BALTIMORE The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has decided to wait until early next summer before deciding if it will support or oppose a wireless inspection plan being put together by federal regulators for commercial buses and trucks.

Board members voted to postpone any action on the program until after the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration completes a needs assessment it is conducting as part of the run-up to testing the "no-stop" inspection program.

The study, which will review the technical options currently available, how well they would work in the field and their cost, is expected to be completed in June.

The move by the CVSA to hold off on a decision came at the organizations annual conference last month where the board had hoped to settle the differences between two of its committees that have opposing views of the inspection program. (See July 1 Bus & Motorcoach News.)

The Intelligent Transportation Systems Committee, which is led by law enforcement authorities, had urged the board to support the wireless inspection program, saying it would improve roadway safety, protect the highway infrastructure, maintain road fund revenue, and create a more level playing field for the motor carrier industry.

However, the Associate Advisory Committee, which is headed by truckers, opposes the wireless program, contending it would create new problems for truckers and be costly for states because they would have to install back office electronic equipment.

"The board decided to wait until after the needs study is finished before making any decision on this issue," said Steve Keppler, interim executive director of CVSA.

The FMCSA, which is conducting the needs study in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, is planning to begin testing wireless inspections early next year, with carriers in Kentucky, Tennessee and New York, before starting a broader pilot program in 2012.

Although the wireless inspection program would provide much of the same information obtained during physical roadside examinations, federal regulators say they would not replace them. Physical inspections still would be needed because the wireless technology could not detect some vehicle safety issues such as cracked brake lines, leaking hoses or worn tires.

In the testing phase that will begin next year, inspectors plan to use devices that will allow them to quickly identify vehicles equipped with special electronic decals as they are driven past highway inspection stations. The inspectors then would be able to immediately obtain a variety of critical information about the vehicles and drivers, including hours of service, safety violations, and tax-and-fee data.