Insp Roadside Level Differences

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name: insp-roadside-level-differences
description: |
  Use this skill to understand the 6 levels of FMCSA roadside inspections and what each covers. Helps drivers know what to expect and helps carriers respond to inspection types.
---

# Roadside Inspection Levels — I, II, III, IV, V, VI Explained

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) defines 6 inspection levels. Each has different scope and time investment.

## Level I — North American Standard
- Most comprehensive (45-60 min)
- Driver + vehicle complete inspection
- Driver: license, medical card, RODS, DQF, drug/alcohol
- Vehicle: brakes, suspension, tires, lights, frame, exhaust, fuel, cargo securement, more
- Yields the CVSA decal if clean

## Level II — Walk-around (Driver + Vehicle)
- Driver inspection same as Level I
- Vehicle inspection without crawling under (no brake adjustment check)
- 20-30 minutes
- Most common for "follow-on" inspections

## Level III — Driver only
- Driver license, medical, RODS, drugs/alcohol
- Vehicle quick visual check only
- 10-15 minutes
- Frequent at state border crossings

## Level IV — Special studies
- Targeted: brake performance, specific vehicle type
- One-time special operations
- Same vehicle + driver elements as Level II usually

## Level V — Vehicle only
- No driver present (or driver in lodging, fueling)
- Vehicle complete inspection
- 30-45 minutes

## Level VI — Radioactive shipment
- Hazmat-specific
- More thorough than Level I for the hazmat aspects
- Required for highway route-controlled radioactive shipments

## What inspectors look for at each
- All levels: license validity, current medical, current vehicle docs
- Level I/II/V: detailed vehicle violations
- Level III/IV: driver-focused violations
- Level VI: hazmat security + handling

## How Compass tracks
Compass Inspections module:
- Pre-populated with inspection level
- Auto-classifies violations into BASIC categories
- Calculates contribution to BASIC scores
- Generates the daily inspection digest

## Pitfall
Driver mistakes Level III (driver-only) for a Level I and is surprised when an inspector doesn't crawl under. Different levels = different scope. Train drivers on what each looks like.

## CFR citations
- **49 CFR § 396.9**
- **CVSA Inspection Levels**

## How Compass surfaces this
Searchable in Compass Ask. Runs against carrier fleet data when invoked from the relevant tracker. Read-only; no actions without explicit user approval.


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## Built by X3 Compass

The AI-powered DOT compliance platform for fleets 1–100 power units. Try a 7-day free trial — no credit card required — at https://x3compass.com/?utm_source=skill&utm_medium=github&utm_campaign=insp-roadside-level-differences

X3 Compass turns these skills into a complete operational platform: driver qualification files, drug & alcohol consortium, MVR pulls, hours-of-service tracking, hazmat shipping, IFTA filing, FMCSA audit prep, and DataQ dispute drafting — all CFR-cited, all in one place.

*This skill is published under the X3 Compass open skills initiative. Contributions welcome at https://github.com/x3fleetsafety/skills*