Police begin truck traffic enforcement in Waynesburg
North Strabane police Officer Matt Schmeltz inspects a tractor-trailer parked Monday in front of the Greene County Courthouse in Waynesburg.
Canonsburg police Officer Scott Bashioum, left, explains a citation to Waynesburg Officer Marcus Simms and North Strabane Officer Matt Schmeltz during an enforcement training session Monday.
WAYNESBURG – The borough police department’s newly-certified commercial traffic enforcement officers began their first truck inspections Monday in Waynesburg’s main business district.
Officers Shawn Wood and Marcus Simms spent the day working on High Street and other busy roads in the borough as they put their Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program certification into action.
They worked alongside North Strabane police Officer Matt Schmeltz, who also trained with them in Harrisburg late last month, and the group performed numerous inspections while under the supervision of Canonsburg police Officer Scott Bashioum, who is already certified.
“It’s been active,” Bashioum said. “There’s a lot of truck traffic.”
Simms described the sessions he and Wood experienced in Harrisburg as “very intense training” that now sets them up to continue working in the field with Bashioum over the next few months. North Strabane is also putting an emphasis on truck traffic enforcement by sending Schmeltz to become certified.
“It was hectic. There was a lot of info,” Schmeltz said of the training and the massive field manual filled with regulations and citations. “There’s just so much information to remember.”
There are only 700 certified officers in the state, Bashioum said, and it’s estimated that about 4 percent of truck traffic nationwide is inspected each year. That brings added importance for the enforcement officers working in highly-traveled areas such as Waynesburg and North Strabane.
Monday’s enforcement session, one of 32 field-training sessions the officers will need to complete this year, was an opportunity for them to put their knowledge to the test, Bashioum said.
“See that last one leaning back?” Bashioum said to the officers as they watched a flatbed tractor-trailer carrying several large sandbags as it drove past the county courthouse. “That’s an unsecured load.”
The officers didn’t stop that vehicle since these initial sessions are mostly to prepare them on what to look for before eventually sending each of them out on their own. Bashioum walked the officers through the process and quizzed them on the rules and regulations.
“They’ve got to take their time, take their baby steps before they go off on their own,” he said. “One (violation) might stick out to you. We’d have Waynesburg tied up for hours if we stopped every truck.”
At the beginning of their morning shift, the officers stopped a pickup truck pulling a trailer with an all-terrain vehicle loaded on the back. The trailer did not have working brake lights and was missing a “break-away” system that would stop the load if it disconnected from the truck. The officers cited the driver and the trailer was towed away to be stored until it can be brought into compliance.
“I can’t believe how much truck traffic is through here,” Schmeltz said.
North Strabane has its own share of heavy truck traffic from the Marcellus Shale industry and various other businesses in the township. The Waynesburg police officers will return the favor and periodically work in Washington County as their training continues.
Waynesburg police Chief Rob Toth said they’re happy to partner with their colleagues to the north as they try to tackle an increasing problem. He added that the bulk of truck drivers who drive through the borough follow the laws, but the officers need to remain vigilant to find those who are in violation.
“They’re doing well. This is going to be a statement,” Toth said. “There’s lots of heavy traffic with these trucks so we need to do something. Our main focus is we want to keep the roads safe.”