Washington State Patrol Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau Partners with U.S. Customs and Border Protection

By Jonas J. Mast, Motor Carrier Safety Division, Washington State Patrol

The Washington State Patrol’s (WSP) Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau (CVEB) partnered with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations to conduct a joint emphasis on May 9 at the Sumas-Huntingdon Port of Entry (POE).

Sumas is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, adjacent to the Canada-U.S. border and next to the city of Abbotsford, British Columbia. The Sumas-Huntingdon POE operates 24 hours a day.

Members of the WSP Motor Carrier Safety Division (MCSD) assigned to the Bow Hill POE, along with other CVEB members, conducted 23 inspections during the eight-hour emphasis. Of the vehicles inspected, officers placed 35% out of service (OOS) for violations such as defective brakes and no operating authority.

Trucks entering Washington through the Sumas POE are often inadvertently directed to State Route 9 (SR-9), which leads drivers to Interstate-5, south of the Bow Hill POE. There are commercial motor vehicle drivers who use this route to intentionally bypass the checkpoint.

To address this, a vehicle weigh-in-motion (VWIM) system was installed on SR-9 in 2019. The VWIM system is monitored at the Bow Hill POE and by enforcement officers working remotely in the area.

However, the results of the emphasis serve as a reminder to WSP CVEB officers that commercial motor vehicles using SR-9 are not just susceptible to being overweight; they are also just as likely to have other OOS violations.

“Over the years, the Sumas POE has encountered numerous commercial drivers who will drive significantly out of their way in attempts to avoid WSP inspections at the weigh stations,” said U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Ofc. Zachery Rehon. “My goal for this operation is to have Sumas CBP and Bow Hill WSP work jointly to target random commercial traffic inbound from Canada, conducting spot checks for public safety and prohibited items.”

Due to the success of the recent emphasis, Sumas CBP personnel and WSP CVEB officers plan to continue periodic emphasis in the area, with the goal of conducting one each quarter. Not only will this be a great way to enhance and build inter-agency relationships, but it will go a long way toward making Washington roadways safer.

“We strive to ensure we have the safest roadways in the nation, a mission that is met with the joint partnership of our dedicated officers and our allied agency partners,” stated Cpt. Jason Cuthbert, commander of the WSP Motor Carrier Safety Division.