Washington State is struggling to keep weigh stations open because there simply aren’t enough troopers to staff them.
Weigh Stations Unmanned Because Of Staffing Problems
The Motor Carrier Safety Division has expressed a desire to keep all of their 52 fixed inspection sites open all day every day, but they say they simply don’t have enough staff to make this happen.
Budgetary issues have caused an overall drop in Washington State Patrol staffing. The commercial vehicle division in particular has seen a 22% drop in the number of troopers employed to inspect trucks.
More Troopers To Be Hired Soon
While truckers traveling through Washington are currently able to bypass weigh stations on a fairly regular basis, they may be spending more time at weigh stations in the future. The state’s legislature recently approved a pay hike for troopers to aid in retention and they say that they are hiring as many troopers as they can.
Sources:
The Herald Net