CLARKS SUMMIT - As Patrolman Edward Orzalek watched hundreds of commercial trucks travel through the heart of Clarks Summit this summer, he kept flashing back to May 2010, when a dump truck lost its brakes and slammed into several cars at Dundaff Street in Dickson City, seriously injuring a woman.
Motivated to learn the safety regulations and policies for commercial vehicles so he could enforce them, Patrolman Orzalek attended a 13-day federal training program in September, becoming a certified North American Standard Level III inspector.
Now the borough is ready to buy four portable truck scales to enforce weight restrictions.
Officials are waiting for word about a federal grant application that would cover the roughly $20,000 cost.
"Without these scales, we can't measure if a truck is carrying too much weight," Officer-in-Charge Chris Yarns said.
He said he first noticed an increase in commercial vehicle traffic several years ago, when the Marcellus Shale drilling boom began.
Since then, the truck traffic through Clarks Summit has become "significantly heavier," even though the drilling frenzy has started to slow.
"Companies are still heading to drilling sites in Wyoming and Bradford counties," Officer Yarns said. "Traveling State Street ... has become the only way to get there."
The state Department of Transportation says, on average, 26,162 vehicles traveled the road daily in 2012, though a breakdown on types of vehicles is not kept.
When, if ever, the borough receives the scales, Patrolman Orzalek said he will dedicate part of his shift to looking for low-riding trucks or trucks with malfunctioning brakes or lights.
Meanwhile, he has put his knowledge to use. Borrowing a set of scales from Dickson City, Patrolman Orzalek has issued seven citations this month, including one to a driver whose brakes were covered in grease.
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