BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA — A performance audit released August 5 by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor found that the state’s truck weight and size enforcement program is failing on nearly every front — with fewer trucks being weighed despite more staff and money, weigh stations open roughly half their required hours, nearly $2 million in penalties sitting uncollected, and more than 15% of trucks observed illegally bypassing weigh stations during auditor visits.
Fewer Results Despite More Resources
The audit found that DOTD’s Weights and Standards Stationary Enforcement program weighed fewer trucks, identified fewer violations, and issued and collected fewer penalties from fiscal years 2023 to 2025 — all while increasing its staff and budget. The report did not mince words, concluding that trucks that are potentially overweight and oversize but lack required permits are driving on state highways and bridges, illegally bypassing weigh stations, and contributing to the deterioration of road conditions.
Weigh Station Bypassing and Closures
Auditors visited six Louisiana weigh stations and observed 733 of 4,703 trucks — 15.6% — illegally bypassing them. The report warned of significant lost revenue in fines that could be used for road maintenance. DOTD reportedly instructed its enforcement officers to begin issuing tickets for illegal bypassing in May 2026, but the agency acknowledged a significant obstacle: DOTD does not have access to criminal background checks, and without that access, it considers it unsafe for its officers to pull over bypassing trucks or conduct mobile inspections on state highways.
Weigh station operating hours have also fallen far short. After LSP transferred operational authority of weigh stations to DOTD in 2023, closures became frequent. DOTD’s goal is for interstate weigh stations to be open 18 hours a day, six days a week. In October 2025, the 10 operational weigh stations were open for approximately nine hours each day — half the target.
Nearly $2 Million in Unpaid Fines
As of October 2025, DOTD had assessed but not collected $1.06 million in size and weight penalties, and LSP had assessed but not collected $941,934 — a combined $2 million sitting on the books. Neither agency comprehensively tracks whether unpaid penalties are owed by in-state or out-of-state carriers, limiting the ability to pursue collection. The audit noted that neighboring states issue misdemeanors and even jail time for repeat size and weight offenders, giving them stronger deterrents and collection tools.
Other problems identified include confusion between LSP and DOTD over enforcement jurisdiction, failure to use available virtual weigh station technology, and fragmented enforcement data across the two agencies.
Agency Responses
DOTD said it plans to update policies and procedures for weight enforcement by September 1, 2026, and begin using mobile scales by October 1, 2026.
LSP noted that several of the deficiencies identified were not present before the 2022 transfer of weigh station operations from LSP to DOTD. The agency said troopers remain committed to working with DOTD to enhance commercial vehicle enforcement and expressed support for new legislation that would give LSP stronger enforcement and collection tools for repeat and severe size and weight violations by out-of-state carriers.
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