Truck Height a Focus During New York Enforcement

The New York State Police and the New York State Thruway Authority recently completed the “Check Your Height, Know It’s Right” bridge strike mitigation campaign, a two-day commercial vehicle enforcement effort that resulted in 966 violations. While inspectors checked for a wide range of safety and regulatory issues, truck height was one of the campaign’s primary focuses as officials continue working to reduce bridge strikes along the state’s Thruway system.

According to the agencies, the operation was part of an ongoing effort to improve highway safety and prevent crashes involving commercial vehicles.

Truck Height Was One Focus of the Enforcement Campaign

The enforcement detail took place on August 5 and 6 along the New York State Thruway.

Officials said the campaign targeted commercial vehicles and focused on violations that can affect highway safety, including vehicle condition, driver compliance, overweight loads, and truck height.

One reason for the emphasis on overheight vehicles is the number of bridge strikes that continue to occur on the Thruway. According to the New York State Thruway Authority, more than 375 bridge strikes have been recorded over the past five years, causing traffic delays, infrastructure damage, and safety concerns.

Truck Height Results From the Two-Day Operation

During the operation, New York State Police and commercial vehicle inspectors conducted 348 commercial vehicle inspections.

The enforcement campaign resulted in:

• 966 total violations issued
• 126 commercial vehicles placed out of service
• 46 drivers placed out of service
• 11 overweight violations
• 3 overheight violations

Officials said the inspections included reviews of vehicle equipment, driver qualifications, required documentation, and compliance with state and federal commercial vehicle regulations.

Vehicles or drivers found with serious safety violations were placed out of service until the issues were corrected.

Why Truck Height Remains an Enforcement Priority

Although only three overheight violations were issued during the campaign, New York officials say preventing bridge strikes remains a major reason for conducting these operations.

The state reminds commercial drivers that the maximum legal vehicle height on the New York State Thruway is 13 feet, 6 inches, unless an oversized load permit has been issued.

Officials recommend that drivers know the exact height of their vehicle before starting a trip and use truck-approved routing to avoid low-clearance bridges.

Bridge strikes can damage bridges, trailers, and cargo while also creating traffic backups and costly delays.

Out-of-Service Orders Highlight Safety Concerns

Beyond the violations related to truck height, the inspection results showed that more than one-third of the commercial vehicles inspected were placed out of service.

A vehicle may be placed out of service when inspectors identify serious mechanical defects or other violations that make it unsafe to continue operating. Drivers may also be placed out of service for certain violations involving licensing, hours-of-service requirements, or other federal safety regulations.

According to the inspection results, 126 commercial vehicles and 46 drivers were prohibited from continuing until the identified issues were addressed.

Enforcement Expected to Continue

The New York State Police and the Thruway Authority regularly conduct commercial vehicle enforcement details throughout the year to improve highway safety.

State officials said operations like this one are intended to identify unsafe vehicles and drivers while helping reduce preventable crashes on one of the nation’s busiest freight corridors.

The latest enforcement campaign shows that truck height, vehicle condition, and regulatory compliance continue to be priorities as New York works to reduce bridge strikes and improve safety for commercial traffic traveling across the state.