It’s a simple process, usually included in the purchase price, but the first and arguably most important step for any transportation company when a trailer and tractor are ordered. Pre-delivery inspection is what the name implies: the inspection to make sure everything on a vehicle is working before it is delivered to the customer.

The U.S. Agriculture Department has proposed recouping costs associated with animal and plant inspections by raising fees for all truck-borne imports by 205%.

Traffic-enforcement inspections of trucks have been dwindling in recent years, even though safety officials say they are particularly useful in reducing highway crashes.

The Federal Motor Carrier Administration said it is near the number of inspections needed to evaluate the safety of its Mexican border pilot program, but it remains far below the target number of carriers.

A proposed rule eliminating the requirement that interstate truck drivers submit vehicle inspection reports even though the driver has found no vehicle defects or deficiencies could lead to “catastrophic crashes,” the National Transportation Safety Board said in written comments to federal regulators.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance said that roughly 10,000 truck and bus inspectors will fan out at more than 1,500 locations across North America from June 5-7 for the annual “Roadcheck” safety event.

WASHINGTON — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration officials said they were making progress toward a broader test of wireless inspections as part of a effort to use electronic technologies to improve carrier safety and efficiency.