State police agencies in New York, Nevada and Arizona have placed 48 drivers and 159 commercial vehicles out of service during recent commercial-vehicle enforcement sweeps, according to FreightWaves. The actions ranged from a bridge-strike prevention campaign along the New York State Thruway to increased roadside inspections in Nevada following a rise in commercial vehicle crashes and targeted enforcement against truckers in Arizona, FreightWaves reported.
New York: 348 inspections, 126 vehicles sidelined
New York State Police said Tuesday that its Troop T Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit conducted 348 commercial vehicle inspections during the state's "Check Your Height, Know It's Right" campaign at the end of July, according to FreightWaves. The initiative was aimed at reducing bridge and overpass strikes involving commercial vehicles through enforcement and driver education. Of the 348 vehicles inspected, 126 were immediately placed out of service for safety-related violations.
Troopers issued 966 violations, including five involving over-height vehicles, and 189 uniform traffic tickets for offenses including speeding, seat belt and restraint violations, cellphone use and registration and license issues, FreightWaves reported. State police said more than 375 bridge strikes have occurred on the system during the past five years. The agency said recent incidents involving over-height commercial vehicles in downstate New York and Western New York highlight the importance of drivers knowing their equipment's height and planning routes around low-clearance structures.
Nevada: 102 inspections over two weeks
Nevada State Police Highway Patrol intensified commercial vehicle inspections following what the agency described as a recent increase in crashes involving commercial vehicles around U.S. 50 and U.S. 395, FreightWaves reported, citing Carson Now. During a two-week enforcement period, inspectors:
- Conducted 102 roadside inspections
- Documented 286 violations
- Placed 45 drivers out of service
- Placed 33 commercial vehicles out of service
Violations involved driver documentation, equipment and mechanical condition, motor carrier operating authority and drivers' daily logbooks.
Arizona: False logbooks and left-lane violations
Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers conducted two smaller targeted enforcement actions involving commercial drivers, according to FreightWaves. On July 31, troopers found three commercial drivers parked near Arizona State Route 202 and Elliot Road despite more than six posted "No Parking" signs. Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit troopers contacted the drivers and discovered that all three had false logbooks. The drivers were cited and placed out of service.
Five days later, Arizona Highway Patrol troopers conducted a targeted traffic enforcement detail along Interstate 10 in an active construction zone between Phoenix and Tucson. Troopers took enforcement action against five commercial vehicles for violating a posted requirement that commercial trucks remain in the right lane. Each of the trucks was observed traveling in the left lane for distances ranging from 1.5 miles to more than 4 miles, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The agency said the violations caused traffic to slow and bunch behind the trucks, followed by unsafe accelerations after the commercial vehicles returned to the right lane.
Reported enforcement totals
| State | Roadside/CMV inspections | Documented violations | Vehicles out of service | Drivers out of service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 348 | 966 | 126 | Not reported |
| Nevada | 102 | 286 | 33 | 45 |
| Arizona | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 3 |
| Total reported | 450 | 1,252 | 159 | 48 |
The combined figures, reported by FreightWaves, show the total number of drivers and vehicles sidelined across the three enforcement efforts based on data each agency released.
Operational implications for freight operators
For logistics managers and freight forwarders, the enforcement wave sidelines 159 vehicles and 48 drivers out of service in New York, Nevada and Arizona, leaving that equipment and those operators unavailable for freight moves, according to FreightWaves. The violations that triggered the out-of-service orders — false logbooks, driver documentation issues, mechanical defects and over-height loads — are categories carriers can audit in their own fleets.
Freight operators moving freight through New York, Nevada and Arizona should verify driver daily logbooks, confirm vehicle height and route planning around low-clearance bridges, and enforce right-lane compliance on highways, because state agencies in all three states are actively targeting those behaviors, FreightWaves reported. The New York campaign combined enforcement with driver education, and state police said more than 375 bridge strikes have occurred on the system during the past five years.
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