A newcomer to Roadcheck driver violations top 5: speaking English

According to FreightWaves, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Association recently published the findings from its 2026 International Roadcheck, highlighting significant shifts in driver compliance. For the first time, the inability to demonstrate English proficiency appeared as a top five driver violation. Inspectors removed 361 drivers from service for this specific infraction, representing roughly nine percent of all driver-related out-of-service orders issued during the inspection period across the United States and Canada.

This surge in language-related enforcement follows an executive order issued in April 2025 that emphasized existing federal regulations. In the previous year, English proficiency did not rank among the primary reasons for driver disqualifications. Other notable changes in the rankings included a sharp rise in violations for missing medical cards, which more than doubled to become the most frequent cause for placing drivers out of service, surpassing hours-of-service infractions.

While driver-related data showed volatility, vehicle safety statistics remained largely consistent with previous years. Mechanical issues like brake systems and tire problems continued to dominate the list of vehicle-related out-of-service orders. Despite a specific focus on cargo securement during this year's initiative, the number of violations in that category stayed nearly flat compared to the 2025 results, and the total number of safety decals awarded to compliant vehicles saw a slight increase.