Help to ensure safe travel on Colorado roadways through enforcement of state and federal size, weight, and safety regulations of the commercial motor vehicle industry.
The Port of Entry and its team exists to encourage and promote the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles in a manner that safeguards the motoring public while protecting the state's infrastructure through uniform practices and enforcement procedures. The unit is also responsible for the collection of taxes, the issuance of permits, and the inspection of commercial motor vehicles for compliance with established safety regulations.
The unit assists in establishing and maintaining effective commercial vehicle operating standards, enforcement practices, strategies, and penalties that provide the basis for uniformity in the enforcement community and compatibility with industry partners. The unit enforces laws, rules, and regulations concerning commercial vehicle operation while collecting fees and taxes and providing effective customer service. These members undergo paramilitary academy training to prepare recruits for the demands of law enforcement and cultivate teamwork.
The first step in joining this team is to successfully become a Port of Entry Officer Cadet.
Port of Entry Officer Cadets are responsible for:
- Clearing commercial vehicles at the Port of Entry by weighing vehicles through the use of fixed or portable scales via computer terminals.
- Visually inspecting commercial vehicles and loads to ensure compliance with state and adopted federal statutes, rules and regulations. The inspection process includes: reviewing permits, registrations, licenses, shipping papers and vehicle loads for validity, and using fixed or mobile scales to weigh vehicles in order to compute gross weight and determine the distribution of wheel and axle loads.
- Reviewing and inspecting required documents, including vehicle registrations, fuel permits, interstate and intrastate authorities, hazardous material permits, extra legal permits, shipping papers and commercial driver licenses.
- Verifying and entering information into the business system while observing each driver's condition.
- Processing associated receipts and collecting appropriate taxes, delinquent taxes and permit fees. Interns also educate drivers, industry representatives and the general public on the laws, rules and regulations pertaining to the commercial vehicle industry.
- Physically measuring and inspecting commercial vehicles and loads and drivers' status and condition to ensure compliance with state and adopted federal statutes, rules and regulations. Interns measure the height, length and width of vehicles and/or loads, check for non-taxed fuel and complete inspection reports as applicable.
- Testifying in court in support of penalty assessments, summons and other judicial proceedings as an official representative of the state.
- Attending local meetings as an official representative of the Port of Entry.
- Conducting routine maintenance and other duties as assigned. Cadets will clean and maintain the Port building and associated grounds as required.
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment such as scales, trailers and port vehicles as required. Cadets will maintain an inventory of necessary common items such as office, cleaning and maintenance supplies.
Officer Interns are required to operate mobile unit vehicles. They work at a facility which may operate 24-hours-a-day, as determined to be necessary by the Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. Exposure to hazardous materials while clearing and inspecting trucks is possible.
Positions are eligible for promotion to the position Port of Entry Officer I after one year of employment and demonstration of successful performance of the position at the Port of Entry Cadet level.
