Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/535950
52 | Overdrive | July 2015 THE GOLDEN STATE Another 247 civilian inspectors, Level 1 and hazmat-certified, work the facilities. The 250-or-so balance is made up of inspectors with the state's terminal inspec- tion program that requires a visit to every registered motor carrier every two years. There is more that sets California apart from every other top 10 state for inspec- tion intensity. For one, it's the only one among that group that logs more than 50 percent of inspections without a single violation. Also, its violations-per-inspection measure for 2014 was only 0.9. In that distinction, California joins six other states for the lowest intensity of violations issued. It's unlikely truckers would call the state's truck-enforcement division their "best friend," but a by-the-numbers look suggests it. Clements concurs to an extent: "I don't know that 'best friend' is the way I would necessarily describe us. But if they're in a vehicle that's in compliance, we're not afraid of putting a sticker on there." Both Clements and Portilla see a few other things at work behind the numbers, namely the state's reputation and active fixed-facility program (accounting for a full two-thirds of all its inspections). The California Air Resources Board's in-use diesel regulations also mean that older equipment is virtually banned from the roads, says Clements. The active fleet there by and large is newer than anywhere else in the country, with less exposure to an opportunity for problems. Local haulers "know that if they have a current CVSA sticker, they have less of a chance of being inspected," Portilla says. "A driver can go into any of our facilities and request an inspection, and if we're not particularly busy, we'll do it. There are so many places available to be inspected when drivers know they're clean." Raffone says when he approached the Banning scale with the not-so-pristine trailer in tow, the look in the officer's eye was priceless. "Easy violations," Raffone figured the officer was thinking. But after Raffone's PM in Phoenix, he passed with flying colors and left with a new sticker. The California Highway Patrol and the California Air Resources Board aren't exactly birds of a feather, say CHP reps Josh Clements and James Portilla. CARB has an agreement with the patrol's Commercial Vehicle Section to use CHP's weigh and inspection facilities to conduct its business, but the board doesn't get direct assistance from highway patrol inspection personnel. Says Clements, "I don't even know what CARB's looking for." In other words, CHP isn't tasked with pulling 2004 vehicles out of the weigh station line for violation of CARB's in-use diesel regs, which essentially prohibit that model year from running California's roads, with few exceptions. What CHP does do regularly – and they've made it a point to do so – is "to push that [truckers] get a Level 1 or 2 inspection for credit on their CSA scores" in conjunction with any CARB smoke test or other check, Clements says. "We try to make every effort if a driver is stopped at our facilities to do an inspection so that the driver gets credit for it, and that he doesn't drive away with nothing to show for it." Within the last year, CHP's near-1,000 inspection personnel received a revised list of inspection selection priorities, list- ed below in order of importance. Judging by the list, a good way to avoid inspec- tion in California might be to get a CVSA inspection decal before you get there. CALIFORNIA'S INSPECTION SELECTION PRIORITIES 1. Obvious visible violations 2. Hazmat vehicles with no CVSA decal showing recent inspection 3. Hazmat vehicles with expired CVSA decal 4. Large CMVs (more than 26,000 pounds) with no decal 5. Large CMVs with expired decal 6. Small CMVs (less than 26,000 pounds) with no decal 7. Small CMVs with expired decal CHP'S RELATIONSHIP WITH CARB Inspections per lane-mile 11.8 2011 2012 2013 2014 California National average 11.4 11.1 11.2 5.5 5.6 5.6 5.4 Category Maintenance Lights Brakes Tires Moving violations Hours of service Percentage of all violations 81% 10.3% 23.5% 9.5% 1.5% 4.6% National rank of percentage 2 45 4 2 46 45 PERCENTAGE OF CLEAN INSPECTIONS: 56% NATIONAL AVERAGE: 40% VIOLATION PROFILE VIOLATIONS PER INSPECTIONS: 0.9 NATIONAL AVERAGE: 1.7 California and Texas together account for more than a quarter of all inspections performed in the continental United States. But unlike Texas and many other states, California's number of total issued violations actually was smaller than its total number of inspections in 2014. California is also one of seven states whose propensity for issuing clean inspections is high. The state's reputation as being tough on truckers, however, continues with its No. 2 position in the inspec- tion intensity rankings and active weigh-station inspection program. The state in 2014 was more likely to delay drivers for vehicle and credentials checks than any state other than Maryland, and it's perennially near the top of Overdrive's CSA's Data Trail inspection-intensity rankings. Source: Unless otherwise noted, all numbers based on 2014 federal data analyzed by RigDig Business Intelligence (rigdig.com/bi)