Photos: Roadcheck 2009 truck inspections

Master Trooper Eric Berge (left) and Senior Trooper Robert Tershak (right) of the Virginia State Police's Motor Carrier Enforcement division covered the first shift of "Roadcheck 2009" safety inspections -- from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on June 2 -- at the northbound I-95 weight station just outside of Manassas, Va.

Master Trooper Berge -- a 25-year veteran of the Virginia State Patrol -- directs truck driver Purcell Terry Montague to pull his rig over the inspection "pit" so Berge can quickly and accurately check brake and suspension components.

A quick "walk around" of the truck and trailer allows Berge to rapidly identify several key safety violations, such as damaged tires and leaky wheel hubs.

Being a vehicle safety inspector means getting familiar with the ground, as Berge says it's the only way to get a clear idea if the truck's steering system is working properly.

Using the inspection "pit" allows Berge to make sure the truck and trailer's brakes and suspension system are in good working order. He's looking for items such as cracks in the brake pads, worn bolts, air system leaks, and brakes that are out-of-adjustment. If just two out of the 10 brakes on a big rig are deemed out-of-adjustment, he'll put the vehicle out of service.

Once the vehicle inspection is completed, Berge turns to the driver -- accessing a real-time database via a laptop with wireless Internet connection in his patrol vehicle. This will allow him to not only quickly verify the driver's credentials but to also view the driver and carrier's past safety record. That information, Berge said, can tip him off to potential problem areas, such as frequent logbook violations, he may need to take another look at.

It's all good! After over an hour's going over, Montague, his Freightliner Columbia daycab tractor, and 53-foot Wabash Duraplate trailer all pass inspection. Master Trooper Berge puts a CVSA inspection sticker on the tractor's windshield that'll let other inspectors know Montague and his rig -- owned by Acme Paper & Supply Co. out of Savage, Maryland -- are good to go. That CVSA sticker, by the way, is valid for 90 days.

It's all a matter of inches when it comes to brakes -- which is why Senior Trooper Tershak carries a tape measure with him when conducting brake inspections. It helps him tell, for example, whether cracks in brake pads are within acceptable norms ... or not.

When doubt surfaces over whether a component is within accepted tolerances, inspectors can refer to a CVSA booklet packed with photos showing what components should -- and should not -- look like. It helps make sure all the inspectors on the nation's highways -- regardless of what state or country they work in -- hew to the same inspection standards, says Tershak.