Truck Topics

Kentucky has its eye on you!

Afrequently asked question among cargo van expediters is: "Do I have to go through the Kentucky scales?" In a word, yes. In fact, this question must have been posed so often to Kentucky Motor Carrier officials that it has a special place on their web page found Here.

The exact phrasing found at the bottom of the page reads: "All commercial vehicles are required to stop at all open scale facilities in Kentucky." The wording of this statement leaves little doubt as to the law.

IRIS & You

In May 1999, Kentucky began a new 2 year pilot safety inspection program called IRIS (InfraRed Inspection System). The IRISystem is designed to make the inspection of commercial vehicle braking systems easier, faster, and more efficient.

Used in a mobile unit, the IRISystem enables inspectors to make accurate on the spot determination of malfunctioning braking systems and take the appropriate action immediately. In addition, the system can provide useful indicators of other operating problems.

The mobile IRIS van used in Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, utilizes a high tech infrared camera mounted on top of a basic mini-van. The van is equipment with monitoring equipment inside to monitor vehicles as they approach.

There are 2 monitors, one showing a color image and one showing the infrared image. As a vehicle passes the camera records and displays separate thermal and color images.

On the thermal image, working brakes will show a glow as heat is emitted by the brakes. A non functioning brake will not glow indicating a need to inspect. From the color image the officer is able to identify the vehicle and radio ahead to the inspection station so that vehicle can be pulled in and a thorough inspection conducted.

There is a great savings of time and resources that result from the use of this tool. Not only do the states have a tool that helps in the selection process rather than just randomly choosing, but commercial motor carriers reap great benefit by not having to have their time and resources wasted on unnecessary inspections.

Also, most carriers want to know when a brake is not working properly and with IRIS it will tell them.

Simply put, this tool works to assist in the selection of commercial vehicles to be inspected. The following are testimonies from some of the users of the IRISystem van:

According to Jeff Bibb, Assistant Director of Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement and Project Manager of the IRISystem, "Kentucky is very impressed with the capabilities and performance of this technology. This system allows us to spend more time and resources on vehicles with obvious problems".

"The Tennessee Department of Safety, Commercial Enforcement Division has utilized the IRISystem and we have found it to be a beneficial tool in promoting highway safety by targeting brake deficiencies in commercial motor vehicles." Sgt. Hunt, Tennessee Department of Safety, Commercial Enforcement Division).

"The Department has also been able to utilize this vehicle in our Pupil Transportation (school bus) Safety program".

In Georgia, with limited use the first time around, good results were reported with a good percentage of the vehicles sited for inspections, based on the use of the IRISystem, placed out of service for brake violations.

As previously mentioned, the pilot program IRISystem van, the first of it's kind in North America is scheduled to return to Kentucky in May, 2001.

Kentucky has shown a reduction in Commercial Vehicle fatalities over the past few years of 28%. Officials feel that use of innovative equipment, such as the Irisystem, has afforded them the ability to better use their resources to achieve this goal.

Captain Jim Sutter of Kentucky Motor Vehicle Enforcement tells us, "The IRISystem has been an effective tool in vehicle inspection, as a matter of fact, it works even better than I though it would."

"It's a great system that helps us determine those trucks in violation," says Officer Tristan Truesdell, also of Kentucky Motor Vehicle Enforcement and one of the officers trained in using the IRISystem.

"Presently, when a truck goes by, we can't spot a violation unless it's one such as a headlight out or something obviously defective. With the infrared, we can find problems that might not even be violations, but purely a safety issue."

Officer Truesdell continues, "The IRISystem hasn't eliminated random inspections, but with the van, we can pinpoint problem areas such as over-inflated or under-inflated tires, exhaust leaks, inoperative brakes, etc."

"Basically anything that produces a heat variation that shouldn't exist. Another great feature about the IRISystem is it's operator-friendliness. We had a week's training in the operation and maintenance of the system and although it's a high-tech device, one doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to operate it."

Expediters and the scales

Officer Truesdell, who along with Captain Sutter works in the Kenton County, KY weigh station 9B, tells us that, for the most part, the expediting truck traffic they see through their scale house have a good record of vehicle and safety compliance: "It seems that there are better quality trucks on the road today. In the past, we might inspect a truck and find a dozen violations, while today it might be half that number. Logbook irregularities are probably one of the more frequent violations."

Captain Sutter adds, "I think most of the expediting companies seem to be squared away in regards to equipment being up to regulations, especially the larger companies."

And to referring back to the section that began this article, Officer Truesdell says, "Remind those cargo vans that they are commercial vehicles too, and they're required to visit the scales."

Web Information
Kentucky Motor Carrier