Blue Ink Tech Blog

So far in 2022 the Department of Transportation (DOT) executed over 725,000 inspections and issued 649,000 violations to bulk commodity haulers across the US. We take a look at the numbers of inspections and violations that were held in each state and see which FMCSA BASIC measure were enforced the most.

The violations are grouped together based on which BASIC category that they fall under. Some violations do not fall under a specific BASIC category and were not counted in the tables.

The commodities that were used in this report come from the FMCSAs Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS). Carriers who reported hauling the following commodities were used:

• Livestock
• Produce
• Grain/feed
• Meat
• Drybulk
• Cold food
• Beverages
• Farm supply

Read below to see how many inspections your state started and and how many of those inspections turned into violations.

Weigh-in-motion (WIM) scales are embedded scales that can weigh vehicles while they are in motion on interstate roadways. This type of scale works by using sensors in the road and imaging technology to tell what kind of vehicle is currently on the scale and how much each axle weighs. These systems can tell if a trucks load is properly balanced or heavy on an axle group which can affect handling. Some of the more sophisticated systems can tell which tires are low on pressure as well. The accuracy of weigh in motion systems are continuing to improve and can provide weights with 3% error or less.

The Hazardous Materials Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC) is one of seven categories that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) uses to determine how a motor carrier ranks relative to other carriers with a similar number of safety events (i.e., inspections, violations, or crashes). This is used to determine a carrier's CSA score.

The Controlled Substance and Alcohol Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC) is one of seven categories that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) uses to determine how a motor carrier ranks relative to other carriers with a similar number of safety events (i.e., inspections, violations, or crashes). This is used to determine a carrier's CSA score.

What is the maximum axle weight for trucks?

By federal regulations, a load is overweight when it is: