May 14, 2003

East Lansing - The Michigan State Police, Motor Carrier Division recently sponsored a two and one-half week training program for city and township police departments and county sheriff departments to enforce commercial vehicle laws.

The training included a Size and Weight Law class and a two-week U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) North American Standard Inspection Course. Upon completion of the course, the officers became certified by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) to conduct inspections. CVSA is an international non-profit association comprised of commercial vehicle enforcement members representing all 50 states, Canada, and Mexico.

Officers were trained in driver regulations such as hours-of-service, Commercial Driver License standards, and medical qualifications. They were also trained to inspect vehicles for equipment standards, including cargo securement, brakes, lights, tires and other vehicle components.

The inspections that these officers complete will be entered into a federal database that tracks a trucking company’s safety record. Trucking companies with poor safety records are subject to audits by federal and state enforcement officers.

In addition to the 119 State Police Motor Carrier Officers, Michigan now has 38 CVSA certified officers from 21 different agencies trained in commercial vehicle enforcement.

The following table depicts the various agencies and their number of officers trained and certified in commercial vehicle enforcement.

Questions regarding the inspection program should be directed to
Lt. David Ford, Michigan State Police Motor Carrier Division, at
517-336-6449.

Read more press releases from the Michigan State Police.