Recently, the Pelham Police Department hosted the 80-hour North American Standard Inspection Part A and Part B training courses developed by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA).  This training was attended by police officers from all over Alabama.  Four Pelham police officers assigned to the Traffic Operations Unit completed this training in Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE).  These new CVE officers will complete the certification process during the month of February.  The purpose of this trainng is to focus on the enforcement of Federal and State laws pertaining to commercial motor vehicles (CMV) within the City of Pelham.  Increased public awareness of CMVs as a potential serious threat to life and property has resulted in CMVs being designated as a primary national highway safety concern, garnering the same attention as speed enforcement, use of safety restraints, and impaired driver enforcement.  Overweight and unsafe CMVs can significantly impact highway safety in our community.  The City of Pelham is very fortunate to have four CMV officers certified to conduct Level II inspections and to enforce federal safety regulations on CMVs.

Level II inspections of CMVs primarily involve driver and equipment inspection, transportation of hazardous material and detection of overweight or oversized vehicles.  CVE officers conduct physical inspections of commercial vehicles and their payload for conformity to size, weight, and load restrictions; safety and mechanical requirements as determined by federal and state regulations.  CVE officers are also responsible for the inspection of the CMV driver records for conformity to licensing, log book, hours of service and permits.  CVE officers conduct various safety inspections on CMVs and often put unsafe vehicles out-of-service until repairs can be made or the driver comes into compliance with regulations.  Inspections are augmented by enforcement activities focused on serious moving violations committed by CMVs.  The increased enforcement by these CVE officers helps to protect the City's infrastructure and the safety of the motoring public.