Fort Worth steps up big rig inspections

Fort Worth Texas has been operating commercial vehicle inspections at an increased pace to pull unsafe vehicles off of the highway. The Fort Worth Police Dept. said it has stepped up their truck inspection program by 25% in the past eight months.

“We’re looking at load securement, general condition of the truck, driving habits of the truck driver,” said Robert Mills, with the Fort Worth Police Dept.’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. “We’re seeing an increase in the number of trucks. The economy gets better, so does the trucking industry. There are many, many unsafe trucks on the road.”

Federal grants allowed Fort Worth to increase truck inspections. The program also focuses on driver education — not just truck drivers but car drivers, as well, informing them about how to safely maneuver around big rigs. In the eight months since truck inspections have increased, commercial vehicle crashes are down by 9%.

“We’re never happy about a loss of life, of course,” Mills told the local CBS News affiliate. “But Fort Worth has had three fatalities involving commercial vehicles this calendar year compared to last year; at this time we had seven. So any decrease we’re proud of.”