Trucking news and briefs for Friday, May 8, 2026:
- Quick inspection blitz nets big results.
- Watch out for suspected organized cargo theft ring in Arizona.
- Three New York Thruway welcome centers closing overnight, but parking still available.
Four-hour inspection blitz nets 153 violations, and 15 trucks, 10 drivers OOS
Last week on Wednesday, April 29, commercial vehicle inspectors in Wyoming and Utah teamed up for a four-hour inspection blitz that resulted in more than 150 violations and numerous out-of-service orders.
Wyoming Highway Patrol reported its officers joined Utah Highway Patrol and U.S. Department of Transportation agents in a “saturation detail” for four hours along I-80 at the border between the two states.
Officers were looking for safety violations and trucks that were skipping the Evanston and Echo ports of entry, resulting in inspections of 34 trucks, with 153 violations found. Fifteen trucks and 10 drivers were placed out-of-service.
“In one case inspectors found a cracked frame on a trailer loaded with construction supplies,” WHP said.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's annual Roadcheck 2026 inspection and outreach event is next week, May 12-14, with a vehicle focus on load securement and driver focus on electronic-logging-device tampering. CVSA introduced a new violation code, 395.8(e)(2), for false logs that are the result of backend manipulation, a part of its out-of-service criteria as of April 1 this year.
[Related: Roadcheck 2026: The toughest states for hours of service]
Arizona sheriff warns of truck, train heists
Yavapai County (Arizona) Sheriff's deputies have responded to a string of high-tech cargo burglaries following two separate but similar incidents involving professional theft rings, the sheriff’s office reported on May 6.
YCSO, in collaboration with federal agencies, is currently working to identify suspects linked to an organized criminal network.
The first incident occurred in Ash Fork on Tuesday, April 14. A tractor-trailer transporting a high-value load of tech products from California made a stop at a truck stop off I-40. Detectives discovered that a pair of Sprinter-style vans followed the truck into the parking lot. Then, in a highly coordinated move, the suspects waited for the truck driving team to enter the store before breaching the trailer doors.
In just 11 minutes, the thieves transferred four pallets into the waiting vans. The stolen merchandise is valued between $150,000 and $175,000.
YCSO detectives learned that two sprinter vans, one gray and one white, were involved in the heist, and the driver of the white van was identified as a Hispanic male.
The second heist occurred at approximately 5 a.m. on April 20. Authorities responded to a call from BNSF Railway regarding a burglarized railcar. In this instance, the suspects organized a sophisticated and planned attack on the train, YCSO said.
An investigation determined that the tactics used in both the truck burglary and the railcar burglary resemble the operations of an illegal criminal alien organization based out of Southern California.
Investigations into the thefts remain active and ongoing, YCSO added. The sheriff's office is asking the public and members of the trucking community to remain vigilant.
Anyone with information regarding Sprinter-style vans operating without license plates, or who's observed suspicious activity near I-40 truck stops or rail lines, is asked to get in touch with local law enforcement.
[Related: Cargo theft proliferation ups the ante on truckers' prevention]
New York State Thruway welcome centers closing overnight
As of May 4, three welcome centers operated by the New York State Thruway Authority will no longer be open 24 hours and will close overnight.
The new hours for the three locations are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Food service and restrooms will not be available overnight but parking will remain open. The three affected locations:
- Capital Region Welcome Center (I-87 North, between exits 21B and 21A). The New Baltimore Service Area located on the other side of the Thruway is open 24/7/365.
- Mohawk Valley Welcome Center (I-90 West, between exits 28 and 29). The Iroquois Service Area located approximately 22 miles to the west is open 24/7/365.
- Western New York Welcome Center (off I-190, exit 19). The Pembroke Service Area (37 miles to the east) and Angola Service Area (38 miles to the west) are open 24/7/365.
All 27 Thruway Service Areas will remain open 24 hours a day, year-round.
