Checks of Texas trucks and buses begin Tuesday

Checks of Texas trucks and buses begin Tuesday

Associated Press
June 6, 2011, 10:24AM

AUSTIN — Texas is taking part in Roadcheck 2011 to make sure commercial truckers are driving safely and passenger buses are being operated properly.

The Department of Public Safety says the safety checks begin Tuesday and run through Thursday.

DPS during Roadcheck 2010 inspected 6,906 commercial vehicles, taking 25 percent out of service due to serious safety violations. Troopers placed 160 of the drivers out of service for violations such as improper log books or having suspended, expired or canceled licenses.

The Roadcheck 2011 program also involves Mexico and Canada.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/car ... z1OWULlCgh

The Department of Public Safety says the safety checks begin Tuesday and run through Thursday.

Does that mean that the only safety checks will be those 3 days??

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Originally Posted by FreeRideIsOver

The Department of Public Safety says the safety checks begin Tuesday and run through Thursday.

Does that mean that the only safety checks will be those 3 days??

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No. Safety checks are done 365 days a year all over the country. When you drive by a truck weigh station look in at the trucks being inspected by state law enforcement or DOT inspectors.

Go to this link and click on any state for more info:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/webstate.htm

State Transportation Web Sites
•Alabama ◦Department of Transportation

•Alaska ◦Department of Transportation

•Arizona ◦Department of Transportation

•Arkansas ◦Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD)

•California ◦Department of Transportation
◦PATH: Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways
◦Division of Traffic Operations
◦Mass Transportation Program

•Colorado ◦Department of Transportation

•Connecticut ◦Department of Transportation

•Delaware ◦Department of Transportation

•District of Columbia ◦Department of Tranpsortation

•Florida ◦Department of Transportation
◦Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

•Georgia ◦Department of Transportation

•Hawaii ◦Department of Transportation
◦Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization

•Idaho ◦Idaho Transportation Department
◦Idaho State Police MCSAP Video Online

•Illinois ◦Department of Transportation
◦State Government Agencies

•Indiana ◦Department of Transportation

•Iowa ◦Department of Transportation
◦Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau

•Kansas ◦Department of Transportation

•Kentucky ◦Transportation Cabinet

•Louisiana ◦Department of Transportation & Development

•Maine ◦Department of Transportation

•Maryland ◦Department of Transportation
◦State Highway Administration

•Massachusetts ◦Executive Office of Transportation and Construction
◦Highway Department

•Michigan ◦Department of Transportation

•Minnesota ◦Department of Transportation

•Mississippi ◦Department of Transportation

•Missouri ◦Department of Transportation

•Montana ◦Department of Transportation

•Nebraska ◦Nebraska Department of Roads

•Nevada ◦Department of Transportation

•New Hampshire ◦Department of Transportation

•New Jersey ◦Department of Transportation
◦Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

•New Mexico ◦Highway and Transportation Department

•New York ◦New York State Department of Transportation
◦New York Metropolitan Transportation Council
◦Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
◦Thruway Authority, New York State

•North Carolina ◦Department of Transportation
◦Division of Highways
◦ITRE: UNC Institute for Transportation Research and Education

•North Dakota ◦Department of Transportation

•Ohio ◦Department of Transportation

•Oklahoma ◦Department of Transportation

•Oregon ◦Department of Transportation

•Pennsylvania ◦Department of Transportation
◦Penn State Center For Intelligent Transportation Systems

•Puerto Rico ◦Department of Transportation and Public Works

•Rhode Island ◦Department of Transportation

•South Carolina ◦Department of Transportation

•South Dakota ◦Department of Transportation

•Tennessee ◦Department of Transportation
◦Johnson City MPO

•Texas ◦Center for Transportation Research
◦Department of Transportation
◦Texas Transportation Institute

•Utah ◦Department of Transportation

•Vermont ◦Agency of Transportation

•Virginia ◦Department of Transportation
◦Virginia Tech Transportation Infrastructure & Systems Engineering Division

•Washington ◦Department of Transportation

•West Virginia ◦Department of Transportation

•Wisconsin ◦Department of Transportation

•Wyoming ◦Department of Transportation

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/webstate.htm

http://www.dot.gov/

Good job JohnDoe2. Spoken like a truck driver,.... or a DOT Officer. 8O

In some states, DOT inspections are also done randomly on the side of the road. (Ofcourse this is at the discretion of the local politicians?)

Also, once a year all trucks and trailers and buses are required to have an annual inspection by a certified DOT mechanic. (can you buy a sticker?)

Professionals want their equipment up to snuff (this costs money) as they make no money on the side of the road or paying tow trucks. Their reputation is also on the line. Those that wish to skirt the system, can for the most part,...other than the random checks.

Yet like many other areas of life and law, if there is a law, there is a way around it. Someone will find it.

There are millions(?) of miles of roads. Those that wish to skirt laws, know their runs, know the best times to run, can get around alot without ever (or very seldom) being touched.

Heck, planes are hijacked. Security should start with knowing who is in your country, and who you let in, and what type of reputation or track record they have. (What is the reputation of those south of the border?)

Most drivers know or consider these three day inspection marathons as money makers for the various states. Quotas are in play, and if one wishes to try hard, something can be found in violation, no matter how benign it may appear, or if it even is safety related.

Those that wish to avoid these days can and will.

[/quote]

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Originally Posted by roundabout

Good job JohnDoe2. Spoken like a truck driver,.... or a DOT Officer.

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Trucker, retired

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The Roadcheck 2011 program also involves Mexico and Canada.

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Where will they accumulate their CSA points? :roll:

National Tire Safety Week spotlights tire maintenance

Jun 6, 2011 10:16 AM, By Charles E Wilson

The Department of Transportation (DOT) hopes to put the spotlight on tire safety this week. National Tire Safety Week runs from June 5-11, and coincides with the begining of the heavy summer driving season.

The latest data from DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that over the five-year period from 2005 to 2009, nearly 3,400 people died and an estimated 116,000 were injured in tire-related crashes. "As the weather warms up, it's especially important for drivers to ensure their tires are properly inflated," DOT Secretary Ray LaHood says.

That recommendation is echoed by Doug Jones, customer engineering support manager for Michelin Americas Truck Tires, who adds that tires are one of the most neglected items on a vehicle. "Truck drivers need to play close attention to tire condition under the federal government's new CSA program," he says. "Bad tires could help cost a driver his license."

Jones says drivers need to get up close and personal with the tires on a tractor-trailer rig. During pre-trip inspections, they need to check tires for cuts, exposed wires, irregular wear, and tread depth (minimum of 2/32" on trailer and drive tires and 4/32" on steer tires). Check for nails and other road-hazard damage.

Most importantly, tires must hold the right amount of air. If tire pressure falls lower than 50% of the maximum pressure listed on the sidewall, the vehicle will be placed out of service by roadside inspectors.

http://bulktransporter.com/management/n ... ance-0606/