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 – To help freight move efficiently while ensuring that commercial vehicles can operate safely on state highways, the Arizona Department of Transportation has expanded its use of technology that screens moving trucks for weight and identifying information.

This system, used until now at select rest areas including McGuireville on Interstate 17, Sacaton on Interstate 10 and Canoa Ranch on Interstate 19, is now operating at ADOT’s commercial ports of entry along I-10, I-40 and State Route 95 in Parker.

“This truck screening system will allow our officers to focus on the commercial vehicles that need our officers’ attention,” said Jeff Stanhope, deputy director for ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division. “It helps us make better use of our resources and efforts while allowing trucks in compliance to go on their way.”

The technology includes weigh-in-motion sensors, cameras that are designed to read USDOT  numbers and license plates, and message signs. An additional feature at the Ehrenberg and San Simon ports of entry on I-10 also identifies commercial vehicles with tires that could be damaged or in need of repair. The failure of a tire on a commercial vehicle can lead to catastrophic collisions and cause tire debris to be deposited on and along roadways.

As a commercial vehicle approaches the port of entry, highway signs direct the driver into the right lane. When the truck is a half mile from the port, the weigh-in-motion sensors and cameras capture the vehicle’s weight and identifying information and relay it to ADOT Enforcement and Compliance officers at the port.

The computer checks the truck’s credentials against national and state databases. If the truck is cleared and within weight limits, the message boards along the highway direct the driver to bypass the port and continue on. If there is an issue identified with the commercial vehicle, such as expired registration, federal out-of-service orders or required permits not on file, the signs direct the driver to pull into the port for further inspection.

In addition to saving ADOT officers and truck drivers time and resources, the system tracks and stores the size and weights of the commercial vehicles entering Arizona. This data will help ADOT’s Multimodal Planning Division make more informed decisions about the state’s highway system in the future.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has extended higher weight limits for commercial trucks hauling critical supplies and goods that Arizona communities are relying on during the current public health situation.

Coordinating with Governor Ducey, ADOT 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. That temporary measure, set to expire on April 30, has now been extended to the end of May.

“These temporary rules are helping ensure Arizona’s groceries, pharmacies and medical providers remain adequately supplied,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said.

The temporary weight limits apply to commercial vehicles that are providing direct assistance to COVID-19 relief efforts as outlined in a federal emergency declaration issued in March. This includes, among other essential items, medical supplies related to the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, supplies necessary for community safety and preventing the spread of COVID-19, and food and household items for emergency restocking of stores. 

ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division officers have implemented the new weight protocol at commercial ports of entry. Commercial vehicles will continue to be required to comply with state and federal regulations, and officers will continue to conduct safety inspections and issue permits as needed. 

Ports of entry at state lines and international borders remain open and staffed by ADOT officers and other staff to screen commercial vehicles to ensure the safe flow of commodities and supplies while supporting federal guidelines to keep America’s commerce moving.

For information on other steps ADOT has taken to support Arizonans during the current public health situation, please visit azdot.gov/covid-19-resource-center.

For the latest updates on COVID-19 in Arizona, please visit azhealth.gov/covid19. For resources and information about Arizona’s response to COVID-19, please visit ArizonaTogether.org.`

PHOENIX – Governor Ducey and the Arizona Department of Transportation today took action to help ensure critical supplies and goods Arizonans rely on can be transported more easily by temporarily waiving certain commercial vehicles regulations. 

Under new guidelines issued by ADOT, commercial trucks with gross weights of up to 90,000 pounds will be allowed to operate without overweight permits, an increase from the current limit of 80,000 pounds. The new guidelines align with federal guidance and will help ensure Arizona’s groceries, pharmacies and medical providers remain fully supplied. 

“Today’s commonsense action will help ensure that our grocery stores are stocked and that our medical professionals and emergency responders have the equipment they need to stay safe,” Governor Doug Ducey said. “Responding to COVID-19 is an all-hands-on-deck effort, and I’m grateful to the agencies and community partners that have stepped up to bring relief and assistance to Arizonans.”

The temporary weight limits apply to commercial vehicles that are providing direct assistance to COVID-19 relief efforts as outlined in a recent federal emergency declaration. This includes, among other essential items, medical supplies related to the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, supplies necessary for community safety and preventing the spread of COVID-19 and food and household items for emergency restocking of stores.

To support truck drivers making hauling critical goods, last week, ADOT temporarily reopened two long-closed rest areas near Flagstaff, Christensen on Interstate 17 and Parks on Interstate 40, exclusively for commercial vehicles, offering parking, portable toilets and handwashing facilities.

ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division officers have implemented the new weight protocol at commercial vehicle ports of entry. Commercial vehicles will continue to be required to comply with state and federal regulations, and officers will continue to conduct safety inspections and issue permits as needed. Ports of entry at state lines and international borders remain open and staffed by ADOT officers and other staff to screen commercial vehicles to ensure the safe flow of commodities and supplies while supporting federal guidelines to keep America’s commerce moving.

For the latest updates on COVID-19 in Arizona, please visit azhealth.gov/covid19. For resources and information about Arizona’s response to COVID-19, visit ArizonaTogether.org.

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.

PHOENIX – A tunnel built to keep pedestrians safe near the Arizona Department of Transportation’s commercial port of entry in Nogales is now open around the clock.

ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division conducts truck safety inspections near where pedestrians emerge from the federal portion of the Mariposa Port of Entry. The 150-yard underground walkway keeps pedestrians out of the way of trucks that have cleared ADOT inspections and are accelerating to merge onto State Route 189.

To encourage more pedestrians to use the tunnel, ADOT has reconfigured fencing near both ends, and the passage is now open 24 hours a day rather than during the ADOT facility’s hours of operation.