Commercial Truck Inspection

ADOT, DPS recognize Brake for Safety Week with focus on commercial vehicle brakes

ADOT, DPS recognize Brake for Safety Week with focus on commercial vehicle brakes

I-17 101 traffic interchange

ADOT, DPS recognize Brake for Safety Week with focus on commercial vehicle brakes

ADOT, DPS recognize Brake for Safety Week with focus on commercial vehicle brakes

August 24, 2022

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation’s Enforcement and Compliance Division and the Department of Public Safety want to remind commercial vehicle drivers to make sure their brakes are properly working during Brake for Safety Week Aug. 21-27.

Brake for Safety Week is designated by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, and Arizona’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Task Force, which consists of both DPS troopers and ADOT officers, is participating by setting up mobile inspection locations at the Christensen and Parks rest areas in northern Arizona to focus on commercial vehicle brake inspections.

Through July of this year, ADOT officers working at the state’s ports of entry have recorded an average of 300 brake-related violations each month during commercial vehicle inspections. 

“Having brakes in good working order is a top safety priority, especially when we’re talking about large semi trucks,” said Chief Leah Ray, who heads ADOT's Enforcement Services Bureau. “While our officers routinely inspect brakes as part of inspections at the ports of entry, they will be focused on those brake systems this week in support of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s goal to bring awareness to this issue.”

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance is a nonprofit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal commercial motor vehicle safety officials and industry representatives. The Alliance aims to prevent commercial motor vehicle crashes, injuries and fatalities and believes that collaboration between government and industry improves road safety and saves lives.

ADOT and Department of Public Safety announce enforcement partnership

ADOT and Department of Public Safety announce enforcement partnership

I-17 101 traffic interchange

ADOT and Department of Public Safety announce enforcement partnership

ADOT and Department of Public Safety announce enforcement partnership

December 23, 2021

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety are entering into an agreement to streamline and enhance commercial vehicle enforcement at Arizona’s ports-of-entry located at interstate and international borders. 

Under this partnership, 89 sworn ADOT Enforcement officers and 49 non-sworn personnel will be assigned to the DPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Task Force on a full-time basis. This will enhance officer safety as well as increase efficiency and operational consistency for both agencies. 

The sworn ADOT personnel are uniformed officers certified by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board. They provide commercial vehicle safety compliance, size and weight enforcement, oversize and overweight permitting and other related enforcement services at ADOT ports-of-entry located near the state lines of California, New Mexico, Utah, and the international border with Mexico.

“ADOT and DPS have a longstanding and beneficial partnership that is dedicated to keeping our highways and freeways operating safely,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Streamlining ADOT’s Enforcement Services Bureau with a single management structure is a better use of personnel, uses financial resources more wisely and strengthens public safety for everyone who travels Arizona’s roads.”

Col. Heston Silbert, Director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, said, “This will enhance border security at our ports of entry and provide consistent commercial vehicle enforcement to enhance the movement of intra and interstate commerce.”

The agreement is set to begin Jan. 8 for two years initially and after that is subject to annual renewal.

Temporary increased truck weight limit to end as of Sunday, July 12

Temporary increased truck weight limit to end as of Sunday, July 12

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Temporary increased truck weight limit to end as of Sunday, July 12

Temporary increased truck weight limit to end as of Sunday, July 12

July 10, 2020

PHOENIX – A temporary higher weight limit for certain commercial trucks during the current public health situation will expire as of Sunday, July 12, based on guidance from the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

In response to a national emergency declaration, and to align with the temporary increase in truck weights by neighboring states, the Arizona Department of Transportation in early April raised the gross weight limit for commercial vehicles to 90,000 pounds without the need for an overweight permit, up from the normal 80,000 pounds.

The temporary higher weight limit applied to commercial trucks carrying critical supplies and goods.

 For more information, please visit azdot.gov.

Virtual technology helping ADOT boldly go forward

Virtual technology helping ADOT boldly go forward

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Virtual technology helping ADOT boldly go forward

Virtual technology helping ADOT boldly go forward

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications
June 23, 2020

If 50 years of "Star Trek" has taught us anything, it's that virtual communication is the wave of the future. Kirk, Spock, Picard, Janeway and all the rest are constantly using viewscreens, communicators and holograms to connect with people who might be worlds away. 

While we may still be a long ways away from teleporters and starships, during the current public health situation we are looking toward technology to continue offering training and services.

Road projects have continued to move forward during this time, which means ADOT had make sure the public could have plenty of input. As we told you about recently, with traditional public meetings a non-starter we used a virtual town hall format for some projects, such as the future improvements to the Interstate 40 and US 93 interchange. People were able to use their communicators – known in this century as cellphones – to call in and listen to the presentation. The meeting was also broadcast via two radio stations. The number of comments we received from this meeting rivaled those of a tradition in-person open house.

When it came to continuing our offerings to help small or economically disadvantaged businesses seeking federally assisted contracts, those too are now being done virtually. These businesses can now receive counseling or take advantage of other tools, such as our 21-week Business Development Program, completely online.

Back in April, ADOT's Border Liaison Unit launched a webinar for Mexican truckers to discuss emergency restrictions and exemptions for commercial vehicles using the state's ports of entry. This proved so successful that future webinars are planned that will incorporate material from the in-person safety training the unit has been doing since 2016.

This month we also held another session of our popular Construction Academy to help women, veterans, minorities and other disadvantage groups get the necessary training to get into a career in construction. The majority of particpants were able to receive the necessary classroom training through video conferencing and online construction

And the best part is that these virtual tools have proven popular and useful enough to help our communication and training efforts live long and prosper even after the need to socially distance ends.

The technology we are using may not be as cool as what you'd find on the bridge of the Enterprise, but it's still allowing us to boldy go forward in our continuing mission to better communicate and serve the drivers of Arizona.

International trucker safety training expands with refresher course

International trucker safety training expands with refresher course

I-17 101 traffic interchange

International trucker safety training expands with refresher course

International trucker safety training expands with refresher course

July 23, 2019

PHOENIX – Two years after launching a first-of-its-kind truck safety training program for drivers and companies in Mexico, the Arizona Department of Transportation has added refresher instruction for those who have been through the program.

ADOT launched the International Border Inspection Qualification in 2017 by sending trained officers from commercial ports of entry into Mexico to provide instruction, in Spanish, on safety regulations. The goals: reducing violations that can lead to delays for truckers from Mexico and making state highways safer by allowing ADOT officers to focus on vehicles needing the most attention.

Since the program launched, the nearly 700 drivers with the qualification have crossed the border a combined 15,000 times with just 49 major safety violations. In addition to what they gain from the training, qualified drivers can communicate with officers before approaching the border using WhatsApp, a smartphone application, to learn whether a potential safety issue needs to be addressed before heading to a commercial port of entry at the Arizona-Mexico border.

To build on that momentum, ADOT recently launched a six-hour requalification class for those who have been through the program. Beyond an initial offering in Hermosillo, Sonora, ADOT will offer the requalification class this year in Douglas in Arizona and Ensenada, Puerto Penasco and San Luis in Mexico.

“These drivers and their companies opened the door for tremendous improvements in safety among hundreds of truckers who cross the border into Arizona every day,” said Mark Sanders, director of international programs for ADOT. “This follow-up instruction allows them to keep their knowledge up-to-date while the overall program continues fostering more efficient trade between Arizona and Mexico.”

The refresher course covers in brief the main points covered in the original qualification class. Topics include the proper working order of brakes, wheels, tires, suspension and electrical systems, as well as how to properly secure loads and other general information.

The refresher training also covers new federal or state regulations pertaining to commercial trucking.

Identifying and repairing safety violations before they result in delays at the border saves trucking companies time and money and encourages drivers to cross the border in Arizona, a boon for the state’s economy.

The program has seen considerable expansion in the past year. ADOT officers held the first International Border Inspection Qualification for the maquiladora industry and held their first training in Baja, California, and Hermosillo, Sonora.

ADOT truck safety training expands to maquiladora industry

ADOT truck safety training expands to maquiladora industry

I-17 101 traffic interchange

ADOT truck safety training expands to maquiladora industry

ADOT truck safety training expands to maquiladora industry

September 19, 2018

NOGALES – The Arizona Department of Transportation’s first-of-its-kind international truck safety training program is adding another innovation to its resume: focusing instruction on commercial truckers from the maquiladora industry.

At the request of operators of border-area plants in Mexico making goods for export, ADOT’s Border Liaison Unit recently offered its first International Border Inspection Qualification training session for the maquiladora industry in Hermosillo, capital of the Mexican state of Sonora.

“Expanding to maquiladoras demonstrates that our partners in Mexico see as much value in this safety training as we do,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Interest from the maquiladora industry also means the safety and economic benefits we have seen in this program’s first year will multiply.”

Maquiladora factories import certain material and equipment without duties or tariffs. Goods are assembled, processed or manufactured using that material and then returned to the U.S. The industry employs about 34,000 people in Sonora near the Arizona border.

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ADOT’s Border Liaison Unit developed the International Border Inspection Qualification program to help make Arizona roads safer and to support international trade by training Mexican truck drivers and mechanics – in Mexico – about the safety regulations they must follow to drive on U.S. roads.

The 469 drivers who have completed the training since it began a little more than a year ago have crossed the border nearly 5,500 times but have had only 12 significant safety violations that required trucks to be stopped for repairs.

“Arizona is leading the nation in developing innovative ways to make our ports of entry safer and more efficient - it's been a priority for Governor Ducey since day one,” said Juan Ciscomani, Senior Advisor for Regional and International Affairs to Governor Doug Ducey. “This kind of proactive approach implemented by ADOT and supported by the Arizona-Mexico Commission, under Governor Ducey's leadership, drives Arizona's border to move at the speed of business and supports international commerce in the state."

Following Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance guidelines, which are the standard across the U.S., this training stems from ADOT’s use of the Arizona Management System championed by Governor Ducey to have all employees continuously improve state agencies’ value to their customers.

The Hermosillo session was the 18th held in Mexico since International Border Inspection Qualification training began in summer 2017.

The program also has expanded beyond locations near the Arizona border and Hermosillo, with training offered in Mexicali and Ensenada in Baja California and in Caborca, Sonora, at the request of trucking companies in those areas.

To learn more about ADOT’s Border Liaison Unit and International Border Inspection Qualification training, visit azdot.gov/BLU.

ADOT’s truck driver training in Mexico marks successful first year

ADOT’s truck driver training in Mexico marks successful first year

I-17 101 traffic interchange

ADOT’s truck driver training in Mexico marks successful first year

ADOT’s truck driver training in Mexico marks successful first year

July 30, 2018

NOGALES – On a Monday morning one year ago, five uniformed officers from the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Enforcement and Compliance Division drove south, crossing the Mexican border at San Luis south of Yuma on a mission that had never been attempted.

Their task: Make Arizona roads safer and boost the state’s economy by training Mexican truck drivers and mechanics – in Mexico – about the safety regulations they must follow to drive on U.S. roads.

In its first year, the International Border Inspection Qualification program has made a dramatic difference in the number of violations found during safety inspections, the number of trucks pulled off the road for significant repairs and the amount of time drivers spend waiting at the border before they can deliver their products to U.S. markets.

“This collaboration with the Mexican trucking industry makes crossing the border safer for everyone,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “It also supports the growth of Arizona’s economy and makes crossing the border more efficient for commercial trucking. The dramatic improvements we have seen in just one year show the commitment of our officers and the trucking community to this important program.”

In 16 two-day training sessions over the past 12 months, safety inspectors have taught 409 truck drivers and mechanics from Mexico such things as how to secure a load properly and how to know when tires and brakes are too badly worn. Six more sessions are scheduled in Mexico before the end of 2018.

The training follows Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance guidelines, which are the standard for commercial motor vehicles across the U.S., used by every state and federal agency.

The numbers for these 409 drivers shout success:

  • They have crossed the border 5,253 times since their training.
  • In all of those crossings, inspectors have found just 130 minor violations.
  • Only 11 times have their trucks been pulled out of service for significant safety concerns.
  • June is one of three months so far in 2018 when no drivers who were qualified through the program had significant safety violations.

There’s more to the story.

Drivers who complete the training and pass written and field exams are able to communicate with inspectors using the WhatsApp smartphone application. That process has been used 118 times, allowing drivers to ask questions and make repairs before approaching the border, saving what could have been time wasted waiting.

The program stems from ADOT’s use of the Arizona Management System championed by Governor Doug Ducey to have all employees continuously improve state agencies’ value to their customers.

ADOT’s Border Liaison Unit, created in 2016, also has continued shorter training sessions at Arizona’s three border ports of entry in San Luis, Nogales and Douglas. Nearly 2,000 drivers, mechanics and company owners have attended those sessions.

Drivers from Mexico have praised ADOT for giving them information they need to reduce inspection times and get on their way. The business community in Nogales has praised the program for increasing commercial truck traffic and bringing more business to Santa Cruz County. And drivers all across Arizona are safer because the trucks sharing the road with them are safer.

Companies and communities in Mexico are continuing to request that training sessions be held in their areas. Of the six programs scheduled over the rest of 2018, only one is scheduled near the Arizona border. Three programs are scheduled in Mexicali, Baja California, and single sessions are scheduled in Caborca and Hermosillo in Sonora.

“We’re getting requests from places away from the Arizona border – Mexicali, Ensenada, Caborca,” said Tim Lane, director of ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division. “That shows how well the program has been accepted not only in Sonora but across Mexico.”

A year on, International Border Inspection Qualification program continues to grow

A year on, International Border Inspection Qualification program continues to grow

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A year on, International Border Inspection Qualification program continues to grow

A year on, International Border Inspection Qualification program continues to grow

November 29, 2017

Truck inspection

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

A year ago, the International Border Inspection Qualification program was just an idea that sounded like it might be a good one. Its goals: Reducing inspection times, making the inspection process more efficient and attracting more international truckers to use ports in Arizona rather than California or Texas.

This week, when Arizona Department of Transportation innovators meet with Mexican transportation officials in Rocky Point, Mexico, they will share good news about a program that is benefiting both sides of the border.

In 2016, ADOT’s Border Liaison Unit learned that international trucking companies in Mexico considered Arizona’s inspection process too slow and inconsistent at ADOT's commercial ports of entry in Nogales, Douglas and San Luis.

First, the unit trained inspectors to ensure a consistent inspection process at ADOT's international commercial ports of entry. Then they began training Mexican drivers and trucking executives about safety regulations for trucks entering the U.S., from brakes and tires to securing loads. In all 785 drivers took part in 16 half-day workshops, including six in Mexico.

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International Border Qualification Program

The International Border Qualification Program takes that process a giant step further. Offering two-day intensive training sessions in Mexico – something no other state is doing – the program gives international truckers a thorough look at regulations and the inspection process. Drivers who complete the course and pass written and hands-on tests qualify to use the WhatsApp smartphone application. They can use the app to contact ADOT inspectors if they have concerns before they approach the border.

Since the first class on July 31 in San Luis, 216 drivers have completed the course. Only six of those trucks required close-up inspections, and only two were pulled out of service for safety violations. So far, 22 drivers have contacted Arizona inspectors using WhatsApp.

Initial results found that more than 100 trucks boosted Arizona’s economy by crossing the border here instead of California. Officers were able to conduct fewer inspections but found more violations, making Arizona roads safer in the process. Trucking groups from as far away as Culiacan, 600 miles south of the border, have asked ADOT to bring the course to them.

This innovative program stems from ADOT’s use of the Arizona Management System championed by Governor Doug Ducey. This approach to continuous improvement empowers employees at state agencies to come up with innovative ways to better serve customers. In 2018, expect more classes in Mexico, more international commerce boosting Arizona’s economy and safer trucks on Arizona roads.

Continuous improvement: Safety training program benefits both sides of the border

Continuous improvement: Safety training program benefits both sides of the border

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Continuous improvement: Safety training program benefits both sides of the border

Continuous improvement: Safety training program benefits both sides of the border

September 15, 2017

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

On Aug. 1, 20 truck drivers who carry products and produce from Mexican into the United States sat in a room San Luis Río Colorado, Mexico, to learn about ADOT safety inspections required for trucks entering Arizona from Mexico.

Just six weeks after that, ADOT’s Border Liaison Unit almost can’t schedule classes fast enough for all of the drivers in Mexico who want to learn more about what happens when inspectors from ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division take a close look at their trucks.

ADOT's International Border Inspection Qualification training program grows from the Arizona Management System championed by Governor Doug Ducey. Here’s what this innovative program does:

  • It takes training into Mexico – the first time any state department of transportation has done that – in order to reach as many drivers as possible.
  • It removes the mystery from the inspection process. Drivers and mechanics know what is expected during safety inspections, and they can reduce delays by having their trucks ready for those inspections before they approach the border.
  • It speeds up the inspection process for qualifying drivers.
  • It takes advantage of technology by allowing drivers to use a smartphone application, WhatsApp, to communicate with inspectors and make needed repairs.

That’s what it does for drivers. The benefits are just as important for Arizona.

Improving the inspection process has meant more traffic coming to Arizona ports of entry. That strengthens the state’s economy and supports jobs, many of them in border communities. The port at San Luis already has seen an increase in commercial traffic.

It also means safer roads. Qualifying drivers have a better understanding of safety requirements. And by focusing on trucks that may have a higher risk for safety concerns, inspectors have found more violations despite conducting fewer 37-point Level 1 inspections.

Another 40 drivers will meet with inspectors in Nogales, Sonora, next week. Future classes are scheduled deeper into Mexico, in Hermosillo, Sonora, and Culiacán, Sinaloa. By Thanksgiving, inspectors will have held eight two-day sessions – twice the original plan – and may qualify as many as 250 drivers.

That's long way from those seemingly humble beginnings just six weeks ago.

From the Director: Improvements at our ports of entry mean business for Arizona

From the Director: Improvements at our ports of entry mean business for Arizona

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From the Director: Improvements at our ports of entry mean business for Arizona

From the Director: Improvements at our ports of entry mean business for Arizona

August 21, 2017

Port of Entry

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

Transportation is a key component of commerce, especially at our international ports of entry. If there are delays at the ports, it can cost businesses time and money to move products to their final destinations. At the Arizona Department of Transportation, we are making great strides in improving efficiency at our international ports of entry, making our state an attractive route for commercial carriers.

While safety remains our top goal, we want to be as efficient as possible at helping commerce move across our border and into Arizona’s economy. By working closely with international trucking interests, we are supporting commercial traffic and boosting the economy not just in Arizona but along the Interstate 10 corridor and across the nation.

ADOT enforcement officers have identified system changes that are improving operations at our international ports in San Luis, Douglas and Nogales. By being consistent with our inspections, educating Mexican trucking companies and drivers on what to expect during these inspections, coordinating inspections with our federal partners, and employing the latest technology during the inspection process -- all of these efforts are bringing commerce back to AZ. Commercial truck traffic is up 7 percent at the San Luis port in just two months.

I am proud of our agency’s efforts to streamline processes and identify innovative ways to better serve our customers, all part of the Arizona Management System. The system improvements we are making at our international ports of entry mean business for our state. While still maintaining safety, reducing inspection times and lowering company costs, we are encouraging trucking companies to use Arizona as a key commerce state. Transportation is indeed a key component of commerce.


Director-Halikowski-headshot

 

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's
LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.