It’s no secret that Connecticut state government needs to save every dollar possible, and the Department of Motor Vehicles tries to do its part by riding herd on overweight and unsafe trucks that can damage the state’s highways.
About one-third of the 20,000-plus commercial vehicle inspections that take place in Connecticut each year happen at the six weigh stations located throughout the state, according to Lt. Donald Bridge, commanding officer of the DMV’s motor carrier unit. The older stations — in Waterford, Middletown and Danbury — use a static scale that trucks stop on to have their weight recorded. Newer facilities in Union and Greenwich, however, have newer technology called weigh-in-motion.
“The vehicle comes over the entrance ramp and the computer weighs them while they’re in motion,” Bridge said. “In Union, we have an even newer system that can weigh them at speed on the highway. We can process a lot more trucks that way than using the static scale. In Union, we do almost 2,000 trucks a day whereas in Middletown, for example, we can weigh 150.”
All trucks are required to stop at weigh stations, and they can be cited if they are caught bypassing an open station. But inspectors can temporarily turn off weigh signs if a traffic backlog occurs.
Bridge estimates that only 1 to 2 percent of trucks are found to be overweight. Those that are too heavy are subject to a detailed inspection. The driver’s work log and licenses and various safety issues are all checked out. Any fines levied go into the state’s general fund. All commercial vehicles, including motor coaches, are subject to spot inspections.
“The driver’s behavior is usually what draws our attention and we go from there,” Bridge said. A vehicle must complete any required repairs — and certify it with the DMV — before going back into service. Carriers who fail to do so can have their registration suspended, Bridge said.
