Truck problems decline in Missouri roadside inspections

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) -- Roadside inspections found slightly fewer mechanical problems with tractor-trailers in Missouri last year, but the state still logs a higher percentage of flaws than Kansas or Oklahoma.

Federal statistics show that just under 30 percent of 76,045 inspections at Missouri weigh stations last year resulted in vehicle out-of-service orders, which mean that a truck cannot go back on the road until the problem is corrected.

That figure compares with just over 30 percent in 2005, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Comparable 2006 results were about 18 percent of inspections in Kansas and about 23 percent in Oklahoma.

Violations that warrant out-of-service orders pertain to things such as brakes, tires, load secureness, lighting and suspension.

Even though inspectors in different states undergo the same training and enforce the same regulations, transportation officials say there is no easy answer as to why some inspectors in states will find problems more often than others.

Sheer numbers could be one factor. Missouri inspectors conducted substantially more inspections than their counterparts in Kansas and Oklahoma.

Only 12 other states, including New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and California, logged more roadside inspections than Missouri in 2006, according to federal statistics. Kansas recorded 46,659, and Oklahoma totaled 18,619.

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Information from: The Joplin Globe, http://www.joplinglobe.com