A semitractor-trailer driver headed south on Interstate 5 was stopped this week after a California Highway Patrol sergeant said the trucker bypassed a weigh station near the base of the Grapevine. An officer with CHP told SFGATE that while the driver was not arrested for skirting the enforcement facility, the vehicle was impounded, leaving him stranded in the outskirts of the Central Valley without a ride.
Officer Hector Romero said the Grapevine facility’s lights were on, indicating that truckers had to either stop for assessment or display a transponder that signals to CHP that they were previously approved. Romero said the truck driver failed to enter the scales, which officers call a “blow-by.”
“He knew if he stopped, he’d be in trouble,” Romero said. “A lot of truckers think, ‘I’ll get by this time.’ That day was his wrong day.”
A CHP sergeant pulled the trucker over and learned that not only did the driver not have an installed transponder, but his registration had expired over six months ago. Due to that length of time, CHP has the authority to impound the vehicle, Romero said. CHP shared a photo online of a tow truck latching on to the white semi. It was impounded for delinquency, and Romero said they’ll release the vehicle to the owner after the citation is paid.
Romero said that it’s rare for a truck driver to bypass a weigh station. In the event that a truck driver’s vehicle is impounded, the driver is moved away from the highway and left on their own to find a way home.
“We make sure he’s taken off the freeway to a safe location,” Romero said. “We take them to an exit with lodging, food and facilities. Then it’s up to them to get transportation or call another unit.”
There are over 50 weight-inspection facilities along highways in California. Since the state has some of the most freight truck drivers in the country, regulators monitor truck size, weight and emissions.