Over the past few months, the motor carriers we work with have reported that roadside inspections seem to be happening more frequently. Recent headlines appear to back that up, with federal agents working alongside state troopers at some weigh stations and stepped-up enforcement efforts underway in several states.
But the numbers tell a more complicated story. Through July, nationwide roadside inspections are actually down 3% from the same period last year.
What the data do show, however, are higher out-of-service rates, more violations per inspection, and enforcement activity focused on specific driver qualifications.
Here are the key takeaways from the current enforcement data, and how they could impact your operation.
Roadside Inspections in 2026
Despite how it may feel, roadside inspections aren’t up nationally, at least not according to the current FMCSA Analysis & Information (A&I) data. Through July 31, 2026, inspections are down 3% compared to where they were last year at this time. The 2026 inspection volume is slightly ahead of the 2023-2024 numbers, but not dramatically so.
| Year | Jan.–July inspections* | Difference vs. 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,719,820 | 2026 +5.3% |
| 2023 | 1,799,604 | 2026 +0.6% |
| 2024 | 1,779,627 | 2026 +1.7% |
| 2025 | 1,866,006 | 2026 -3.0% |
| 2026 | 1,810,425 | — |
*FMCSA notes that its current figures are based on a July 31 MCMIS data snapshot and may be updated as additional information is reported.
But just because inspection numbers are relatively steady doesn’t mean motor carriers aren’t feeling the impact of increased enforcement activity in other ways.
So Why Does Enforcement Feel Like It’s Up?
FreightWaves recently reported that the Department of Homeland Security is working with the Department of Transportation and state agencies to identify commercial drivers operating with improperly issued CDLs. In some states, federal agents are even working at weigh stations alongside troopers.
Much of the current federal focus centers on improperly issued commercial driver’s licenses, including improperly issued non-domiciled CDLs. As of August, FMCSA reported that more than 30,000 illegally issued CDLs had been revoked across non-compliant states.
Alongside this federal push, Texas, Arizona, and California have increased enforcement efforts focused on vehicle safety, hours-of-service compliance, driver qualifications, and immigration-related issues. In Texas alone, one operation led to 132 traffic stops, 93 commercial vehicle inspections, and 24 immigration detentions. In Arizona, one driver was placed out of service after being found, among other violations, to have no CDL and no required medical certificate.
That federal-state coordination has continued. During the second wave of Operation Highway Shield from July 28-30, FMCSA, ICE, Homeland Security Investigations, and state highway patrols conducted roadside checks in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio. The three-day operation resulted in 766 drivers and vehicles being placed out of service.
These kinds of highly visible, concentrated enforcement campaigns can make inspection activity feel more intense, even when the national inspection count has stayed relatively steady. And carriers operating in areas targeted by specific enforcement efforts may very well be experiencing more activity than the nationwide numbers suggest.
Inspections May Be Steady, but Findings Are Up
Despite inspections remaining roughly the same for the past few years, there has been an uptick in the number of violations found during inspections in 2026. Through July, a greater share of roadside inspections resulted in violations and out-of-service findings than in any of the previous four calendar years, according to calculations based on FMCSA A&I data.
| Year | Inspections with violations | Inspections with OOS violations | Violations per inspection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 57.64% | 20.27% | 1.73 |
| 2023 | 56.76% | 19.59% | 1.71 |
| 2024 | 56.25% | 19.35% | 1.72 |
| 2025 | 56.35% | 20.34% | 1.78 |
| 2026 YTD | 58.10% | 21.91% | 1.88 |
The percentage of inspections that resulted in at least one violation reached 58.10% in 2026. More than 1 in 5 inspections also resulted in at least one out-of-service violation, the highest percentage in the past five years.
The same pattern shows up in traffic-enforcement inspections. The driver out-of-service rate reached 13.69% as of July 2026, up from 12.69% last year and the highest level in FMCSA’s five-year data.
That doesn’t necessarily mean inspectors are becoming more aggressive. Higher violation and OOS rates could reflect more targeted inspections, changes in enforcement priorities, changes in carrier compliance, or some combination of those factors. But it does mean that, so far this year, inspections are producing more findings.
Driver-Related Violations Show Where the Focus Has Shifted
Given some of the federal government’s priorities this year, it probably comes as no surprise that English-language proficiency violations stand out in the 2026 data. By late June, 1,787 ELP traffic-enforcement violations had already been recorded in 2026, compared to 1,711 during all of 2025.
But that increase does need some context. ELP violations were restored to the out-of-service criteria in June 2025, and FMCSA issued revised roadside enforcement guidance in April 2026. In other words, the increase doesn’t necessarily mean there are suddenly more drivers failing to meet the requirement. It also reflects a significant change in how the requirement is being enforced.
Certain no-CDL and invalid-CDL violations are also running somewhat ahead of last year’s pace. Hours-of-service compliance remains part of the broader enforcement picture as well, with recent state operations specifically targeting HOS violations alongside driver qualifications and vehicle safety.
Taken together, the numbers point less to a broad surge in inspections and more to a change in what enforcement looks like once a driver or vehicle comes under scrutiny.
What This Means for Motor Carriers
The numbers don’t support the idea that motor carriers are suddenly facing dramatically more roadside inspections nationwide. But they do support something we’ve been hearing from carriers: enforcement feels different.
Inspections are resulting in more violations and out-of-service findings, driver OOS rates are at a five-year high, and state and federal agencies are conducting highly visible operations that target specific drivers, vehicles, and compliance issues.
That makes now a good time to make sure drivers and vehicles are inspection-ready before they leave the yard. Verify CDL status and endorsements, medical qualifications, driver qualification files, hours-of-service records, English-language proficiency requirements, and vehicle condition before an inspector finds a problem for you.
While none of these requirements are new, more attention is being paid to them. And with more inspections resulting in violations and out-of-service findings, carriers have less room to assume a compliance gap will go unnoticed.
If you have questions about your compliance program or want help identifying potential gaps before they become roadside violations, contact US Compliance Services to speak with a compliance specialist.
