Log book inspections put 366 drivers out of service

Updated Dec 21, 2012

Inspection OdLast week’s concentrated inspections of commercial truck drivers’ log books at four locations on Oregon’s portion of Interstate 5 placed 26 percent of inspected drivers out of service, according to preliminary figures from the Oregon Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Division. ODOT placed 256 drivers out of service between July 9 and 14 in log book checks at Ashland, Woodburn and Booth Ranch, which is just south of Roseburg. During the same period, 82 vehicle-focused inspections were conducted that resulted in 54 commercial motor vehicles being placed out of service.

Officers from the Phoenix Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Marion County Sheriff’s Office also joined this enforcement exercise. These agencies performed inspections while providing traffic enforcement.

For the first time, Oregon and Washington State carefully coordinated efforts to jointly conduct this expansive hours-of-service operation. The Washington State Patrol also brought its I-5 scales on line for this event. All week long, Oregon and Washington inspectors worked together sharing data to identify potentially fatigued truck drivers traveling through both states. Of the 862 inspections performed by Washington inspectors along their portion of I-5, 110 drivers were placed out of service. This partnership will continue into the future.

Placing a driver out of service means he or she cannot drive until taking a mandatory rest break or correcting other driver-related safety violations. Vehicles placed out of service cannot operate until all mechanical out-of-service defects are cured.

ODOT places special emphasis on commercial vehicle driver inspections and log book checks. ODOT has been aggressively targeting unsafe commercial vehicles and drivers with enhanced enforcement and education initiatives for the past several years.

As an adjunct to this operation, Oregon and Washington both held Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT) exercises along I-5. Oregon’s TACT operation took place in the Tigard area. The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office patrolled this stretch of I-5 and issued warnings and tickets to car and truck operators driving aggressively and violating traffic laws.

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Oregon’s commercial vehicle safety inspections are not random. Using several sorting tools, including weigh-station records, safety records and information in national databases, ODOT can scrutinize the vehicle and driver.

For more information about ODOT Motor Carrier’s safety efforts visit http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/MCT.