For Jake Elovirta, relationships have always been at the heart of enforcement. Whether it was stopping a driver on a Vermont highway or helping build national safety initiatives at the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), he’s always believed that meaningful change begins with conversation.
“I’ve always liked talking with people,” Elovirta says. “My wife says sometimes I talk too much, but that’s how you learn. Even on the road, I’d ask drivers questions about their day and what they see out there. You learn a lot that way.”
That people-first mindset defined Elovirta’s 32-year law enforcement career and continues to shape his work today as CVSA’s Director of Enforcement Programs and as a member of ATA’s Law Enforcement Advisory Board (LEAB).
A Calling Shaped by Family and Service
Elovirta’s path into law enforcement was influenced early by his father, a Navy veteran and local road superintendent who also carried a police commission.
“Seeing him serve the community that way really inspired me,” he recalls. After earning a criminal justice degree from Norwich University, the nation’s oldest private military college, Elovirta joined the Burlington, Vermont Police Department, spending ten years in municipal policing.
While there, Elovirta became Vermont’s first laser speed instructor and trainer, helping bring Light Detection and Ranging technology to the state and establishing its scientific reliability in court.
While a municipal officer, two police academy classmates introduced him to commercial vehicle enforcement, which led to Elovirta being certified as a CVSA Level I certified inspector. Those conversations helped kickstart what would become a 22-year career for Elovirta at the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) Enforcement and Safety Division.
Jake Elovirta
In those more than two decades, he’d go on to spend the first 17 as captain and chief of safety and the last five as director and colonel, leading programs to improve roadway safety and strengthen collaboration between industry and enforcement.
“Early on, the DMV and industry didn’t really interact much beyond enforcement. But we built a partnership where we could sit down, talk through legislation, and come to the Transportation Committee with a united front. Even when we disagreed, it was never acrimonious. It was professional respect.”
What he also instilled in his inspectors was the importance of keeping an open line of communication with motorists.
“We never had quotas,” he explains. “If you find a violation, sure, use your discretion. But if a driver doesn’t understand something, take an extra 15 or 20 minutes to explain it. Education leads to compliance faster than a ticket ever will.”
Under his leadership, Vermont DMV inspectors began conducting outreach sessions on load securement, impaired driving, and regulatory compliance, not only for trucking companies but for government fleets as well. Those efforts helped build the agency’s reputation as a partner rather than just an enforcer.
“Industry actually spoke up to keep our division where it was,” he recalls. “They said, ‘We like working with the DMV. They help us get better.’ That meant a lot.”
CVSA and LEAB
After retiring from state service in 2020, Elovirta joined CVSA as Director of Enforcement Programs, overseeing initiatives such as Operation Safe Driver and the Human Trafficking Prevention Program. Both emphasize training, outreach, and coordination across enforcement and industry, a perfect match for his philosophy.
“We can’t do this alone,” he says. “There are about 13,000 inspectors nationwide, but we need every law enforcement officer out there to be part of the safety network. That means educating local officers about the industry, knowing what’s normal, what’s not, and when something just looks off.”
As a member of LEAB, Elovirta sees that collaboration coming full circle. Being part of LEAB, Elovirta says, provides a chance to talk directly with industry leaders and ATA about what’s happening on both sides. That means sharing crucial information on programs like Operation Safe Driver or the rise in cargo theft to fully understand industry impact.
He’s quick to note that the conversations within LEAB are as diverse as they are productive. “You’ve got people from all over the country, with different experiences and perspectives. What’s normal in Vermont isn’t what you see in Arizona or Texas. But that’s what makes it valuable. We learn from each other, and that helps us all respond better to the challenges on our highways.”
Even after three decades in law enforcement, Elovirta’s motivation hasn’t changed.
“At the end of the day, it’s about communication,” he says. “It’s about sitting down with people. Whether they’re drivers, inspectors, or carriers, we’re working together toward the same goal: safer roads for everyone.”