The government has re-opened just in time for the Operation Safe Driver inspection blitz. Unlike some other inspection blitzes, this one also targets unsafe driving of four wheelers near large commercial motor vehicles.
This year’s turnout is scheduled to be similar to last year’s which saw 40,000 drivers get stopped by law enforcement officers nationwide. The inspections will be taking place at 1,245 locations in both the United States and Canada. As always, there will be an increased emphasis on cracking down on distracted driving.
According to the program’s website, the stated objective is to “increase commercial vehicle and non-commercial vehicle traffic enforcement; safety belt enforcement; driver roadside inspections; driver regulatory compliance; implementation of commercial driver educational and awareness programs to the motor carrier population; and, awareness to the motoring public about safe operations around commercial motor vehicles.”
The blitz will be running from Sunday the 20th through Saturday the 26th of October.
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JB says
Why should this kind of enforcement only be a week long blitz? Shouldn’t it happen 24/7 365? It changes nothing if safety isn’t enforced and encouraged all the time.
David says
Because safety is only open when it is convenient, and convenient is generally not at night or on the weekends.
Marshal Dillon says
Business as usual, most every trucker is privy to this “money maker” scam under the
guise of traffic safety or some other name of the month.
But it’s their game and the truckers must put up with it and continue to shell out millions
of dollars daily through out the nation and Canada. For the most part it is a tremendous
shill to respectively empty the pockets of hard working truckers so these same authorities
can fund their pet projects.
Bumper stickers “I am a trucker and I vote” I believe this is in order, and do”VOTE” .
Russell Rode says
Exactly… Especially 4wheelers cutting us off ALL THE TIME!!!
Dwkent says
It could be better regulated by not announcing the inspection dates .
Dont advertise how many these inspections will take place.
Public drivers license are issued without any intructions
given regarding the operstion of highway trucks & trailers.
I.e.stopping distances, turning radius’ etc.
gary fancher says
Good thinking on curtailing some of the 4-wheel driving wacko’s…! Since they account for 85% of auto/truck accidents (AAA auto insurers), it is about time for some attention…Than……maybe a pre., post inspection, drug test, EBOR’s, limited driving hours, (daily, weekly, monthly) ……etc., etc….!
Justin says
It should be called a week long revenue blitz as it has little to do with actual safety and much to do with increasing revenue.
wonderkins says
Couldn’t they just be honest? It has to be about the money. They lost a lot of state funds during the shut down. What better way to make it back?
frenchy says
Of course it is about money, the same way truck drivers are speeding, cheating on their log or being aggressive. They do that because of money too.
Safety is not a Value for a lot of people on the road. It unfortunatly becomes one when one of your loved one dies in an traffic accident.
Like JB said , it should be a 24/7/365 enforcement
bob bob says
Unfortunately the rules are made bye people who don’t understand what it is like to earn a living as an otr driver. The laws they pass have more to do with generating revenue than promoting safety
Outlaw says
You hit the nail on the head bob bob!
toolboy200 says
3rd that.
frenchy says
Yeah, agree but you have to admit too that trucks drivers are breaking those rules too to generate more revenue.
Funny that everybody complains about the fmcsa but nobody complains about their own rate per mile. Like if companies cannot be asked for a raise to keep a decent living. No! It has to be about the governement’s fault.
By the way, this blitz is not about logs, it is about driving safely. So while everybody complains that 4wheelers are responsible for 80% of trucks accidents. We should be happy to hear the MAN is about to check and enforce safety around trucks.
Robert says
Any fool who thinks this is about safety and not money ,is only fooling himself.This has nothing to do with safety and all to do with $$$$ and intimidation.
Don says
Why should the truck driver always bare the expands. It would be more beneficial if the law would target all drivers of all motor vehicles. The cars are still texting, talking on phones with no hands free device. The cars are still tailgating, cutting people off jumping in and out of lanes in the construction zones cutting through medians, driving down the shoulders just to get at the front of the line so they don’t have to wait. Where is the justice in just picking on commercial drivers. This should also apply to the commercial buses and trucks of any company. If the government would spend more money repairing the crappy road and chasing real criminals the industry would be just fine. I do not imply that its not needed just get all the people who break the law and quit targeting the commercial drivers. The police even drive down the road talking on cell phones with out a hands free device. Because they are the law do they think they are above the law. No they are not so do the right thing and fix the in house problems first. On several occasions I have had an officer of the law cut me off coming through the median with no emergency lights on and almost cause a wreck. But they are not accountable for there actions which they are imposing.
curtis says
why don’t they govern the 4 whellers at something under than 125 MPH its a no brainer.
dj says
how about paying attention to constuctions zones says 45 miles an hour but four wheelers still going regular speed, still cutting off big trucks, and paying attention to construckion workers who place cones out to far or walk out side of safy zones. But you hit them its your fault? you see how much room they give you ,just hit the side of bridge or run off berm you would be better off.
Jason says
I am one of those guys on the side of the freeway, after 10 years OTR driving, and it is frustrating for us as well. Nobody likes to work with cars and trucks buzzing by your head three feet away either. Not soon after I started some young lady hit me and broke my wrist as I was putting out cones closing a lane. She got out of any charges, and it was my fault because I didn’t have a reflective vest on in the middle of the day. I am not even going to get into the elderly people who just drive right over and cones or barricades and just barrel right through the middle of our jobsite
tgtrotter says
Yeah I got a problem with some construction zones too. When approaching be prepared for the average wheel jockey to slam on their brakes and jump out of lane last minute. The cop sitting in their car idling and doing nothing. And yes the cones and lighting….all I can say is drive for the conditions. Sometimes the posted speed is too fast.
Tommy A says
One of the best ways for CMV drivers to “fight back” is to gear up in advance for total compliance with all the inspection criteria. O/Os & lease drivers double check your rigs for any little detail that could get tagged. Make sure your logs (paper) are right, daily ! If the return on the investment (the blitz) is a very low yield, they may want to re-think their focus on trucks & truckers, and aim it at the real culprits of highway safety violation; four wheelers. Let’s stop just talkin’ the talk, and start walkin’ the walk. We’re truckers !! Let’s show ’em how it’s done !
NV TruckerGirl says
You could be totally free of ANY violations and they WILL find something to write you up for if they want to. I was told this by a Highway Patrol officer in Nevada. Straight from the source! Sure gives you the warm & fuzzies, doesn’t it?
Northstar says
More nonsense in the ever growing Progressive hell of American …Using law enforcement as a “Street tax collector”…You are never, ever no matter how hard you try…Going to “regulate, mandate, law, tax, or fee”….A stupid human from creating or having a accident…Nor are you going to stop “ACCIEDENTS”. All this is today, is a bunch of human and business control freaks “FEELING” better ..Thinking their spending money the sweat of your labor, through their Government Money Mafia of greed, graft, and corruption is actually doing something. I refer to the Mrs. Moose Washington vegetable garden…O…Used when needed to show case a reason to steal money in taxes from your pocket and glorify a progressive program… Left on the vine to rot …When their too lazy to bend over and pick it because nobody is doing it for them.. Namely you paying someone to do it for them.
Von says
ON THE DOT.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Bravo.
Sue G says
You hit the nail, this is another form of taxation without representation. The question is how much will we take?
tgtrotter says
Tommy A. the problem is no matter what you do Big Brother will just invent another way to make a criminal of you. Heck the original CVSA critical items were 11. Now it’s 300+ that can put you out of service. Good in some ways but do you know how many times an over-zealous scale official (not all Officers) said my truck would very soon fly apart only to be negated by another.
Too many people, too much money involved. SAFER and MCSAP had problems, so does CSA. What we don’t have is balanced or consistent enforcement.
Ron says
The government should clean up their OWN ACT,before telling the rest of us how to live ! What is the different between a criminal,and a police officer ? None…they are both dishonest. They will lie cheat, and steal from you in a heartbeat,and use the courts to accomplish their agenda.
john says
I came off of break, drove 90 miles and got pulled over for a road side. my book was showing a 1 1/2 for the 90 miles. But because pc miler said it takes 2 hrs i was put out of service. The point is no matter what you do, or how you do it,if they want you they will get you. big brother has gone way over his boundaries. And the only way to make change is to stand together. but that will never happen. No one cares anymore. and most drivers are sheep.
Dannie says
The inspections r ok but the DOT just try’s to see how many drives they can put out of service for the heck of it. They get off on it. I put in 31 years out there and it’s not changed at all. I have been retired for about 11 and it seems nothing has changed
Boys it’s time to do something about it….we tried for years. We could not get it organized to go on strike. I’m here to tell you if you can get the big companies like the JB Hunts KLLMs Florills Carter and Owner Operates to all come together for two weeks or so you all could make them listen. I don’t mean the company owners. I mean the drivers. Those trucks will not get down the road by themselves. They need drivers. You drivers are the people who will make them stand up and listen. Be SAFE out there. UH-OH 10-5 SEE YA!!!
Sue G says
I agree with you. We now have social media to use as a tool to organize, so friends why don’t we?
Kevin says
@ JB,
If you read this announcement carefully you will realize they are going after trucks as usual, not people in 4-wheelers.
“driver roadside inspections; driver regulatory compliance; implementation of commercial driver educational and awareness programs to the motor carrier population”
Sue G says
What can they get out of 4-wheelers not much but commercial drivers will always pay up.