations, and hours of service was 32.4% of driver ones. The 2024 event ran 48,761 inspections at a 23% vehicle rate and 2023 ran 59,429 at 19%; the emphasis area changes each year, so the series is volatile. In the unannounced Brake Safety Day of April 14, 2026, 14.3% of 4,021 vehicles inspected were parked for brake violations, against 15.1% during the announced 2025 Brake Safety Week.
Statistic 25
The 2025 International Roadcheck (May 13-15) comprised 56,178 inspections across Canada, Mexico, and the U.S., with a vehicle out-of-service rate of 18.1% and a driver rate of 5.9%.
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, 2025 Roadcheck results (October 2025)
Statistic 26
Inspectors found 13,553 vehicle, 3,317 driver, and 177 hazardous materials out-of-service violations during the 2025 Roadcheck and placed 10,148 vehicles and 3,342 drivers out of service.
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, 2025 Roadcheck results
Statistic 27
Brake-related violations were 41.1% of all 2025 Roadcheck vehicle out-of-service violations: 3,304 brake-system violations (24.4%) plus 2,257 for 20% defective brakes (16.7%), 5,561 combined.
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, 2025 Roadcheck results
Statistic 28
The top five 2025 Roadcheck vehicle out-of-service categories: brake systems 3,304 (24.4%), tires 2,899 (21.4%), 20% defective brakes 2,257 (16.7%), lights 1,737 (12.8%), and cargo securement 1,549 (11.4%).
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, 2025 Roadcheck results
Statistic 29
The top five 2025 Roadcheck driver out-of-service categories (U.S. and Canada): hours of service 1,076 (32.4%), no commercial driver's license 810 (24.4%), no medical card 493 (14.9%), false logs 332 (10.0%), and suspended license 170 (5.1%).
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, 2025 Roadcheck results
Statistic 30
2025 Roadcheck out-of-service rates by level: Level I 24.2% vehicle and 5.7% driver (30,060 inspections), Level II 20.9% and 7.1% (13,150), Level III 0.7% and 6.0% (11,743), Level V 2.4% and 0.0% (1,225).
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, 2025 Roadcheck results
Statistic 31
16,521 CVSA decals were affixed during the 2025 Roadcheck (11,411 power units, 5,043 trailers, 67 buses); a decal earned on a passing Level I or V inspection is valid for up to three months, and the Level I inspection is a 37-step procedure.
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, 2025 Roadcheck results and 2026 Roadcheck announcement
Statistic 32
More than 1.8 million inspections have been conducted during International Roadcheck since 1988, and in 2025 about 13 vehicles a minute were inspected across North America.
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, 2025 Roadcheck results
Statistic 33
The 2024 Roadcheck (May 14-16) ran 48,761 inspections at a 23% vehicle and 4.8% driver out-of-service rate; the top vehicle violation was defective service brakes at 3,387 (25.0%).
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, 2024 Roadcheck results
Statistic 34
The 2023 Roadcheck (May 16-18) inspected 59,429 vehicles, found at least one out-of-service violation on 19% (11,270 vehicles removed), placed 3,256 drivers (5.5%) out of service, and identified 116,669 violations in total.
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, 2023 Roadcheck results
Statistic 35
During the 2025 Brake Safety Week (August 24-30), 15,175 inspections in 52 jurisdictions placed 2,296 vehicles (15.1%) out of service for brake violations; the most-cited reason was 20% or more defective service brakes at 1,199 violations.
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, 2025 Brake Safety Week results
Statistic 36
In the unannounced Brake Safety Day of April 14, 2026, 4,021 inspections in 47 jurisdictions restricted 574 vehicles (14.3%) from travel for brake-related out-of-service violations.
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, 2026 Brake Safety Day results
Statistic 37
Approximately 4 million commercial motor vehicle inspections are conducted every year across North America at weigh and inspection stations, roving patrols, and temporary sites; there are eight North American Standard inspection levels.
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, 2025 Brake Safety Week and Roadcheck results
What this means: Announced or not, roughly one truck in seven fails a brake check, which is the single strongest argument for a documented pre-trip. The Roadcheck's 18.1% and the full year's 23.51% come from different samples and are not comparable; the equally announced 2024 Roadcheck ran 23%.
Pre-trip, DVIR, and annual inspection rules
The rules are in 49 CFR Part 396, quoted here from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (ecfr.gov) as of August 1, 2026. A carrier may not use a commercial motor vehicle unless every component in Appendix A has passed an inspection in the preceding 12 months and the documentation is on the vehicle (396.17), and the report is kept 14 months (396.21). Every driver must prepare a written vehicle inspection report at the end of each day's work covering eleven systems, from service brakes to emergency equipment (396.11), the same list a driver must be satisfied with before driving (392.7); since 2014 a report is required only when a defect is found, and reports are kept three months. Before driving, the driver must review and sign the last report (396.13). Maintenance records are kept one year, and bus emergency exits are inspected at least every 90 days (396.3).
Statistic 38
A commercial motor vehicle may not be used unless each component in Appendix A has passed an inspection at least once in the preceding 12 months and documentation of that inspection is on the vehicle.
49 CFR 396.17(c)
Statistic 39
The periodic inspection report must be retained for fourteen months from the date of the inspection.
49 CFR 396.21(b)
Statistic 40
The driver vehicle inspection report must cover at least eleven systems: service brakes including trailer brake connections, parking brake, steering, lighting devices and reflectors, tires, horn, windshield wipers, rear vision mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, and emergency equipment.
49 CFR 396.11(a)(1); the same list appears in 49 CFR 392.7
Statistic 41
Drivers are not required to prepare a report if no defect or deficiency is discovered; the no-defect DVIR requirement for property-carrying vehicles was eliminated in 2014, though many fleet guides still say a daily report is mandatory.
49 CFR 396.11(a)(2)(i)
Statistic 42
Driver vehicle inspection reports, certifications of repair, and the driver's review certification must be kept for three months from the date the report was prepared.
49 CFR 396.11(a)(4)
Statistic 43
Before driving, the driver must be satisfied the vehicle is in safe operating condition, review the last inspection report, and sign it to acknowledge that required repairs have been certified.
49 CFR 396.13
Statistic 44
Carriers must systematically inspect, repair, and maintain every vehicle under their control, keep maintenance records for one year and for six months after the vehicle leaves their control, and inspect bus pushout windows, emergency doors, and their marking lights at least every 90 days.
49 CFR 396.3(a) and (c)
What this means: The eleven-item list appears twice in the regulations, once as the pre-trip check and once as the end-of-day report, and six of the top ten roadside violations are on it. A photographed walk-around against that list is the regulation's own workflow.
Penalties, and what a parked truck costs
Penalty amounts are the inflation-adjusted figures in 49 CFR Part 386, Appendix B, quoted from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (ecfr.gov) as of August 1, 2026; several trade sites still quote the 2025 schedule. A CDL holder convicted of violating an out-of-service order faces at least $3,961 for a first conviction and $7,924 thereafter, and an employer who knowingly allows it faces $7,155 to $39,615. Recordkeeping violations under Parts 390 through 399, which include the inspection and maintenance records above, run up to $1,584 a day to a $15,846 maximum. The operating cost side comes from the American Transportation Research Institute (truckingresearch.org): the industry-average marginal cost of running a truck was $2.336 per mile in 2025, the highest in the report's history, with truckload and refrigerated operating margins below 1%.
Statistic 45
A CDL holder convicted of violating an out-of-service order faces a civil penalty of not less than $3,961 for a first conviction and not less than $7,924 for a second or subsequent conviction.
49 CFR Part 386, Appendix B (current as of August 2026)
Statistic 46
An employer who knowingly allows a driver to operate under an out-of-service order faces a civil penalty of not less than $7,155 and not more than $39,615.
49 CFR Part 386, Appendix B
Statistic 47
A recordkeeping violation under Parts 390 through 399, which include inspection and maintenance records, carries a maximum civil penalty of $1,584 for each day it continues, up to $15,846; knowing falsification of a required record carries up to $15,846.
49 CFR Part 386, Appendix B
Statistic 48
A non-recordkeeping violation of Parts 390 through 399 carries a civil penalty of up to $19,246 per violation for a carrier and up to $4,812 for a driver.
49 CFR Part 386, Appendix B
Statistic 49
A carrier that keeps operating after a final unsatisfactory safety rating faces up to $34,116 per day, up to $102,348 per offense for placarded hazmat, and up to $238,809 if the violation causes death, serious illness, or severe injury.
49 CFR Part 386, Appendix B
Statistic 50
The industry-average marginal cost to operate a truck was $2.336 per mile in 2025, up 3.4% and the highest in the report's history; excluding fuel, $1.854 per mile, up 4.2%.
American Transportation Research Institute, operational costs of trucking (2026 edition)
Statistic 51
Costs rose in every major line item in 2025, led by tolls (13.2%), repair and maintenance (8.6%), driver benefits (6.6%), and tires (6.4%).
American Transportation Research Institute (2026)
Statistic 52
Truckload and refrigerated carriers' operating margins stayed below 1.0% in 2025, tank carriers averaged 4.0%, and flatbed carriers averaged an operating loss of 0.5%.
American Transportation Research Institute (2026)
Statistic 53
A driver placed out of service for 24 hours under the alcohol prohibitions of 49 CFR 392.5 who drives during that period faces up to $3,961 for a first conviction and not less than $7,924 thereafter.
49 CFR Part 386, Appendix B
Statistic 54
No primary source publishes an average cost of an out-of-service order; the defensible construction is ATRI's $1.854 per mile excluding fuel times the miles not run, plus the repair and the CSA score consequence.
American Transportation Research Institute (2026); RapidEye Research framing
What this means: At sub-1% margins, one out-of-service order plus the repair erases the profit on many loads, and the recordkeeping penalty for a missing inspection file accrues daily. Every figure that circulates as "the average cost of an OOS order" is a vendor's model; there is no measured one.
Cite this study
Academic or press use: copy a ready-made reference. RapidEye is the publisher.
Quick FAQ
What is the current DOT out-of-service rate?
For calendar 2025, FMCSA's data puts the vehicle out-of-service rate at 23.51% of vehicle inspections and the driver rate at 7.25%, across 3,172,161 roadside inspections. The three-day CVSA International Roadcheck in May 2025 ran lower, 18.1% vehicle and 5.9% driver, because it is announced in advance and includes Canada and Mexico. The two figures are often conflated and should not be.
What is the most common DOT roadside violation?
Operating a commercial motor vehicle without documentation of a periodic inspection, cited 171,606 times in 2025, more than any other violation, and almost never an out-of-service violation (6 of 171,606). The most common physical defects were brakes out of adjustment (133,054), inoperable lamps (127,864), and flat or badly underinflated tires (104,089), the last of which produced an out-of-service order 99% of the time.
Which state has the highest out-of-service rate?
Nebraska, at 42.02% of state vehicle inspections in 2025, followed by Minnesota at 41.83%. The lowest was Mississippi at 12.93%. The national state-column rate was 23.48%. The spread reflects each state's screening strategy and inspection mix as much as fleet condition.
How often does a commercial truck need an inspection?
Under 49 CFR 396.17, every component in Appendix A must pass an inspection at least once every 12 months, with documentation on the vehicle, and the report kept 14 months. Separately, the driver must be satisfied the vehicle is safe before each trip (392.7) and prepare a written inspection report at the end of each day's work if a defect is found (396.11), covering eleven systems from service brakes to emergency equipment.
What is the penalty for driving under an out-of-service order?
Under 49 CFR Part 386 Appendix B as of August 2026, a CDL holder convicted of violating an out-of-service order faces a civil penalty of at least $3,961 for a first conviction and at least $7,924 for a second. An employer who knowingly allows it faces $7,155 to $39,615. Recordkeeping violations run up to $1,584 per day to a $15,846 maximum.
Data sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these named public sources, each checked against the original table, release, or regulation text before publishing.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety AdministrationAnalysis and Information Online: roadside inspection activity, out-of-service rates, by-level, by-fleet-size, all-states, and violation report tables, calendar 2021-2025ai.fmcsa.dot.gov
Commercial Vehicle Safety AllianceInternational Roadcheck results (2023, 2024, 2025), 2026 Roadcheck announcement, 2025 Brake Safety Week and 2026 Brake Safety Day resultscvsa.org
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations49 CFR Part 396, section 392.7, and Part 386 Appendix B, as of August 1, 2026ecfr.gov
American Transportation Research InstituteOperational costs of trucking, 2026 edition releasetruckingresearch.org