SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Truck drivers using Highway 4 got a surprise on Feb. 24 after RCMP, Municipal Enforcement and the Department of Transportation set up a check stop on the highway.

Municipal Enforcement officer Kerry Nicholson inspects a truck on Highway 4. - Kassina Ryder/NNSL photo

"Some of them were a little surprised and we got sworn at this morning a couple times, but that happens," said Art Walton, supervisor of the Enterprise Weigh Scale with the Road, Licensing and Safety division of the Department of Transportation.

The department was conducting safety checks on transport trucks on the way to and from the Tibbitt to Contwoyto winter road. Walton said approximately eight trucks per hour were inspected. Regular vehicles on the highway were also stopped by RCMP, who checked for licences and registration.

"It's a truck safety thing to make sure they're safe to run up and down the roads," he said. "We do it off and on. This is the first time this winter we've done it."

Walton said they were checking the trucks for mechanical problems, as well as making sure drivers had proper certification to carry dangerous goods such as diesel fuel.

Walton said one of the most important aspects of the check stop was keeping tabs on the number of hours drivers were spending on the road.

"It's just to make sure guys aren't falling asleep on the road," Walton said.

Drivers must take a 36-hour break after spending 105 hours driving, Walton said. They must also keep a log book that tracks their hours, which must be provided to inspectors at the check stop. If a driver fails to keep an updated log book, they could be fined $230.

Fines for smaller infractions, such as a driver failing to do a pre-trip inspection (checking the truck to make sure it's in working order), are about $115.

Walton said some fines are small and are usually paid by the driver, but bigger violations such as carrying diesel without a Transportation of Dangerous Goods certificate can run much higher.

"You want to have all your stuff lined up and be trained and know what you're doing because that's a dangerous situation," he said.

Walton estimated the department would hand out six tickets over the course of the check stop, which began at 9 a.m. and was expected to end around 5 p.m.

For the most part, drivers and companies keep trucks in good working order because if a problem is found, trucks are taken off the road until it is fixed, Walton said.

"Generally, most companies really try not to be held up because it costs them money," he said. Other than some angry individuals at the beginning of the day, Walton said the majority of drivers complied with the inspections.

"They know what they're supposed to do, but when you get caught, it's like you're more mad at yourself and some of them lash out," he said.

Walton also said after the first trucks reached the inspection area, the rest of the drivers were undoubtedly made aware of its presence.

"Once you stop the first truck, word spreads like wildfire," he said.