A recent series of surprise spot-checks in Omaha grounded half the big rigs that were stopped, for safety violations. Iowa checks trucks on the road — at truck stops and at weigh stations around the state, and enforcement chief Mike Winfrey says they look for a range of things.The most frequent problem is brakes out of adjustment, and they also check lights, tires and the windshields for cracks. Weigh stations aren’t always open, but Winfrey says the agency has plenty of checkpoints. There are 17 scales on the Interstates and the “380 Corridor,” and 11 on state highways. Winfrey says the rule for overweight trucks is simple…the more you weigh, the more you pay. With up to 45,000 citations a year for weight, safety and other violations, the DOT collects about four-and-a-half million in fines. And D-O-T road and waypoint checks also net 100-thousand warning tickets a year for truckers using Iowa’s roadways.
