The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) announced the 2013 North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria Handbook and Pictorial (OOSC), which goes into effect on April 1, 2013, is now available.

The OOSC, the only official reference book of its kind for law enforcement and the motor carrier industry, is a valuable tool designed to improve commercial motor vehicle safety by promoting uniformity in compliance and enforcement throughout North America.

CVSA has maintained, updated and published the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria annually for more than 20 years. It is heavily relied upon by highly qualified, specially trained and certified state, provincial, territorial and federal law enforcement personnel in identifying Critical Vehicle Inspection Item violations during a roadside inspection. These violations can prohibit a motor carrier or operator from driving or operating a commercial motor vehicle for a specified period of time or until the defective condition is corrected.

“Every motor carrier, CMV driver, technician and maintenance personnel should be familiar with the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria. This is an invaluable resource for the entire commercial motor vehicle community,” said Collin Mooney, deputy executive director for CVSA.

Specifically, the 2013 North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria Handbook and Pictorial includes:

• Part I—Detail violations which place a driver out-of-service.

• Part II—Outline the Critical Vehicle Inspection Items and provides direction to each commercial vehicle inspector in North America identifying at what point a commercial motor vehicle can no longer be safety operated for fear of causing an accident or breakdown, due to its mechanical condition.

• Part III—Provide guidance for unsafe hazardous materials transportation, including both conditions which fail to communicate a hazard and those which are themselves hazards.

• Part IV—Establish criteria for placing a motor carrier out-of-service.