By Caroline Carpenter / ADOT Communications

ADOT strives to create and maintain a safe, efficient highway system. Our Enforcement and Compliance Division (ECD) is a key part of making that happen.

ECD employs certified peace officers who concentrate on commercial vehicle safety. These officers check commercial vehicle driver credentials, weigh vehicles, check registration and insurance, and perform safety inspections.

The video above shows ECD officers at work and explains more about their role in improving highway safety for all motorists.

Check out additional ECD blogs for more information on commercial vehicle inspections and permits.

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

As commercial trucks from Mexico enter Arizona at Douglas, Nogales and San Luis, drivers are required to stop for a safety inspection by officers from ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division. For some, that requires little more than a weigh-in and a check of their paperwork. Others get a closer look at such things as tires, brake lights and the straps holding their loads in place.

But if there is any indication – from the driver, the truck or the trailer – that there may be a safety concern, inspectors send the drivers to a Level One inspection. In a building built specifically for that purpose, inspectors conduct a 37-point inspection of everything from brakes to hoses to wiring – including walking under the truck to get a closer look at the truck and trailer. If anything is unsafe, the truck is pulled out of service until the repairs are made.

ADOT’s Border Liaison Unit has been conducting training sessions in Arizona at Douglas, Nogales and San Luis to help commercial trucking companies, drivers and mechanics understand what to expect during safety inspections. As we shared today, this week BLU instructors crossed the international border to meet with commercial trucking interests in San Luis Río Colorado. To get a closer look at how these sessions play out, please take a few minutes to view the video above.

By Caroline Carpenter / ADOT Communications

Using seat belts and avoiding speeding, distractions and driving under the influence are what most of us think of when we talk about highway safety. But making sure commercial vehicles are in proper working order also helps keep Arizona's highways safe.

A new commercial vehicle inspection facility has opened at the Ehrenberg Port of Entry along Interstate 10 to help ensure that commercial vehicles traveling through our state meet federal and state safety standards. Last year, personnel there inspected 22,000 commercial vehicles.

Commercial vehicle inspections help increase safety and protect our state’s infrastructure. To accomplish those goals, the new indoor facility features a trench that allows ADOT inspectors to conduct inspections by walking under the trucks. This gives them a better view so they can verify that everything is in good working order.

The video above features the new facility and follows an ADOT inspector during a semi inspection. An earlier video blog explains more about the officers from ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division who handle commercial vehicle inspections.