Oregon officials ticketed over 100 commercial truck drivers and temporarily ordered them off the road because they illegally bypassed open weigh stations, the Oregon Department of Transportation,or ODOT, announced in a news release Monday, June 9. Investigators ticketed the drivers, who in April and early May bypassed open weigh stations. Investigators also ordered the drivers to temporarily stay off the road, ODOT said. "We take weigh station bypass very seriously and are taking enforcement action against it," said ODOT Commerce and Compliance Interim Division Administrator Carla Phelps in the release. "The goal of this operation was to remove fatigued and unqualified drivers from Oregon roads to prevent fatal commercial truck collisions with the traveling public." Here's what to know about the operation leading to the tickets and out-of-service orders. The Oregon Department of Transportation Commerce and Compliance Division and the Oregon State Police were part of the operation, which took place along interstate 84 at: La Grande weigh station Emigrant Hill weigh station Cascade Locks port of entry Umatilla port of entry Farewell Bend port of entry In April and early May, more than 490 commercial truck drivers bypassed the open weigh stations, ODOT said. Officials from ODOT and the Oregon State Police stopped the trucks and escorted them back, then inspected the trucks for compliance with licensing and hours-of-service regulations. Of the drivers and trucks stopped, 122 were placed out-of-service or temporarily prohibited from driving a commercial vehicle, ODOT said. Before they could continue driving, their vehicles were inspected for state and federal violations, which they had to correct. Commercial truck drivers use logs to record their daily activities, including their time spent driving, on duty, off duty, and in sleeper cabs, ODOT said. During the operation, inspectors found false logs and multiple electronic logging devices that "had been tampered with and were producing fictional logs." ODOT said driver logs are important because they limit how long drivers can work without taking breaks. Commercial vehicles and vehicle combinations weighing more than 20,000 pounds must stop and weigh in when there are signs posted,Oregon officialssaid. When signs are not posted, all commercial vehicles and vehicle combinations with a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or more must stop. Some vehicles that are exempt include: Empty log trucks and bunked pole trailers Fire equipment with red warning lights and/or siren operating Recreational vehicles operated solely for personal use A bus, unless required by signage to enter scale Military vehicles in convoy Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia–the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Officials order over 100 truckers off road for bypassing weigh stations
