Maryland, Florida, Kentucky and Illinois step up truck blitzes

Commercial vehicle enforcement agencies in Maryland, Florida, Kentucky and Illinois stepped up roadside inspections and traffic enforcement, uncovering hundreds of equipment, driver and safety violations.

The actions were part of a broader push by state and federal regulators to improve commercial vehicle safety by targeting driver qualifications, vehicle maintenance, speeding, hazardous materials transportation and compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

In Maryland, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Maryland Division partnered with the Maryland State Police and Maryland Department of the Environment for a targeted inspection campaign along the I-81 corridor. Inspection teams completed 37 commercial vehicle inspections and identified 78 equipment violations.

That Maryland operation resulted in 15 vehicle out-of-service violations and nine driver out-of-service violations. Inspectors also documented three seat belt violations and one violation each involving English-language proficiency, cellphone use and failure to obey a traffic control device.

Kentucky State Police’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement East Region conducted 792 commercial motor vehicle inspections across 25 counties during June. Officers identified 587 commercial vehicle violations and placed 92 vehicles out of service. The agency also conducted 84 hazardous materials inspections during the month.

Kentucky State Police said vehicles placed out of service had safety issues that were required to be corrected before they could return to the road.

In Illinois, the State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau conducted a two-day hazardous materials enforcement campaign June 30 and July 1 along Interstates 55 and 70 and surrounding areas in southern Illinois. Inspectors completed 488 commercial vehicle inspections, including 195 involving hazardous materials.

The Illinois detail uncovered 584 federal regulation violations and 85 Illinois Vehicle Code violations. Authorities placed 38 drivers and 61 vehicles out of service.

Florida agencies focused on speeding during Operation Southern Slowdown, a regional campaign targeting speeding and speed-related crashes across the Southeast. The Ocala Police Department joined the Florida Highway Patrol, Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Belleview Police Department.

Ocala officers conducted 267 traffic stops during the weeklong campaign and issued 243 citations, including 44 citations involving commercial motor vehicles. Across Marion County, participating agencies conducted 929 traffic stops, issuing 581 citations and 359 warnings while making 29 arrests.