The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual 72-hour International Roadcheck inspection blitz kicked off Tuesday across North America.
Overdrive spent some time with the Mississippi Department of Transportation at the westbound Kewanee weigh station on I-20/59 as Roadcheck 2016 kicked off Tuesday morning.
Capt. Matthew Lott, who supervises the Kewanee station, said MDOT will inspect more trucks during the three days of Roadcheck than during a normal week. But the outfit generally sees fewer violations in the week, Lott says, as carriers and drivers prepare for the inspection blitz. Lott added the weigh station adjusted its PrePass and Drivewyze weigh station bypass systems to require 100 percent of trucks to come into the scales during the three days of Roadcheck, so more trucks could be seen and inspected if necessary.
“Roadcheck does what it’s supposed to do,” Lott said. “The companies prepare for it to avoid violations, which makes the roads safer.”
Overdrive‘s time with MDOT is detailed in the photos below:
A steady line of trucks came through the Mississippi DOT’s weigh station on I-20/59 westbound in Kewanee on Tuesday morning to kick off the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s 2016 Roadcheck inspection blitz.
Capt. Matthew Lott keeps an eye on the monitor that provides information about the trucks crossing the scales. This particular weigh station has thermal imaging that can detect if a truck’s tires are underinflated, which would give off a higher heat signature. Mississippi DOT’s computer system also reads the license plates and DOT numbers of the trucks before they hit the scales, allowing officers to see any previous inspection data, out-of-service data and more about the truck and driver.
Sgt. Joseph Haralson begins a Level I inspection during CVSA’s annual Roadcheck. The driver was randomly selected, in part for having a high Inspection Selection System safety score, which is shown to DOT officers as trucks roll through the scales.
Tire safety is the focal point of Roadcheck 2016, and Haralson checks all tires for tread depth and other possible infractions and all wheels to make sure lugnuts are tight.
Haralson guides a driver into the inspection barn for the second part of the Level I inspection. In the barn, Haralson will be able to go under the truck to inspect the truck’s brakes.
Haralson goes through the process of checking brake lines on the truck and trailer from underneath. This process is done while the brakes are not engaged, then again with the brakes active.
Haralson instructs U.S. Xpress driver Antonio Johnson on the next step in the Level I inspection process. The truck inspection has been completed at this point, and Haralson will now review Johnson’s logs, paperwork, license, medical card and more to fully complete the inspection.
Melanie Whatley conducts a Level II inspection on a truck during CVSA’s Roadcheck. The truck was randomly selected for an inspection from trucks passing through the scales.
Mississippi DOT has its PrePass and Drivewyze bypass systems set so that 100 percent of trucks have to come through the scales during Roadcheck.
