James Trombley of Alberta, Canada, won the North American Inspectors Championship, a contest representing jurisdictions in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Trombley – a Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance-certified North American Standard Level I inspector – won for his combined performances in six competition elements. Fifty-four CVSA inspectors – two from Mexico, seven from Canada and 45 from the United States – competed in the 15th annual championship, held Aug. 20-26 in Minneapolis.
Connecticut state truck inspectors reportedly issued 514 violation notices to 110 trucks pulled over as part of a weeklong crackdown on unsafe truckers. According to Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s office, 38 vehicles and 13 drivers were placed out of service, and inspectors issued fines of $23,730.
Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement Officers rode along with truck drivers for 10 days in September as part of a yearlong effort to crack down on aggressive driving on Interstate 71/75 in Boone and Kenton counties. The ride-alongs were part of a broader program called Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT), which is designed to educate motorists on the importance of leaving adequate space, especially between trucks and passenger vehicles.
During CVSA’s Brake Safety Week Aug. 26-Sept. 1, inspectors and industry participants nationwide conducted enforcement and educational activities on proper commercial vehicle and automobile brake inspections, maintenance and operations.
A recent pilot program in Missouri will help the Transportation Security Administration continue to assess and improve the security status of the nation’s highway and motor carrier systems, the agency announced.
TSA conducted a 12-month Corporate Security Review (CSR) to gather information on security practices, identify threats and vulnerabilities, and promote awareness among motor carriers. In the voluntary review of security practices, TSA trained 40 Missouri Department of Transportation investigators to conduct CSR interviews, in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, MoDOT and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.
“The results will help us prepare a future baseline standard based on a better understanding of threats and vulnerabilities, risks, consequences and security action items,” says William Arrington, general manager of TSA’s Highway & Motor Carrier Programs Office. “Security is everyone’s responsibility, and through partnerships such as the Missouri pilot, collectively we can increase security awareness and reduce the risk of a possible terror attack in the motor carrier industry.”
