PERRY — If it seems like there are a lot of big trucks on Utah's roads, that's because there are.

By percentage, more commercial trucks haul along the highway next to Utah motorists than in any other state in the country. That's one reason the state wants to make sure those trucks are in good condition.

"We are really a crossroads here," said Lane Murphy, UDOT's Motor Carrier Division operations manager. "We have I-80 coming in, as well as I-70, and I- 15 from the north and the south."

It's the 27th Annual International Roadcheck sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. Inspectors at eight ports of entry in Utah are getting dangerous trucks off the road and collecting data on our country's trucking fleet. It's a critical job, Murphy said. The safety of all motorists depends on it.

In Utah, 25 percent of the vehicles on the road are trucks, compared to 13 percent nationwide. This week, among the ports of entry, Utah has thoroughly inspected 500 trucks so far. Annually, they inspect 35,000 trucks.

Murphy said one out of five trucks inspected in Utah is taken out of service until the violation is fixed. Often that means replacing a brake pad, a blinker or a tire. National statistics show one out of four trucks is taken out of service after an inspection.

"We're very proactive," Murphy said. "We're trying to catch things before they happen."

If they catch a bald tire or bad brakes before they lead to a crash, they can save lives and costly traffic jams.

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A recently created coalition of trucking companies held its first event in Duchesne County, working with the Utah Highway Patrol to promote safe driving practices among those who drive tractor-trailer trucks.

A typical commercial semi-trailer truck rumbling down the road weighs 80,000 pounds or 40 tons. Many semi-trailer trucks rack up hundreds of thousands of miles. Inspectors in Utah have seen trucks with more than one million miles.

Utah truck inspector Tony Meier says that kind of mileage leads to a lot of wear and tear on the trucks, and equipment breaks down. When that happens, the driver and other motorists are at risk.

"Those trucks don't stop very quickly," Meier said. "If they do hit something, they hit hard."

Cecil Scarbrough drives a truck nationwide based out of Mississippi.

"It gets in your blood," Scarbrough said.

Scarbrough was selected randomly for a thorough inspection at the port of entry in Perry on I-15. He said it's in his best interests to keep his truck in safe, running condition.

"I try to keep my truck up," he said. "I run this truck like it's mine."

If he doesn't, the inspector will take his truck out of service. That costs him time, money and points on his license.

The most common violations?

"We call them BLT: brakes, lights, and tires," Murphy said. Not that different from the most common failures in passenger cars, small trucks and SUVs.

Murphy said it's easy for most motorists to look at the big trucks as hazards. But, he said, the fact of the matter is, they are held to higher standard and scrutinized more closely and more often than cars.

That makes perfect sense to Scarbrough.

"You don't want equipment out here that's got a problem," he said. "You can kill a lot of people with this thing, including yourself."

Scarbrough's truck passed and he was back on the road after about a half hour. Meier said his truck was average. From time to time, he said he does inspect trucks with serious violations. But, that is not the norm.

"There's been some really rough equipment," Meier said. "But, for the most, part it's all in really good shape."

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