At least 124 drivers and 226 commercial vehicles or loads went out of service across the United States and Canada in a wave of enforcement operations running from mid-September through Oct. 1, according to figures released by authorities.

The largest single action, "Operation Saturday Night Fever," paired the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration with the Department of Homeland Security and state police across South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia. The coordinated overnight detail ran 552 inspections and sidelined 78 drivers and 25 vehicles. Twelve drivers were grounded specifically for English-language-proficiency violations, FMCSA said — a signal that non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses drew particular scrutiny. Inspectors also checked credentials, electronic logging devices, fatigue indicators, distracted driving and cargo securement.

Illinois: 500 federal violations in two days

Illinois State Police ran a two-day hazardous-materials detail across major northern Illinois highways. Troopers completed 532 inspections, 111 of them hazmat-related, and logged 500 federal regulation violations plus 109 Illinois Vehicle Code violations. Thirty drivers and 60 vehicles went out of service.

Arizona: bald tires, invalid CDL, revoked oversize permit

Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers conducted a Sept. 16 detail on Interstate 10 near Quartzsite and Ehrenberg. Forty-six inspections produced 170 Driver/Vehicle Examination Report violations, with 11 drivers and 13 commercial vehicles placed out of service.

Two days later in Chandler, a trooper stopped a truck with a blown tire throwing sparks and found additional trailer tires bald or worn through to interior components. The driver held an invalid CDL. Both driver and vehicle went out of service.

On Sept. 24 in Tempe, troopers halted an oversize mobile home after finding inoperable rear lights, a pilot escort driver with a suspended license and an oversize permit listing an inaccurate width. Authorities revoked the permit and placed the load out of service.

Texas: two unlicensed drivers, two towed trucks

Texas DPS commercial vehicle enforcement officers joined Midland police on Oct. 1 for Level I inspections in Midland County, finding violations across tires, brakes, suspension components and air lines that put several trucks out of service. The agencies did not release inspection totals.

In Krugerville, a September traffic stop found a truck driver operating with no license at all. When a second truck arrived to pick him up, police said that vehicle carried similar violations — and its driver was also unlicensed. Both trucks were towed.

Kentucky and Nebraska

Louisville Metro Police and Kentucky State Police ran 43 inspections targeting high-crash corridors in Jefferson County, identifying 88 safety violations, issuing 30 citations and placing five drivers and eight vehicles out of service. FMCSA and other state transportation officials participated.

Nebraska State Patrol troopers inspected 19 commercial vehicles Sept. 22 in Kearney, an operation aimed partly at trucks that skirt weigh stations. Inspectors logged 70 violations of federal motor carrier safety regulations and state law, placed 11 vehicles out of service and issued seven citations.

Iowa: dash-mounted video streams behind the wheel

A Sept. 30 operation along Interstate 80 in Jasper County, Iowa, issued nine distracted-driving citations — most involving commercial drivers allegedly watching video streams on dash-mounted devices while driving. Three inspections put one truck out of service, and officers issued 60 warnings for equipment violations and improper driving maneuvers.

New Jersey: 57 overweight trucks stopped in one day

Piscataway Township police targeted overweight vehicles Sept. 30 on River Road, where trucks above 10 tons are restricted except for local deliveries. Officers stopped 57 overweight trucks, issued 79 summonses and impounded two commercial vehicles.

Canada: 40% failure rate in Strathcona County

North of the border, a three-day Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance operation in Strathcona County, Alberta, examined 192 vehicles from Sept. 23-25. Seventy-seven commercial vehicles went out of service — a 40% failure rate — while nearly another 20% required attention. Inspectors checked tires, cargo securement, lighting, brakes, hours-of-service records and CDL endorsements.

In Regina, Saskatchewan, a two-day blitz produced 47 commercial vehicle inspections, 19 vehicles out of service and 98 recorded defects; the broader traffic operation netted 281 infractions and 193 warnings. Ontario provincial police and transportation inspectors conducted 40 inspections near County Road 90 on Sept. 30, issuing 37 Provincial Offence Notices and grounding 10 vehicles for safety defects or violations.

The cumulative numbers point to a sustained escalation in roadside scrutiny of CDL status, English proficiency, brake and tire condition and distracted driving — carriers running non-domiciled drivers or deferred maintenance face a rising probability of a roadside shutdown, and shippers relying on them face the delivery risk that follows.