Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/911782
40 | Overdrive | December 2017 A SILVER LINING comply with the state's tight emissions rules and, being newer, less likely to have maintenance-related violations. What he calls "voluntary compliance" also is becoming more common as carri- ers seek out Level 1 inspections, the most comprehensive truck and driver inspec- tion. California, unlike some other states, often is happy to oblige. Arizona Department of Public Safety Capt. Brian Preston reports similar dy- namics in his state, which like California is also in the inspection-intensity top 10. That's particularly true during all- hands-on-deck events such as the annual Roadcheck inspection blitz. "Especially during Roadcheck, if someone volunteers for a Level 1 inspec- tion, we'll do it if we can accommodate you," says Preston, who cites the benefi t many companies off er drivers for getting a clean Level 1 (often $100 or more) as fueling this trend. Nance says within CHP, the CMV enforcement unit also maintains an outreach program: the Commercial Industry Education Program. "We go out to the carriers and do education at the terminals" on "what they can do to improve and make sure they're working with us." With the advent of the CSA program in late 2010, "every violation … on an inspection report" was newly given weight toward carrier safety scores, Mooney says. Carriers of all sizes turned more focus to reducing inspection viola- tions. "An increased focus on mechanical fi tness and driver certifi cation" resulted. Hours of service compliance seems to have made that turn, too, as more carri- ers have begun using electronic logging devices, Mooney says. In 2014, 2015 and 2016, total hours violations fell in raw numbers and as a share of all violations. "Violations declining across the board makes sense," he adds. That's another reality unearthed in 2016 numbers. While overall inspections rose, total violations fell in Overdrive's analysis by 5.6 percent. Captain Preston in Arizona concurs with that notion, particularly relative to Level 3 inspections within his state, which are likely only to unearth hours or credentials violations (like an invalid/ outdated medical card) if not occurring alongside a stop for a moving-type viola- tion such as speeding. "We've seen a big drop in Level 3 inspection violations," he says. That's partly a result of so many carriers' turn -20 to -10 -10 to 0 0 to 10 10 to 20 20 to 30 30 to 40 40 to 50 50 to 60 Percentage of improvement (blue) or the opposite (red) in clean inspections These figures show the share of all inspections that are violation-free. This year's new worst-states leader is Idaho, supplanting past leaders Wisconsin and Connecticut. Among these 10 states, Idaho was the only one to buck the national trend last year toward an increasing share of clean inspections. Nationally, just eight states recorded a lower percentage of clean inspections in 2016 compared to 2015 levels, visible in the map below in the red- and orange-shaded areas. The vast majority of states showed big increases in the share of their recorded inspections that were violation-free. 1. Idaho – 19.4% 2. Wisconsin – 21.2% 3. Connecticut – 24.4% 4. Michigan – 24.4% 5. Iowa – 25.3% 6. South Carolina – 27% 7. Rhode Island – 29.2% 8. Massachusetts – 29.4% 9. Texas – 29.7% 10. Indiana – 30.6% 2016 worst states for clean inspections