122 Truckers Placed OOS After Bypassing Weigh Station

ODOT Crackdown: 122 Truck Drivers Placed OOS in Oregon

ODOT Focuses on Bypass Violations Leading to OOS Orders

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) recently placed 122 commercial truck drivers out of service (OOS) from state roads. The drivers were cited for illegally bypassing open weigh stations. The enforcement effort was carried out with support from the Oregon State Police.

The goal was to find and remove drivers who were unsafe or breaking rules. Inspectors looked for issues like driver fatigue, missing licenses, and false driving logs.

Enforcement Events Put Truckers OOS Along I-84

ODOT conducted the enforcement events in late April and early May. They took place along Interstate 84 at several locations. These included Cascade Locks, Umatilla, Farewell Bend, La Grande, and Emigrant Hill.

During these operations, over 490 truck drivers were stopped. All had skipped an open weigh station. Oregon State Police escorted them back for full inspections.

25% of Inspected Drivers Placed OOS

Of the 490 drivers stopped, about 25% were placed OOS. This means they were not allowed to drive until violations were corrected. OOS orders are issued when a driver or vehicle fails to meet safety or regulatory requirements.

Inspectors also looked at the vehicles themselves. Any safety problems had to be fixed before the drivers could continue their trips.

OOS Violations Included False Logs and ELD Tampering

Inspectors found several major violations during the enforcement. Some drivers had false logs. Others were using tampered electronic logging devices (ELDs). These devices had been altered to show fake records of driving hours.

Drivers are required by law to log their driving, rest, and off-duty time. These records help enforce federal hours-of-service rules. Those rules are meant to stop fatigue-related crashes by limiting how long drivers can be on the road without rest.

ODOT Statement on Enforcement Action

“We take weigh station bypass very seriously and are taking enforcement action against it,” said Carla Phelps, Interim Division Administrator for ODOT’s Commerce and Compliance Division. “The goal of this operation was to remove fatigued and unqualified drivers from Oregon roads to prevent fatal commercial truck collisions with the traveling public.”

Weigh stations play an important role in road safety. They help ensure that trucks and drivers meet safety standards. Bypassing these checkpoints skips an important safety step and puts other road users at risk.

Future Enforcement Operations

ODOT says this operation is part of a larger safety plan. The agency will continue to monitor bypass activity and take enforcement action.

While most truck drivers follow the rules, these inspections are designed to catch those who don’t. When drivers avoid weigh stations or tamper with logs, they risk being placed OOS and endanger others on the road.

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