By PSC Chair Charlotte Lane
The Public Service Commission’s Transportation Division is staffed by state-certified police officers, experienced railroad inspectors, and other transportation professionals. Our officers patrol the highways for unsafe semi-trucks, buses, and coal trucks. The majority of big trucks on the road are safe, but when they are not, our officers try to find them.
The Transportation Division is run by former State Trooper Jeff Schoolcraft. Transportation Safety Enforcement’s 48 officers patrolled the state’s 36,000 miles of highways last year. We even have four officers who are designated to patrol the West Virginia Turnpike. In 2023, they inspected more than 21,000 trucks throughout the state.
The division has two officers assigned to patrol the Coal Resource Transportation System, or CRTS, along with inspectors who monitor the coal companies. CRTS is a specially designated road network that the Legislature established in 2003. The system spans 15 southern West Virginia counties.
Last year, the CRTS program monitored 157 coal facilities, 193 trucking companies, and nearly 1,600 permitted trucks. Of those shipments, the program held companies to a 99 percent compliance level for weight limits. Increased penalties reduced the probability of both speeding and overweight coal trucks. The state collected more than $387,000 in administrative sanctions last year.
All of our officers cooperate with other law enforcement agencies to battle any number of problems, including human trafficking. They participate in enforcing seat belt laws, distracted driving enforcement, work-zone enforcement, speed regulation, and a host of related programs.
Our officers conduct outreach and training for motor carriers and take part in programs that educate high school students about good driving tactics.
Our Railroad Safety Section inspects trains and locomotives, and ensures that railroad crossings and tracks are safe. The 10 inspectors examined nearly 30,000 rail cars and locomotives last year, 3,500 miles of railroad track, and 282 highway-rail crossings.
I hope you feel confident that these Public Service Commission professionals are out there every day giving it their best to keep you safe, whether on the asphalt or on the rails. I’m very proud of these officers, and I hope you are, too.
