Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Nov. 15, 2024:
14.6% of hazmat haulers found in violation during unannounced inspection effort
Over five days this summer, commercial vehicle inspectors conducted an unannounced hazardous materials/dangerous goods (HM/DG) inspection blitz, during which nearly 4,000 trucks were inspected and nearly 600 were found to have HM/DG violations.
According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, inspectors affixed 1,009 CVSA decals during the HM/DG Road Blitz, indicating no violations discovered, yet inspectors found HM/DG violations on another 576 of the vehicles inspected. Vehicles with out-of-service HM/DG violations were removed from roadways until those violations were corrected.
[Related: Roadcheck finds U.S. vehicle violations slightly higher than North American average]
In the 45 participating jurisdictions in this year’s unannounced HM/DG Road Blitz, which was June 10-14, inspectors conducted 3,929 inspections. A total of 4,095 packages were inspected; specifically, 1,488 non-bulk packages/small means of containment, 2,218 bulk cargo tank packages/large means of containment and 389 other bulk packages/other large means of containment.
Shipping paper violations accounted for the largest number of violations in the U.S. with 108, followed by loading and securement violations at 72.
Accounting for all jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada, there were 116 out-of-service loading and securement violations. Loading and securement requirements prevent cargo/goods/materials from moving in a manner that would cause damage to the package resulting in leaking, spilling, etc., in a commercial motor vehicle. This is especially important when it comes to the transportation of HM/DG, CVSA noted. Nineteen packages were cited for HM/DG package integrity (leaking) violations.
Inspections and violations during the 2024 HM/DG blitz were down considerably from the 2023 blitz, during which more than 7,500 vehicles were inspected and 2,578 violations were found, 701 of which were out-of-service violations.
[Related: FMCSA's first-ever general-freight-broker enforcement blitz under way]
Local Texas blitz puts 43% of trucks inspected OOS
Police in a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb recently held a commercial vehicle inspection blitz within its jurisdiction and placed 43% of trucks inspected out of service.
On Oct. 30th, the Lewisville, Texas, Police Department held a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) operation at Railroad Park. During the six-hour operation, officers conducted 39 Level 1 inspections and one Level 2 inspection. Officers issued 182 warnings and nine citations. They also issued 25 total out-of-service violations, putting 17 trucks out of service.
Lewisville PD said its CVE operations aren’t “about issuing citations -- it’s about ensuring that commercial vehicles are safe and compliant, so everyone on the road stays protected.
"From verifying that vehicles meet size and weight limitations to ensuring drivers are following proper hours of service and equipment is up to safety standards, CVE teams focus on preventing accidents and promoting safer roadways for all.”
[Related: Brake inspection blitz: 2024 results show 12% out-of-service rate]
Sheetz opens 50th truck-friendly location
Mid-Atlantic convenience store chain Sheetz announced this week the opening of its 50th truck-friendly location in North Dinwiddie, Virginia.
The store includes five lanes that offer high flow diesel fuel and DEF for semi-trucks. This new location can be easily accessed by truck drivers from I-85.
Driver named Highway Angel for helping motorist who crashed into ditch
Clifford Newa, a truck driver for ABF Freight, has been named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association for stopping to help and rescue a woman who crashed her vehicle into a ditch in the middle of the night.
On Oct. 20 around 3:15 a.m., Newa was traveling on I-40 in Cromwell, Oklahoma, when he noticed a car in the ditch with its hazard lights on. As he approached, he noticed the lights were flashing upside down.
“A woman passed me in a black BMW and several minutes later it’s upside down in a ditch,” Newa said. “I was the first one there, so I pulled over.”
A retired Air Force Master Sergeant with 20 years of military service, as well as a volunteer firefighter, Newa has extensive medical training for emergencies such as this one. Much to his surprise, when he got to the crashed vehicle, he found the motorist was alive and on the phone with her mother.
“There was not a scratch on this lady,” he said.
She had not called 911, so Newa went ahead and called. He then took off his jacket to give to the motorist due to the cool temperatures outside, since she wasn’t dressed for the cold. Then, he got her to stand up so he could evaluate any injuries, but he found none. He stayed with the motorist, who admitted she had fallen asleep at the wheel, until the emergency personnel arrived.
“I was taught to help people,” Newa said. “With 20 years in the military, it doesn’t matter where you’re at or what situation you have, I was raised to help people.”
[Related: Goodyear Highway Hero nomination period now open | Optimistic for a freight turnaround?]
