Oregon authorities issued citations to more than 100 commercial truck drivers and temporarily required them to cease driving due to illegal bypassing of open weigh stations, as announced by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) on Monday, June 9.
Investigators ticketed drivers who ignored open weigh stations in April and early May. Additionally, they mandated that these drivers refrain from operating their vehicles temporarily, according to ODOT.
“We take weigh station bypass very seriously and are taking enforcement action against it,” stated Carla Phelps, ODOT Commerce and Compliance Interim Division Administrator, in the release. “The aim of this operation was to eliminate fatigued and unqualified drivers from Oregon’s roads to avert potentially fatal collisions involving commercial trucks.”
Locations of the Bypasses
The operation, which included the Oregon State Police, targeted interstate 84 at the following weigh stations:
- Emigrant Hill weigh station
- Cascade Locks port of entry
- Farewell Bend port of entry
Number of Involved Drivers
More than 490 commercial truck drivers bypassed the open weigh stations during April and early May, according to ODOT. Officials from ODOT and the Oregon State Police halted these trucks, escorted them back, and checked for compliance with licensing and hours-of-service regulations.
Out of the trucks that were stopped, 122 drivers were temporarily prohibited from operating commercial vehicles. Before resuming their trips, these drivers had to correct any state and federal violations found during inspections.
Issues with Driver Logs
Inspectors discovered false logs and tampered electronic logging devices that were generating fictitious records during the operation. Accurate driver logs are essential as they regulate the permissible work duration for drivers without breaks.
Who Must Weigh In?
Commercial vehicles and combinations weighing over 20,000 pounds are required to stop and weigh in when signs are posted. If no signs are present, all commercial vehicles and combinations over 10,000 pounds must stop.
Exempt vehicles include:
- Empty log trucks and bunked pole trailers
- Fire equipment with operational red warning lights and/or sirens
- Recreational vehicles for personal use
- Buses, unless signage instructs otherwise
- Military vehicles in convoy
Saleen Martin is a reporter for USA TODAY’s NOW team and can be reached at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Officials order over 100 truckers off road for bypassing weigh stations.
