Montana started up a computer system May 1 that will track data on overweight trucks so that state inspectors can better target their enforcement efforts.
The Montana Department of Transportation’s State Truck Activities Reporting System, or STARS, will collect information at more than 90 permanent and portable weight stations across the state.
MDT will use this data to anticipate the location of overweight vehicles and to dispatch mobile truck weight enforcement teams.
“Fixed weight stations have a role, but truckers who knowingly run overweight avoid them by using back roads or operating when weigh stations are closed,” said David A. Galt, who was director of MDT’s Motor Carrier Services Division until his appointment as head of the Montana Motor Carriers Association.
For the full story, see the May 8 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.