Commercial vehicle enforcement agencies across the United States and Canada are intensifying roadside inspections and targeted enforcement operations, resulting in dozens of truck drivers and vehicles being placed out of service for safety violations.

Recent enforcement actions spanning Arizona, Nebraska, New York, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan produced hundreds of violations, numerous citations, and out-of-service orders. Infractions ranged from equipment defects and licensing problems to the illegal transportation of hazardous materials.

The crackdowns come amid growing scrutiny of commercial vehicle safety and driver qualifications throughout North America. Many of these operations are coordinated through the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), a nonprofit organization of state, provincial, and federal safety officials that standardizes out-of-service criteria across jurisdictions and organizes periodic enforcement campaigns such as Operation Safe Driver Week and the annual International Roadcheck inspection blitz.

Arizona: 280 Violations Found in 67 Inspections

Arizona authorities placed 20 commercial drivers and 15 vehicles out of service during a two-day enforcement operation along Interstate 10 between Tucson and Benson.

Law enforcement conducted 67 commercial vehicle inspections on July 29–30 within an I-10 construction zone, uncovering 280 driver and vehicle examination report violations. Construction zones are a priority for commercial vehicle enforcement because large trucks have historically been involved in a significant proportion of fatal work-zone crashes, according to Federal Highway Administration data.

Authorities also issued 19 seat belt citations, 16 hazardous moving citations, and nine citations for cellphone use. Inspectors discovered three wide loads operating without required permits.

Nebraska: Two Operations Sideline Multiple Drivers and Trucks

Nebraska authorities carried out two recent commercial vehicle enforcement operations that collectively placed 10 drivers and 19 vehicles out of service.

The Nebraska State Patrol's Carrier Enforcement Division inspected 35 commercial vehicles on July 23 in Platte County, identifying 151 violations of federal motor carrier safety regulations and state law. Troopers placed 14 vehicles and three drivers out of service and issued 16 citations. Inspectors also awarded 19 Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance decals to trucks found free of immediate safety concerns.

The Metropolitan Aggressive and Prevention Selective (MAPS) Team partially targets commercial vehicles that may not routinely pass through weigh stations. The federally funded program verifies compliance with regulations governing weight, size, registration, dyed fuel, and permits.

A separate Nebraska operation on July 30 stopped 63 trucks and completed 32 full inspections, finding 50 violations. The checkpoint resulted in seven drivers and five vehicles being placed out of service. Officers also documented six commercial driver's license violations, four seat belt violations, two drug or alcohol violations, and one license suspension.

New York: Operations Target Toll Evasion and Bridge Strikes

New York State Police recently conducted multiple commercial vehicle enforcement operations aimed at unsafe trucks, toll evasion, and bridge strikes.

During a Saturday enforcement detail at the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, state authorities carried out 33 inspections and placed more than a half-dozen vehicles out of service for safety violations. Inspectors documented an additional 118 non-out-of-service violations related to equipment, permits, and registrations.

A separate New York campaign focused specifically on preventing commercial trucks from striking bridges and overpasses, a recurring safety problem in the Northeast where older infrastructure includes lower-clearance roadways. State police conducted the Bridge Hit Mitigation Enforcement Campaign from July 26–30 in partnership with the New York State Department of Transportation and the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee. Troopers performed 48 commercial vehicle inspections on Long Island, placing four vehicles out of service and issuing 67 traffic tickets.

British Columbia: Nearly Half of Inspected Trucks Placed Out of Service

Commercial vehicle inspectors in British Columbia placed 11 of 24 inspected trucks out of service during a multiagency enforcement operation in Delta.

The Delta Police Department's Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit conducted the initiative as part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's Operation Safe Driver Week, which targets risky driving behaviors including speeding and distracted driving.

Officers completed 24 inspections, documenting 116 violations and issuing 33 tickets. Eleven vehicles — approximately 46% of those inspected — were placed out of service. Violations included distracted driving, speeding, seat belt infractions, insecure cargo, overweight vehicles, and defective brakes.

Inspectors reported that one semi-truck had a severely damaged steering tire and defective brakes that had not been detected during the driver's required pre-trip inspection.

Saskatchewan: Truck Caught Transporting 24,000 Kilograms of Corrosive Liquids

A commercial vehicle inspection in Saskatchewan uncovered a truck illegally transporting 24,000 kilograms — nearly 53,000 pounds — of corrosive liquids.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Traffic Services stopped the semi-truck on Highway 13 near Ponteix in July. An investigation conducted jointly with the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol determined that the British Columbia-based trucking company was not permitted to transport dangerous goods, and the driver was neither trained nor certified to operate a vehicle carrying hazardous materials.

Authorities also reported that the truck failed to display a placard identifying the dangerous cargo. The driver was charged with obstruction of a peace officer and received multiple commercial vehicle-related violations.

The enforcement actions reflect a broader trend of commercial vehicle regulators across the U.S. and Canada escalating scrutiny of truck and driver safety, with inspections increasingly examining driver qualifications and operating practices in addition to traditional equipment violations. Violations documented during these roadside operations feed into carriers' safety records under the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Compliance, Safety, Accountability program, which uses inspection data to identify motor carriers for potential intervention.