Out-of-Service Criteria Updated for 2025 By CVSA
The new rules apply mainly to taking trucks out of service (OOS), but a few changes have also been made regarding drivers.
The CVSA, or the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, has changed the out-of-service criteria for drivers and vehicles. This comes after they consulted their members across North America to reach a consensus regarding updated regulations. These changes will be made official on April 1st, 2025.
While most of these changes are specific to OOS (out-of-service) truck regulations, a few were made regarding the drivers.
Out-of-Service Criteria For Drivers
The CVSA has made 3 amendments to the previous regulations involving OOS criteria for drivers.
The first update changes Part 1, Item 3 of the North American Standard OOSC. This is “to clarify that an accompanying driver of a driver with a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) cannot be unauthorized to drive for any reason,” according to the CVSA. They cited an update published in the Federal Register by the FMCSA as reasoning for this. The update states “The CLP holder must be accompanied by a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL) holder who is authorized to operate the commercial motor vehicle for that trip.”
The second change was made to Part 1, Item 2. The purpose was “to provide clarity to the transportation of dangerous goods (TDG) certificate.” This refers to a Canadian document for both CDL and non-CDL drivers. “The TDG regulations do not require the [hazmat and dangerous goods] classes to be listed on the training certificate. However, if they are listed, the driver is only permitted to transport the classes listed.”
The final change for drivers is on Part 1, Item 4 on Medical Certificates. The new regulation clarifies that the same out-of-service conditions apply whether a vehicle is carrying people or property. “Not having a medical certificate is an imminent hazard on the first offense for a driver regardless of what type of vehicle is being driven,” according to CVSA.
Out-of-Service Criteria For Standard Vehicles
More focus was on regulations for putting vehicles out of service. These include:
- Brakes
- Tires and Suspension
- Tractor Protection and Securement
- Lighting
Below are quotes from the CVSA regarding the criteria changes.
Brakes
“Rather than a violation being documented for each inoperative brake, only one OOS violation will be recorded… The amendment will allow for this situation to be treated the same as inoperative lamps on the rear of the trailer when there is an unplugged electrical connection resulting in one violation rather than multiple violations.”
Tires and Suspension
Under Part II, Item 11, on suspensions, CVSA clarified that u-bolt bottom plates “should be out of service if cracked or broken.” They went on to say “that if only the rubber of a mudflap is contacting a tire, this should not be an OOS condition.” A further update was made “to indicate that a tire without an automatic tire inflation system (ATIS) is out of service when it has a noticeable leak in the tread area.”
CVSA also combined the different OOS conditions for radial and bias tires into one section.
Tractor Protection and Securement
Tractor protection systems now require “both the primary and secondary system be below 20 psi rather than either system.” (The) amendment was the result of a discussion with brake manufacturers who indicated that with a dual-circuit brake system, one system may remain above 20 psi and the other may fall below 20 psi; however, this should not be considered out of service as it used to be with single-circuit brake systems.”
Lighting
CVSA added a section in Part 11, Item 9 on lighting devices specific to projecting load lamps. “This change is necessary due to the update for lamps that are required to be on during certain times of the day. When the update was made to the title, it was intended to clarify when drivers have lights turned off on the power unit. Projecting loads are a separate issue and should be dealt with separately. Also, overhanging load lamps can operate in a variety of ways and are not necessarily switched ‘on/off,’ similar to headlamps and tail lamps.”
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