North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria Handbook and Pictorial Edition

Description

Alert: Effective June 25, 2025, drivers will be placed out of service if they “cannot read and speak the English language sufficiently to communicate with the safety official to respond to official inquiries and directions in accordance with FMCSA enforcement guidance.” The CVSA made this emergency addition in response to a presidential Executive Order issued April 28, 2025.

Product Information

• Identifies Critical Vehicle Inspection Items following a roadside inspection
• Details criteria that can prohibit a motor carrier or operator from driving or operating a commercial motor vehicle for a specified period of time or until the condition is corrected

Includes a full set of CVSA Inspection Schematics:

• North American Standard Level I Inspection Procedure
• North American Standard Level I Passenger Vehicle Inspection Procedure
• North American Standard Hazardous Materials/Transportation of Dangerous Goods Inspection Procedure
• North American Standard Cargo Tank and Other Bulk Packaging’s Inspection Procedure
• Mexican CDL: Licencia Federal de Conductor
• ABS Inspection Procedure: Canadian Field Reference
• ABS Inspection Procedure: U.S. Field Reference
• North American Standard Inspection Procedure for Performance-Based Brake Testing

The 2026 edition is effective April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027

2026 Updates

Key changes for the April 1, 2026 edition of CVSA’s North American Standard Out of Service Criteria Handbook:

1. Brake Hose Chafing Thresholds Further Clarified: New measurement guidance specifies that any brake hose chafing exposing reinforcement material over a length greater than 1 inch is now an out-of-service condition, aligning inspection consistency across jurisdictions.
2. Steering System Free Play Limits Revised: Updated steering free-play tables now include additional axle configurations and reduced allowable movement for certain power-steering systems. Exceeding the revised limits will result in an out-of-service determination.
3. Cargo Securement: Synthetic Webbing Straps Standardized: Synthetic webbing straps showing fraying, cuts, or abrasion exceeding 10% of strap width are now automatically considered out-of-service, replacing the previous subjective “significant damage” language.
4. Fuel System Leaks Expanded to Include EV Battery Coolant Leaks: For electric commercial vehicles, any active coolant leak from the battery thermal-management system is now an out-of-service condition due to fire-risk potential.
5. Suspension Air Spring Mounting Requirements Updated: A missing or detached air-spring upper or lower mounting bolt now constitutes an immediate out-of-service violation, even if the air spring remains inflated.