Truck safety blitzes uncover hundreds of violations across US 

The operation, part of the Arrive Alive Arizona commercial vehicle enforcement initiative, also resulted in 80 Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance decals being issued to trucks that met inspection requirements.

The Arizona enforcement effort was among several commercial vehicle safety operations conducted or reported in October across Arizona, California, North Dakota and Kentucky.

North Dakota inspectors uncover 494 violations

Federal, state and local authorities identified 494 violations during a commercial vehicle safety operation in Williston, North Dakota, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

FMCSA reported the results Oct. 8, saying inspectors conducted 109 commercial vehicle inspections, including 20 hazardous materials checks.

The inspections uncovered 122 out-of-service violations and resulted in 47 enforcement actions, including 27 citations and 20 warnings.

The agency did not specify how many individual drivers or vehicles were placed out of service, and the 122 out-of-service violations should not be interpreted as the number of trucks or drivers removed from service.

Enforcement results at a glance

The table separates out-of-service violations from the actual number of drivers and vehicles removed from service.

Arizona troopers find truck with inoperative brakes

In a separate Arizona enforcement action Oct. 8, a state trooper stopped a commercial truck on Interstate 10 near Bapchule after receiving reports that the vehicle was speeding, nearly striking other vehicles and failing to maintain its lane.

The inspection uncovered extensive mechanical defects, including seven broken trailer crossmembers, approximately five feet of damaged lower rail, severed electrical wiring and improperly connected air lines.

Authorities said all of the trailer’s brakes were inoperative because of a severed air line. The driver also lacked a required logbook.

The driver and semitrailer were placed out of service.

In another Arizona case, a trooper stopped a commercial vehicle in the Phoenix area Sept. 29 after observing a missing mud flap and a driver who was not wearing a seat belt.

During the inspection, the trooper discovered that the driver’s logbook incorrectly showed him in sleeper-berth status while operating the truck.

Authorities also determined the driver did not possess a valid commercial driver’s license and was prohibited from operating a commercial vehicle after failing a previous drug test.

The driver was cited and placed out of service.

Arizona authorities also targeted commercial trucks violating lane restrictions along Interstate 10 in Pinal County on Oct. 8.

Troopers took enforcement action against five commercial vehicles traveling in the left lane of an active construction zone between Phoenix and Tucson, where trucks were required to remain in the right lane.

According to DPS, the trucks traveled in the restricted lane for distances ranging from 1.5 miles to more than four miles, disrupting traffic flow through the construction zone.

California enforcement sidelines 41 drivers and vehicles

California Highway Patrol officers conducted a commercial vehicle safety operation in the Newhall area Oct. 13, issuing 279 citations for violations that included mechanical defects, improper lane use, speeding and unauthorized freeway stops.

The operation resulted in 28 commercial vehicles and 13 drivers being placed out of service.

In Garden Grove, California, police conducted a separate commercial vehicle enforcement checkpoint Oct. 13.

Officers completed 90 inspections, identified 90 violations and issued 55 citations.

Nine vehicles were placed out of service, and eight were towed, according to the Garden Grove Police Department.

Meanwhile, CHP officers in Merced County conducted a coordinated commercial vehicle enforcement operation Oct. 8 following complaints about trucks speeding, traveling in improper lanes and making unsafe lane changes.

The operation involved CHP’s Merced Area office, the Chowchilla River Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility and the agency’s Central Division Mobile Road Enforcement team.

Authorities did not release inspection totals or citation figures for the Merced operation.

In another enforcement action, CHP officers cited a commercial truck driver Oct. 2 after observing a tractor-trailer traveling 71 mph northbound on U.S. Highway 101 near Bailard Avenue in Santa Barbara County.

Kentucky reports 612 commercial vehicle violations

The Kentucky State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement East Region reported conducting 1,030 commercial motor vehicle inspections during September across its 25-county jurisdiction.

According to results released Oct. 17, the inspections uncovered 612 violations and resulted in 79 vehicles being placed out of service.

The agency also conducted 119 hazardous materials inspections during the month.

Kentucky State Police said vehicles placed out of service must have identified safety defects corrected before returning to the road.

The enforcement findings nevertheless highlight the importance of vehicle maintenance, driver qualification checks and compliance with federal and state commercial vehicle safety regulations.

Why it matters: The findings highlight safety and compliance risks facing trucking companies, including mechanical defects, driver disqualifications and traffic violations.