Law Enforcement Bulletin 21-04
15 July 2021
Agency of Transportation
Enforcement
Commercial Vehicle Enforcement and Safety
Fair and Impartial Policing
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Enforcement and Safety Division
I. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to require that all department members conduct policing in a fair and impartial manner, to clarify the circumstances in which officers can consider personal characteristics, or immigration status, when making law enforcement decisions, and to reinforce processes and procedures that enable us to provide services and enforce laws in an equitable and impartial way.
Under what circumstances can a CMV be stopped?
The standard for stopping a vehicle in Vermont is “reasonable suspicion”. However, commercial vehicles are subject to inspection, upon demand, by an enforcement officer certified to inspect such vehicles.
I'm interested in becoming an officer with the DMV. Where should I begin?
Complete an application for employment with the State of Vermont. If selected, you would then be required to successfully complete;
- a background check
- polygraph test, and
- entrance exams for the full-time Police Academy.
After successfully passing these, and if hired, you must then successfully complete the full time Law Enforcement Academy.
Drivewyze PreClear
Drivewyze PreClear Weigh Station Bypass Program: Vermont DMV has authorized the Drivewyze PreClear bypass program to operate at some locations. Commercial fleets and owner-operators that register with the Drivewyze PreClear bypass service are eligible to bypass these sites instead of always pulling in, at rates determined by the state of Vermont and based upon safety scores and other prerequisites. Drivewyze PreClear is not a transponder-based bypass system, but runs instead as a GPS based application on smartphones, tablets and select in-cab devices.
School Bus Inspection Program
Vermont School buses and school vehicles are also subjected to random inspections throughout the school year to further ensure the safe transportation of Vermont’s school students.
Weight Enforcement Program
While inspecting commercial vehicles for safety compliance, many of Vermont’s motor carrier enforcement professionals also weigh them in an effort to help protect our transportation infrastructure. Using weigh in motion and portable scales, commercial vehicles are screened and weighed to ensure compliance with Vermont’s weight laws.
Special Hauling Permit Information
Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program
Throughout Vermont, trained officers inspect commercial vehicles and their drivers for compliance with state and federal motor carrier safety regulations. Inspections are conducted at interstate weigh stations as well as along many of the state’s frequently travelled rural roadways.
If a truck is overweight who is at fault, the operator or the owner of the vehicle
The defendant on a ticket issued for an overweight violation can be the operator or the carrier. The fines for an overweight violation depend on several factors. The fines are a set amount per thousand pounds overweight, and vary depending the amount of the overweight. It also depends if the vehicle is operating on a permit, and how many overweight tickets the defendant has been convicted of in the last 12 months.
What is considered over weight enough to get a ticket/fine?
There are several ways a vehicle can be overweight; such as over the registered weight, over tire limits, over an axle weight, or over gross weight. Depending on which way a vehicle is overweight depends on what there is for a enforcement tolerance. Depending on the weight violation, a tolerance will vary from a zero tolerance to a 10% tolerance. It also depends on whether the vehicle is being operated in conformance with a special permit. However, there is no weight statute that uses the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) as the basis for a vehicle’s legal weight limit.
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