(November 6, 2014) – The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) and Maryland State Police (MSP) today officially re-opened for service the commercial vehicle safety inspection station on southbound Interstate 83 in Parkton. Closed since early 2013 for a $3.2 million renovation project to modernize the facility, the station now includes an inspection pit and parking for vehicles placed out of service. Situated along a major truck route between Baltimore and the Pennsylvania state line, the site provides a safer and more efficient workplace for 11 MSP troopers and personnel to inspect thousands of commercial vehicles each year.
“Commercial vehicles transport nearly everything we use in daily life. We depend on them to deliver food, fuel and many other commodities and necessities. SHA partners with MSP, the Maryland Transportation Authority and 23 other allied agencies across the state to inspect trucks and review driver logs,” said SHA Administrator Melinda B. Peters. “Identifying safety violations on commercial trucks, and ensuring they are repaired before returning to the highway, keeps all travelers safe.”
Both the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Administration require commercial vehicle safety and weight enforcement programs, which Maryland conducts at these inspection facilities. There are 19 inspection stations in Maryland, eight on interstates and 11 on non-interstate roads. The stations are staffed by certified inspectors; MSP manages 13 of the sites and the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) manages those on toll roads.
“All of these safety requirements benefit the entire traveling public, including truck drivers,” said Maryland State Police Lt. Colonel Anthony Satchell, Chief of the Special Operations Bureau. “By improving the efficiency, equipment and conditions at Parkton, we also improve the safety of the troopers and inspectors as well.”
In 2012, the year prior to the station closing, Parkton personnel completed 5,500 of the 111,000 truck inspections conducted statewide. More than one-third of Parkton’s inspections resulted in the vehicle or driver being placed out of service for safety issues or critical defects; the team found another 2,600 trucks exceeded legal weight limits. Parkton personnel collected nearly $1 Million of the statewide total of $7 Million collected in enforcement related fines in the same year.
“Maryland has always had one of the most highly regarded inspection programs in the country. These enhancements will enable law enforcement to continue ensuring trucks meet safety requirements, while significantly reducing the time it takes to get safe carriers back on the road where they belong so they can deliver the products Marylanders use,” said Louis Campion, president of the Maryland Motor Truck Association.
In addition to constructing the stations, SHA coordinates the state’s commercial vehicle enforcement programs, develops policy for legal weight and size, and issues hauling permits for oversized and overweight trucks.
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