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One in five commercial vehicle inspections put trucks out of service, DMV enforcement chief says
Summary
Wade Cochran, director of enforcement and safety at the Vermont DMV, told lawmakers the agency's commercial vehicle inspectors conducted more than 8,700 inspections last year and placed about 20% of those vehicles out of service for safety defects.
Wade Cochran, director of enforcement and safety for the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, told the House Transportation Committee that the DMV’s commercial vehicle enforcement (CVE) unit performed more than 8,700 inspections in 2024 and placed roughly 20% of inspected vehicles out of service.
Cochran showed photographs of recent inspections to illustrate frequent hazards: vehicles with missing lug nuts, leaking wheel hubs, broken leaf springs and unsecured cargo. "Obviously that one should not be on the road, and that one that was put out of service," he said, describing multiple examples. Cochran noted that out‑of‑service determinations are made under federal motor carrier safety rules and that fines and penalties follow federal guidance.
The enforcement and safety division includes sworn uniformed inspectors who enforce federal and state commercial vehicle regulations, a plainclothes investigative unit that probes dealer and inspection fraud, and an education and safety unit that runs motorcycle safety, school bus driver training and school bus clinics. Cochran said the division has 23 inspectors and that inspectors also assist other law‑enforcement agencies and perform specialized missions such as early‑morning snow patrols and targeted high‑enforcement operations in high‑crash corridors.
Committee members asked how out‑of‑service incidents are handled and whether fines are collected by the state or federal agencies; Cochran said penalties are set by federal motor carrier rules and the department would follow up on allocation questions. Cochran also described new technology the division is testing, including smart‑roadside systems that detected a flat tire on a tractor‑trailer during a demonstration.
Lawmakers and Cochran discussed whether the enforcement trend points to a need for more resources; Cochran said he would provide follow‑up data on the composition of failing carriers and whether repeat offenders account for a disproportionate share of defects.
