Making the Grade : Safety: Inspectors at the Conejo Weigh Station try to catch truck malfunctions before they become road hazards.

From his perch atop the Conejo Grade, Dan McDermott weighs and inspects commercial trucks along the Ventura Freeway--and watches life go by in the fast lane.

“It’s a challenge every day,” said McDermott, a California Highway Patrol officer who has worked at the Conejo Weigh Station since 1984.

McDermott and 19 other officers and civilians do more than check weights at the grade, which divides east and west Ventura County. As the last outpost before Gilroy--255 miles up the freeway--the Conejo Grade inspectors attempt to spot malfunctions before they become hazards.

“It’s a first-line defense against what might happen along the road,” McDermott said of his job.

For instance, it’s better to find poorly adjusted brakes at the top of the steep Conejo Grade than it is to find out halfway down.

When they ease across the platform scales, loaded trucks should not exceed the 80,000-pound limit. They also must bear inspection stickers that must be renewed every three months. An expired sticker means the truck will be scrutinized for safety items such as lights, brakes and tires. Inspectors also make sure truck registrations, licenses and drivers’ logs are in order.

“There’s so much you have to know,” said McDermott, pointing to three-inch-thick vehicle inspection manuals found throughout the tiny office.

McDermott said he enjoys working at the station because he sees the direct results of his labor. “Here, you can actually see progress,” said the burly officer who said he finds this work more rewarding than citing speeding motorists.

Last month, inspectors at the Conejo Grade found 575 brake violations, 193 frame and suspension violations, 139 tire infractions, 117 light violations, 54 steering infractions and 58 drivers log violations.

If a truck fails an inspection, it could receive a simple citation, or be prevented from traveling. Of 1,497 trucks inspected countywide last month, 47% were deemed “out of service,” said Sgt. Terry Carroll. That meant the drivers had to immediately repair the problem before they could put their trucks into gear.

The amount of the citation depends upon the infraction. For example, a violation of rules governing the transport of hazardous materials costs $1,500. Fines scale down to a low of $30 for a broken headlight.

Occasionally, a drunk driver or lost motorist interrupts the monotony of inspections and weigh-ins. McDermott still chuckles over the lost tour bus that wandered in a few years ago.

And sometimes tragedy befalls the station. In 1986, a trucker entering the weigh station “took the curve a little too fast,” McDermott said. The driver of the small truck was crushed to death.

“It’s never boring,” said Sharon Gularte, a civilian truck inspector. “You meet people from everywhere.”

One recent morning, trucker Willie Bezotte pulled into the station for a routine inspection. As he flicked his lights on and off, and twisted his steering wheel for the inspectors, he described the perks of his job.

“My bosses aren’t on my back all day long, and if you want to take a break, you stop and take a break,” said Bezotte, who delivers hamburger buns to McDonald’s restaurants throughout Ventura County.

Then, producing a cigar from the depths of his cab, he said: “You can smoke too.”

On this day, though, Bezotte’s truck failed inspection. Before he could roll out of the station, the trucker had to readjust his brakes.

Ventura County’s imports and exports are also on parade before station employees. Inspectors always know what is being harvested, as strawberries and citrus and avocados pass over their scales on their way out of the county. New cars and everything from nails to notebooks come through the station as they come into the county.

The Conejo Weigh Station is divided in two, sitting on either side of the Ventura Freeway. During the spring harvest, more trucks travel north--about 36,000 in March--so the northbound inspection station remains open 24 hours a day. The southbound station--with 23,000 trucks in March--is open 16 hours a day. Both facilities are closed weekends when there are fewer trucks on the road.

Officers also patrol the highways for spot checks, equipped with a portable scale, tools--and a flashing red light.

“We’re trained to observe,” said Officer Gail Beck.