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Probe Finds Trucking Deaths Rising As Federal Safety Inspections Fall

CBS News aired a video segment Thursday, September 17, 2026, saying government roadside inspections of commercial trucks have declined in many states.[1] The segment reports crashes involving licensed trucking companies with no prior roadside inspection on record have killed more than 2,000 people since 2019.[1]

The broadcast reiterated findings from an earlier CBS News written investigation published the same day and did not present new figures, locations, or agency statements.[1] That written investigation ran on CBS's website Thursday morning.[2]

CBS News's reporting centers on a trend of falling government roadside inspections across multiple states and links that trend to increased highway safety risks.[2] The video package relied on that earlier reporting as its source rather than adding new reporting or official responses.[1]

  1. CBS News
  2. CBS News
Road Safety Transportation Regulation Transportation Safety Federal Regulation and Oversight
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📌 Key Facts

  • The CBS News video segment "Government truck inspections decline plummeting in many states" aired Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 7:15 PM (Central) and reiterates that government roadside inspections of commercial trucks are declining across many states. Government truck inspections decline plummeting in many states
  • The segment reports that more than 2,000 people have been killed since 2019 in crashes involving licensed trucking companies that had no prior roadside inspection on record. more than 2,000 people
  • CBS News emphasizes declines in government roadside inspections of commercial trucks across many states as the central trend highlighted in the broadcast. CBS News
  • The video packages the same findings as CBS's earlier written investigation and does not add new figures, locations, regulatory responses, or agency statements. earlier written investigation
  • All new information provided in the coverage is contained in the CBS News video timestamped Thursday, September 17, 2026 7:15 PM (Central). Thursday, September 17, 2026 7:15 PM (Central)

📰 Source Timeline (2)

Follow how coverage of this story developed over time

September 18, 2026
12:15 AM
Government truck inspections decline plummeting in many states
CBS News
New information:
  • The September 17, 2026 CBS News video segment reiterates that government roadside inspections of commercial trucks are declining across many states.
  • The segment restates that more than 2,000 people have been killed since 2019 in crashes involving licensed trucking companies that had no prior roadside inspection on record.
  • The video packages the same findings as the earlier written CBS investigation without adding new figures, locations, regulatory responses, or agency statements.