Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Nov. 18, 2024:
Unannounced hazmat inspection blitz finds 14.6% of trucks with violations
Over five days this summer, commercial vehicle inspectors conducted an unannounced hazardous materials/dangerous goods (HM/DG) inspection blitz, during which nearly 4,000 trucks were inspected and nearly 600 were found to have HM/DG violations.
According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, inspectors affixed 1,009 CVSA decals during the HM/DG Road Blitz, meaning there were no critical vehicle or specification cargo tank violations on those vehicles.
On the other hand, inspectors discovered HM/DG out-of-service violations on 576 of the vehicles inspected, which were removed from roadways until those violations were corrected.
In the 45 participating jurisdictions in this year’s unannounced HM/DG Road Blitz, which was June 10-14, inspectors conducted 3,929 inspections. A total of 4,095 packages were inspected; specifically, 1,488 non-bulk packages/small means of containment, 2,218 bulk cargo tank packages/large means of containment and 389 other bulk packages/other large means of containment.
Shipping paper violations accounted for the largest number of violations in the U.S. with 108, followed by loading and securement violations at 72.
Accounting for all jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada, there were 116 out-of-service loading and securement violations. Loading and securement requirements prevent cargo/goods/materials from moving in a manner that would cause damage to the package resulting in leaking, spilling, etc., in a commercial motor vehicle. This is especially important when it comes to the transportation of HM/DG, CVSA noted. Nineteen packages were cited for HM/DG package integrity (leaking) violations.
Inspections and violations during the 2024 HM/DG blitz were down considerably from the 2023 blitz, during which more than 7,500 vehicles were inspected and 2,578 violations were found, 701 of which were out-of-service violations.
Local Texas blitz puts 43% of trucks inspection out of service
Police in a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb recently held a commercial vehicle inspection blitz within its jurisdiction and placed 43% of trucks inspected out-of-service.
On Oct. 30th, the Lewisville, Texas, Police Department held a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) operation at Railroad Park. During the six-hour operation, officers conducted 39 Level 1 inspections and one Level 2 inspection. During which, officers issued 182 warnings and nine citations. They also issued 25 total out-of-service violations, putting 17 trucks out of service.
Lewisville PD said its CVE operations aren’t “about issuing citations -- it’s about ensuring that commercial vehicles are safe and compliant, so everyone on the road stays protected.
From verifying that vehicles meet size and weight limitations to ensuring drivers are following proper hours of service and equipment is up to safety standards, CVE teams focus on preventing accidents and promoting safer roadways for all.”
Kenworth awarded new Sourcewell government contract
Kenworth Truck Company was awarded a new, 4-year cooperative government purchasing contract with Sourcewell and the Canoe Procurement Group of Canada that streamlines the purchase of Kenworth trucks and Paccar commercial truck parts for more than 50,000 government agencies and non-profit organizations throughout the United States and Canada (excluding Quebec).
Sourcewell is a government agency that helps public entities buy goods and services through cooperative contracts. Canoe is Sourcewell’s Canadian partner.
Sourcewell is a self-sustaining government organization offering a cooperative purchasing program with more than 400 competitively solicited contracts to government, education, and nonprofit entities throughout North America. By utilizing Sourcewell contracts, participating agencies save time and money by capturing the buying power of more than 50,000 organizations.
Canoe unites the purchasing power of over 5,000 public and non-profit organizations across Canada, giving members access to an extensive selection of products and services at preferred rates. Partnering with Sourcewell, Canoe drives Canadian dealers’ sales growth while ensuring compliance with the trade and procurement standards required by its members.
The Sourcewell and Canoe cooperative contract includes all Kenworth Class 5-8 chassis, including medium- and heavy-duty battery-electric and natural gas trucks and tractors. A new addition to the Kenworth contract is the availability of Paccar Parts to support aftermarket commercial vehicle needs with cooperative contract discount pricing.
[Related: Nikola secures government contract through Sourcewell]
