Inspections

An active commercial vehicle inspection program helps make the roads safer for the residents of Clackamas County and the motoring public. State law (ORS 810.530) authorizes weighing and inspecting commercial vehicles in excess of 10,000 pounds.

There are two levels of truck inspections, Level I, the highest level, and Level II. When a commercial motor vehicle passes a Level I inspection, the vehicle receives a CVSA (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance) sticker and is considered to have received its annual inspection.

• Level I inspections
• Level II inspections
• Motor carrier marking requirements

Level I

Level I inspections are the most extensive, with an inspection of the operator qualifications and vehicle condition; they always involve 2 inspectors and usually take 20-60 minutes.

A Level I inspection includes a check of the following items.

For the driver

• driver’s license
• medical examiners certificate
• alcohol and drugs
• record duty of status, as required (log book)
• hours of service
• seatbelt
• vehicle inspection report (if applicable)

For the vehicle

• brake systems
• cargo securement
• coupling devices
• driveline or driveshaft
• exhaust systems
• frames
• fuel systems
• lights (head lamps, stop lamps, turn signals, tail lamps, and lamps or flags on projecting loads)
• steering mechanisms
• suspensions
• tires
• van and open top trailer bodies
• wheels, rims and hubs
• windshield wipers

Level II

A Level II inspection — known as a walk-around driver/vehicle inspection — includes most of items included in Level I, but excludes items that need to be inspected by getting underneath the vehicle.

Motor carrier marking requirements

In general, each side of the truck cab or other power unit must display:

• The carrier’s legal name or a single trade name of the business that owns or controls operations
• The carrier’s U.S. DOT number

The letters and numbers must “contrast sharply” with background colors and be large enough to be seen from a distance of 50 feet during daylight hours when the vehicle is stationary.

Exceptions:

• Requirements don’t apply to vehicles that weigh 26,000 or less (gross combination weight rating) if used only in intra-state private carriage, except:
  • Vehicles hauling hazardous materials of a type or quantity requiring placarding
  • Passenger vehicles with a seating capacity of 15 or more including the driver
• Carriers conducting for-hire operations with passenger vehicles with a seating capacity of 9 to 15, including the driver, are only required to display the U.S. DOT number.