Truck enforcement operations across the United States and Canada sidelined 30 drivers and 49 vehicles in recent sweeps, according to FreightWaves, tightening available truck capacity on corridors from Interstate 10 in Arizona to British Columbia's Delta port area.
Commercial vehicle enforcement agencies are stepping up roadside inspections and targeted operations, placing dozens of truck drivers and vehicles out of service for violations, FreightWaves reported. Recent enforcement actions in Arizona, Nebraska, New York, British Columbia and Saskatchewan resulted in hundreds of violations, along with citations and out-of-service orders. The violations ranged from equipment defects and licensing problems to illegally transporting hazardous materials.
Arizona: 280 violations in 67 I-10 inspections
Arizona authorities placed 20 commercial drivers and 15 vehicles out of service during a two-day enforcement detail along Interstate 10 between Tucson and Benson, according to FreightWaves. Law enforcement agencies conducted 67 commercial vehicle inspections July 29-30 in an I-10 construction zone, uncovering 280 driver/vehicle examination report violations.
- 19 seat belt citations
- 16 hazardous moving citations
- 9 citations for cellphone use
- 3 wide loads operating without permits
Nebraska: two operations sideline 10 drivers and 19 vehicles
Nebraska authorities conducted two recent commercial vehicle enforcement operations that collectively placed 10 drivers and 19 vehicles out of service, FreightWaves reported. On July 23 in Platte County, the Nebraska State Patrol's Carrier Enforcement Division inspected 35 commercial vehicles, 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, while awarding 19 Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) decals to trucks with no immediate safety issues.
The Metropolitan Aggressive and Prevention Selective (MAPS) Team, a federally funded program, focuses partly on commercial vehicles that may not regularly pass through weigh stations, checking compliance with regulations covering weight, size, registration, dyed fuel and permits.
A separate Nebraska operation on July 30 stopped 63 trucks and conducted 32 full inspections, finding 50 violations. That 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: toll evasion, bridge strikes and unsafe trucks
New York State Police conducted separate commercial vehicle operations targeting unsafe trucks, toll evasion and bridge strikes, according to FreightWaves. At the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, authorities conducted 33 inspections during a Saturday enforcement detail 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.
A separate 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 the 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: 46% of inspected trucks out of service
Commercial vehicle inspectors in British Columbia placed 11 of 24 inspected trucks out of service during a multiagency operation in Delta, FreightWaves reported. The Delta Police Department's Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit ran the initiative as 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 — about 46% of inspected vehicles were placed out of service.
Enforcement snapshot
| Operation | Inspections | Violations | Drivers OOS | Vehicles OOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona I-10, July 29-30 | 67 | 280 | 20 | 15 |
| Nebraska Platte County, July 23 | 35 | 151 | 3 | 14 |
| Nebraska checkpoint, July 30 | 32 full inspections | 50 | 7 | 5 |
| New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge | 33 | 118 non-OOS | Not stated | More than 6 |
| New York Long Island Bridge Hit campaign | 48 | 67 traffic tickets | Not stated | 4 |
| British Columbia Delta | 24 | 116 | Not stated | 11 |
"OOS" stands for out of service. Per the FreightWaves headline, the combined sweeps sidelined 30 drivers and 49 vehicles across the U.S. and Canada.
What this means for shippers and operators
The operations come amid heightened scrutiny of commercial vehicle safety and driver qualifications across North America, FreightWaves reported. Out-of-service orders in Arizona, Nebraska, New York and British Columbia were tied to equipment defects, licensing problems, seat belt and cellphone use, and hazardous materials transport — all areas covered by federal motor carrier safety regulations and state law.
The Nebraska MAPS Team's focus on commercial vehicles that may not regularly pass through weigh stations is a direct signal that enforcement is expanding beyond traditional inspection points, FreightWaves reported. For logistics managers routing freight through the affected corridors, the immediate takeaway is that inspection activity is active and broad, spanning I-10 between Tucson and Benson, Nebraska highways, the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and Long Island, and the Delta area in British Columbia.
Watch list
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's Operation Safe Driver Week continues to shape multiagency enforcement, as demonstrated by the British Columbia operation in Delta, according to FreightWaves. The same report cited Saskatchewan among recent enforcement actions, though no specific figures were provided.
Sources:
