Oregon’s Democratic Governor, Tina Kotek, has approved a new law targeting the state’s escalating issues with truckers avoiding weight scales, unauthorized household goods movers, and accidents involving medium-duty trucks.
The legislation is designed to broaden enforcement measures to cover vehicles weighing 10,001 to 26,000 pounds, facilitating compliance with federal laws as outlined in the interstate compact.
Carla Phelps, administrator of the Commerce and Compliance Division at the Oregon Department of Transportation, informed the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation that one in four commercial vehicle accidents involves medium-duty trucks, with accident rates for these vehicles increasing 1.5 times compared to heavier commercial vehicles in recent years.
Phelps noted that as e-commerce activities grow, the likelihood of accidents involving these vehicles rises, while also exerting additional stress on Oregon’s transportation system. She highlighted that stricter qualifications for CDL holders have made it difficult for drivers who previously failed drug or alcohol tests to clear their records, resulting in many such drivers being hired by commercial carriers managing medium-duty fleets.
The Department of Transportation currently does not mandate drug testing for non-CDL drivers. The bill, SB 839, also addresses the issue of vehicles illegally bypassing weight scales, with data indicating that up to 50% of such vehicles have safety violations that could lead to the driver or vehicle being penalized.
Penalties for illegal bypassing of scales previously classified as Class B misdemeanors have seen declining prosecutions due to limited judicial resources, often leading to the dismissal of cases. Consequently, the legislation alters commercial vehicle statutes, downgrading the penalty for non-compliance from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A traffic violation. Additionally, it requires anyone operating a motor vehicle for transporting persons or goods in Oregon to possess a valid certificate or permit from the Department of Transportation.
The law also stipulates that transporting household goods for hire within the state without a valid state DOT certificate is prohibited. Phelps emphasized that about 130 authorized Oregon-based household goods movers compete with unlicensed movers, creating an uneven market. The law imposes a $3,000 penalty for violating these regulations to protect consumers from unlicensed movers.
However, not all voices support the legislation. Clackamas County Sheriff’s Deputy Tyler Van Wormer raised concerns that downgrading certain trucking offenses from crimes to violations undermines the necessary enforcement tools to address unsafe commercial vehicle operations, which pose significant public safety risks.
