Hours of Service overall violations last year continued their downward trend of recent years following the electronic logging device mandate. Since the COVID related enforcement reductions last year that sent all violations volumes crashing, the percentage rise for Hours of Service violations is probably the most meaningful figure. The national average ticked up from 7.3% to 8.3% and more than half of all states are well above that figure. As a company, Witte Bros. continually focuses on fleet safety. Drivers’ hours of service and maintenance of their equipment are always a top priority. Below are the 15 toughest states for Hours of Service violations.
State: |
Percentage Of All Violations: |
| Colorado | 29.1% |
| Wyoming | 24.7% |
| Kansas | 20.9% |
| Oregon | 20.4% |
| Arizona | 19.4% |
| Indiana | 19.3% |
| Georgia | 14.9% |
| Iowa | 14.1% |
| Arkansas | 13.9% |
| Vermont | 13.2% |
| South Dakota | 12.6% |
| Missouri | 12.6% |
| Idaho | 12.5% |
| Maine | 12.4% |
| Nevada | 12.2% |
It is common for truck inspectors to point out light violations in the inspection selection process, especially as the sun begins to set or before it shines in the morning. A light out is an obvious indicator of a violation and it could trigger the inspector to conduct a wider inspection. Driver’s should get in the habit of inspecting their lights anytime they step out of the truck. When drivers do their initial check and regular securement checks, activating their lights can help increase the odds of finding and correcting these lighting violations. Below is a list of the 15 toughest states for lighting violations.
State: |
Percentage Of All Violations: |
| Florida | 24.8% |
| Texas | 24% |
| Alabama | 23.3% |
| Ohio | 21.9% |
| Mississippi | 21.8% |
| Vermont | 20.5% |
| Virginia | 19% |
| Maryland | 18.7% |
| Michigan | 18.4% |
| North Carolina | 18.2% |
| Nevada | 17.9% |
| Wisconsin | 17.1% |
| Kansas | 17% |
| New York | 16.9% |
| Massachusetts | 16.7% |
These are good reminders to avoid unnecessary violations. Make sure you are running your clock correctly and performing your pre-trips. It’s doing the little things consistently that will keep you rolling violation-free.
Happy driving and be safe out there!
