
Overview
The Commercial Vehicle Division (CVD) is committed to making Washington’s highways the safest in the nation. CVD is responsible for ensuring industry compliance with federal commercial vehicle regulations while sustaining the safe and efficient movement of “over the road” freight throughout Washington State. The division consists of 57 fully commissioned officers, 45 Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers (CVEOs), and one captain. The CVD promotes safe travel of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) on Washington highways through a variety of efforts including enforcement, inspections, and education.
Key Measurements and Statistics


Successes of 2020
CVD examines collision data involving CMVs along with the overall output of traffic stops, weighing operations, and safety inspections to determine the effectiveness of work effort. Preliminary data shows in 2020, 44 people tragically lost their lives in collisions involving CMVs on roadways patrolled by the Washington State Patrol. Injury collisions in 2020 were 813, a decrease from 857 in 2019, and 874 in 2018. In 2020, CVD conducted 47,153 safety inspections on CMVs and placed 34% of the vehicles and 4% of the drivers contacted out of service for dangerous safety violations. Another component of the measurement of our success in CVD is violator contacts and enforcement. CVD contacted 80,458 violators in 2020 and discovered 26,430 of the top collision causing violations. This data all suggests our officers continue to target locations and violations leading to an inspection and enforcement when appropriate.
CVD provides regulatory oversight in partnership with the Department of Licensing over Registered Tow Truck Operators (RTTO), many of whom also have a Letter of Appointment to provide towing services to the WSP to aid in collision scene clearance and the removal of disabled and abandoned vehicles on our roadways. Troopers conducted inspections on over 673 separate businesses, each with multiple tow trucks. Troopers also inspected over 418 wrecking yards, hulk haulers, and scrap processors. Inspectors were able to modify their practices to still provide quality reviews of companies while observing necessary pandemic protocols.
CVD SafetyNet (CVDSN) retains responsibility for in-house data collection/distribution, while reporting to WSP partners in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on matters of joint concern. During the year, CVDSN analysts collected, compiled, and distributed data from collisions, enforcement activities, inspections, complaints, and community outreach education; thus allowing our troopers and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers to focus their efforts when and where they would have the greatest impact on CMV involved injury and fatal collisions. CVDSN achieved a 100 percent rating in six of the eight areas measured by FMCSA, and were 99 percent and 97 percent in the remaining two. This resulted in significant incentive funding from FMCSA to the State of Washington.
CVD continues to incorporate Virtual Weigh in Motion (WIM) into its Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan. Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers and troopers conduct portable weighing operations to identify overweight CMVs for the purpose of preventing roadway damage caused by heavy vehicles.
Additional Information and Resources
For more information on the Commercial Vehicle Division, visit Commercial Vehicle Driver