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.

KINGMAN – Last week, the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Enforcement and Compliance Division arrested a commercial vehicle driver after finding nearly 200 pounds of cocaine in the truck when he attempted to bypass the Topock Port of Entry.

On June 6, an ADOT officer made a traffic stop on a commercial vehicle for bypassing the Topock Port of Entry on I-40 near the California state line. The officer escorted the truck back to the port of entry for a commercial vehicle inspection.

The inspection revealed problems with the travel logs and the driver’s testimony about his travels. The officer then asked if there were any drugs or alcohol on board. The driver denied having such items, but did grant consent to search the vehicle when the officer asked.

The officer found three large boxes of packaged cocaine in the sleeper compartment of the commercial vehicle. The total amount of cocaine, 89 kilos or 198.6 pounds, has an estimated street value of about $4.5 million. 

The driver was arrested and turned over to the Mohave Area General Narcotics Enforcement Team, who took over the investigation. The task force comprises officers from several local law enforcement agencies in the Mohave County area. 

ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division protects Arizona’s transportation infrastructure and promotes road safety through the inspection of commercial vehicles at the state’s ports of entry and mobile inspection stations. 

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.

PHOENIX – After wandering across both directions of Interstate 40 on foot and into the eastbound facility of the Topock Port of Entry this past spring, an impaired commercial driver was taken into custody after an ADOT Enforcement and Compliance officer recognized the signs and symptoms of impairment thanks to DUI training.

The training, which is funded through a grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, consists of the common indicators of someone under the influence, conducting standard field sobriety tests, guidance on DUI investigations and obtaining e-warrants. Currently, 52 ADOT officers have taken one or more of the training classes.

“Being able to identify commercial drivers who come into the ports under the influence and take them off the road helps keep everyone safer,” said Tim Lane, director of ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division. “Though our operations are primarily confined to the ports of entry, our officers see lots of different situations. Having the proper training helps us do our jobs more effectively.”

The training classes are held throughout the year at different locations around the state. Refresher courses are also held for officers who have already completed training. 

“Driving impaired is always dangerous and deadly, but an impaired driver behind the wheel of a large commercial vehicle takes it to a whole new level,” said Alberto Gutier, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “We are glad to help fund efforts to catch impaired commercial drivers at the ports of entry and help keep Arizona’s roads safer.” 

The DUI training paid off earlier this year when a commercial driver, who was determined to be under the influence of methamphetamine, entered the Topock Port of Entry. Sgt. Jill Osgood with ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division was able to recognize the signs the driver was exhibiting due to the training. 

More officers and customer service representatives at the ports of entry going through the training means better preparedness to identify commercial drivers under the influence and take them off the road.

ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division protects Arizona’s transportation infrastructure and promotes road safety through the inspection of commercial vehicles at the state’s ports of entry and mobile inspection stations. 

For more information, visit azdot.gov/enforcement.

PHOENIX –  Human trafficking is a growing worldwide problem and one of the most powerful enforcement tools to combat this crime is part of the essential mission of the Arizona Department of Transportation Enforcement and Compliance Division. 

This division is comprised of certified law enforcement officers many of whom are assigned to the various ports of entry on the state’s borders. While operations at these ports focus on commercial vehicle safety, collecting fees and enforcing weight limits, it turns out these ports are a vital and strategic line of defense against human trafficking. 

Commanders and their staff from the Enforcement and Compliance Division at ADOT's commercial vehicle ports of entry are trained to identify warning signs of human trafficking. These can include things such as unusual tattoos, a person’s unwillingness to speak and carrying large amounts of cash without explanation.

Since 2019, this training, which explains the demand for human trafficking and how this crime is perpetrated, has become part of the standard training for ADOT officers. The enforcement division is developing online training so ADOT highway workers will also be ready to spot the signs of human trafficking.

“As the state’s transportation agency, ADOT is in a critical position to help stop human trafficking and we take that role very seriously,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “ADOT’s commitment to transportation safety includes not only drivers, but the victims of this horrible practice.”  

Meanwhile, dozens of vehicles driven by officers with ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division have bumper stickers aimed at directing those who need help or who see signs of trouble to EndSexTrafficking.AZ.gov or 888.373.7888, resources offered through the Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family.

Capt. Dave Curry of ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division is a member of the Arizona Human Trafficking Council created by Governor Doug Ducey to help make Arizona a leader in combating this crime.

“ADOT takes several approaches to do our part to end this heinous practice here in Arizona,” Curry said. “From comprehensive training of officers and employees to raising awareness through bumper stickers on our vehicles, ADOT is serious about stopping human trafficking and saving lives.”

If you would like to learn more about how to help stop human trafficking, please visit EndSexTrafficking.az.gov. To report anything suspicious, please call 888.373.7888.

PHOENIX – When commercial truckers purchase their permits for driving through Arizona online ahead of time or use a cashless method at the port of entry, they spend less time making payments and get on their way faster. 

That’s one reason the Arizona Department of Transportation successfully implemented a pilot program to move to a fully-cashless permitting system. Now, after working with trucking companies that pay with cash to ensure they have enough time to convert to a cashless system, ADOT’s ports of entry intend to go fully cashless on Jan. 1, 2021. 

The move to end the acceptance of cash and checks at ports of entry also supports recommendations by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention to curb the spread of COVID-19 through the exchange of currency.

ADOT’s truck permitting systems, ePro and Transport, have cashless features and nearly 80% of truckers getting permits use those features. But in order to help trucks move through the ports more efficiently, ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division began to encourage the other 20% of truckers to pay for permits online using Apple Pay, Android Pay or credit card.

“We have been getting a feel from the trucking industry on how much they would support this change and the feedback has been positive,” said Lt. Jason Sloan, team lead for implementing the change. “This improvement will help eliminate waste and maximize resources available at ports of entry to process commercial traffic faster.”

The move also allows more officers to be available for enforcement duties instead of having one or more of them make a long drive from a remote port of entry to a financial institution to deposit the cash and checks collected.

This change is one more way ADOT’s continuous improvement process is making more efficient use of time, resources and taxpayer dollars. It will also be implemented at VIN inspection stations around the state.

ADOT is also developing a new commercial permitting system that will support the move to cashless and touchless that is expected to be operational by the end of next year.