More trucks, drivers put out of service as commercial vehicle crackdown expands

Troopers completed 96 commercial vehicle inspections and identified 350 violations. The operation resulted in:

• 13 vehicles placed out of service
• 23 drivers placed out of service

Authorities said the most common violations included drivers operating without a commercial driver’s license, missing or falsified logbooks and vehicle equipment defects. One driver also was cited on drug-related charges.

The operation came just days after Arizona DPS cited another hotshot truck driver hauling more than 30,000 pounds without a CDL, medical certificate or properly functioning emergency brakes. The driver and vehicle were placed out of service.

Nebraska troopers uncover 155 violations

In Nebraska, the State Patrol’s Carrier Enforcement Division conducted targeted inspections July 9 in Madison County aimed at commercial vehicles that typically bypass weigh stations.

Troopers inspected 41 trucks and discovered 155 violations of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and state law.

The inspections resulted in:

• 13 vehicles placed out of service
• Two drivers placed out of service
• 22 citations issued
• 27 Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance decals awarded to trucks found free of immediate safety defects

Officials said vehicles were removed from service because of serious safety concerns, including defective brakes, worn tires and other mechanical issues posing an immediate crash risk.

Ontario inspectors sideline more than half the trucks checked

Commercial vehicle inspectors in Ontario, Canada, also reported significant enforcement results during a joint operation involving the Ontario Provincial Police and the Ministry of Transportation in Kirkfield.

Inspectors examined 18 commercial motor vehicles and removed 10 trucks from service while issuing 10 provincial offense notices.

Oklahoma highlights top violations

Rather than focusing on a single enforcement operation, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol recently released data highlighting the most common violations uncovered during thousands of commercial vehicle inspections conducted each year.

Among the top violations identified during June were:

1. Brake adjustment defects (186)
2. Missing required inspection documentation (169)
3. Registration violations (141)
4. Excess axle weight (124)
5. Underinflated or leaking tires (123)
6. Defective brakes (95)
7. Automatic brake adjustment failures (93)
8. Air brake leaks (92)
9. More significant overweight violations (91)
10. Speeding (91)

Why it matters: The latest enforcement actions show regulators across North America are increasingly using roadside inspections to identify unqualified CDL drivers and unsafe commercial vehicles, raising the compliance stakes for motor carriers while reinforcing that licensing, maintenance and documentation violations are receiving heightened scrutiny.