Vermont DMV outlines enforcement, technology plans for commercial trucks; virtual weigh stations to expand

Good morning. On April 17, 2025, a Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles commercial vehicle enforcement official described the agency’s current enforcement work, technology investments and permitting practices and outlined plans to expand virtual weigh‑in‑motion stations to improve road safety and protect pavement.

The presentation, given by Steve Petita of the DMV’s commercial vehicle enforcement section, summarized the unit’s history and duties, described how permits and the federal bridge formula shape routing for heavy and over‑dimension loads, and explained how federal grants and new technology such as weigh‑in‑motion systems and electronic carrier screening are being used to target unsafe carriers.

Petita said the DMV enforces state laws implementing federal commercial vehicle safety rules, conducts roadside and terminal inspections, investigates crashes involving commercial vehicles, and enforces size, weight and permit conditions. He described recurring pavement damage—potholes, alligator cracking, rutting—and explained that heavier trucks cause disproportionately more pavement damage, citing the Federal Highway Administration and the federal bridge formula as the basis for state weight and routing policy.

Petita detailed two technology programs the agency is using: weigh‑in‑motion (WIM) sensors embedded in pavement and a carrier pre‑screening service the presentation called DriveWise (commonly commercialized as Drivewyze). He said the Colchester…