Truck enforcement sweeps sideline 30 drivers, 49 vehicles across US, Canada

Law enforcement agencies conducted 67 commercial vehicle inspections July 29-30 in an I-10 construction zone, uncovering 280 driver/vehicle examination report violations.

Authorities also issued 19 seat belt citations, 16 hazardous moving citations and nine citations for cellphone use. Three wide loads were found operating without permits.

Nebraska inspections sideline drivers and trucks

Nebraska authorities conducted two recent commercial vehicle enforcement operations that collectively placed 10 drivers and 19 vehicles out of service.

The Nebraska State Patrol’s Carrier Enforcement Division inspected 35 commercial vehicles July 23 in Platte County, discovering 151 violations of federal motor carrier safety regulations and state law.

Troopers placed 14 vehicles and three drivers out of service and issued 16 citations. Inspectors also awarded 19 Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance decals to trucks that had no immediate safety issues.

The Metropolitan Aggressive and Prevention Selective, or MAPS, Team focuses partly on commercial vehicles that may not regularly pass through weigh stations. The federally funded program checks compliance with regulations covering weight, size, registration, dyed fuel and permits.

A separate Nebraska operation July 30 stopped 63 trucks and conducted 32 full inspections, finding 50 violations.

The checkpoint resulted in seven drivers and five vehicles being placed out of service. Officers also found six commercial driver’s license violations, four seat belt violations, two drug or alcohol violations and one license suspension.

New York targets toll evasion and bridge strikes

New York State Police recently conducted separate commercial vehicle operations targeting unsafe trucks, toll evasion and bridge strikes.

During an enforcement detail on Saturday at the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, state authorities conducted 33 inspections during the operation and placed more than a half-dozen vehicles out of service for safety violations. 

Inspectors also documented 118 non-out-of-service violations involving equipment, permits and registrations.

Another New York enforcement campaign focused specifically on preventing commercial trucks from striking bridges and overpasses.

State police conducted the Bridge Hit Mitigation Enforcement Campaign July 26-30 in partnership with the New York State Department of Transportation and Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.

Troopers conducted 48 commercial vehicle inspections on Long Island, placing four vehicles out of service and issuing 67 traffic tickets.

British Columbia operation puts nearly half of inspected trucks out of service

Commercial vehicle inspectors in British Columbia placed 11 of 24 inspected trucks out of service during a multiagency enforcement operation in Delta.

The Delta Police Department’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit’s initiative was part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Operation Safe Driver Week, which targets risky driving behaviors such as speeding and distracted driving.

Officers conducted 24 inspections, documenting 116 violations and issuing 33 tickets. Eleven vehicles — about 46% of those inspected — were placed out of service.

Violations included distracted driving, speeding, seat belt infractions, insecure cargo, overweight vehicles and defective brakes.

Inspectors said one semi-truck had a severely damaged steering tire and defective brakes that had not been identified during the driver’s required pre-trip inspection.

Saskatchewan truck caught hauling 24,000 kilograms of corrosive liquids

A commercial vehicle inspection in Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Canada, uncovered a truck illegally transporting 24,000 kilograms — nearly 53,000 pounds — of corrosive liquids.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Traffic Services stopped the semi-truck on Highway 13 near Ponteix in July.

An investigation with the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol found that the British Columbia-based trucking company was not permitted to transport dangerous goods and that the driver wasn’t trained or certified to operate a vehicle carrying dangerous goods.

Authorities also said the truck did not display a placard identifying the dangerous cargo.

The driver was charged with obstruction of a peace officer and received multiple commercial vehicle-related violations.

Recent commercial vehicle enforcement actions

Why it matters: The latest enforcement actions show commercial vehicle regulators across the U.S. and Canada intensifying scrutiny of truck and driver safety, with inspections increasingly targeting driver qualifications and operating practices alongside traditional equipment violations.