PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Outside the Comfort Zone

By Maj. Chris Nordloh, Texas Department of Public Safety; CVSA President

Our world in commercial motor vehicle (CMV) enforcement is complicated and taxing. Standards should be consistent across the board for enforcement and industry. The details matter, of course, and not every enforcement member of the Alliance has the same job or set of responsibilities. For those working in industry who were formerly in an enforcement role, times and demands have likely changed since you were roadside.

For a CMV enforcement trooper in Texas, aside from attaining and maintaining a suite of certifications, there are also state laws to consider. Weight and size limitations are stacked on top of general traffic enforcement to include crash investigations and criminal law enforcement. Our troopers also have border enforcement requirements, assist police departments with violent crime task forces and help protect the Texas State Capitol.

Local officers may also conduct crash investigations and answer calls for service. This could look like responding to a disturbance call and then immediately going back into CMV enforcement mode. The chain of command may not include officers with a CMV enforcement background or with the experience needed to calculate a weight problem or review a CMV inspection report.

Additionally, some of our agencies have hiring and retention problems that are compounded by retirements and budget cuts. Staffing pressures certainly have an effect on our highly technical profession, and industry needs our commitment.

This is not a complaint, but a statement of how difficult our profession can be. It requires consistent effort to maintain our areas of expertise while balancing the other commitments with which we are entrusted.

To our alliance of professional members, my observations may seem like I’m preaching to the choir. Rather, I’m hoping that those who don’t or can’t attend workshops, conferences or other events get a chance to read this and are encouraged to continue to push forward.

Take advantage of resources available to you through CVSA, which is made up of professional members developing policy, training specifications, out-of-service criteria, enhanced inspections and more. Troopers, officers and inspectors involved in these efforts are influencing the future, which likely will further change.

Stay strong and focused. n