As a Trooper, I have one very quick question. I've pulled over many trucks in my day in two different methods. Now I want to hear what you think or prefer.

1) the conventional lights from the rear and pull over to the right?
2) I slow you to a roll from the front and stay in front of you during the stop.

Granted the latter option is unconventional and is purely for my safety from a rear end impact.

Whattchathink?

I believe I prefer to have you in the conventional position behind me. However, with one note here, understand that sometimes I do not scan my rear view mirrors as much as the rules would prefer. When I am driving in heavy traffic, or in a construction zone where I have barricades in close proximity to the truck, I tend to focus a lot more on what is in front of me and coming up to deal with, and during those times I divert minimal attention to what has already happened behind me. In a long construction zone, it's possible for you to be behind me for a couple of minutes and I may not notice you there. I have to focus my full attention on conditions ahead of me and prioritize where my eyes are looking. Once I am out of those conditions, my mirror scan comes back up to it's normal pace.

Driving safely in 11 foot wide lanes with an 8'6" wide truck in close proximity to other trucks demands a change in the driving techniques taught in drivers ed.

Sometimes, when the trooper gets out of the car and somewhat sarcastically asks "Didn't you see me and my lights behind you?" the answer "No" indicates the driver was driving safely.

Personally....I prefer you to NOT stop me at all. And I also warn you that if you approach me with the "Iam better then you attitude", expect some attitude back.

But since we are being technical here...I would prefer number 1.
I don't much care for number 2 which gives the impression of the, "Me First Attitude"

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I think these are both situational....

If it is safer for you, then do it...we dont need police officers getting killed for $200 in tickets....

And as said above, depending on the situation, we don't necessarily know you are there....I check mirrors often, but have had cops drive by at 100+ and never knew they were there until they shook my truck on their way by.

Also I do not know what state you are in, nor do i expect you to tell us, but....

I have seen MULTIPLE dangerous mass pullovers...all during holiday traffic

Both involved one direction, and the police set up where that direction could not be warned by the other direction....

The police then had 1 car radaring, and another 6-10 cars pulling over...

The radar car was always somewhere just around a corner or over a hill, which makes sense...

BUT, all of the cars were being pulled over in a 1/2 mile area...both sides of the road, and close to the white line. This caused in both cases a RAPID deceleration, where the vehicles in front of me and the multiple other vehicles are jamming on their brakes, in HEAVY traffic...causing a dangerous situation for all especially the officers who are not in their vehicles...it is dangerous for many reasons....

My thoughts were that the officers would have been better suited to follow the car tagged and spread out the pull overs a little...

One time it was in KY and the other was on I-81 in PA, but both times by State Police forces....

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I guess I am jaded, I think that if the police departments really cared about safety over revenue, they would have multiple make, model, and style vehicles, unmarked, to blend with traffic and catch people doing things that are dangerous, as most times a police car stands out like a sore thumb.

Speeding, to me seems like an easy ticket, as it is a measurable offense, you can tangibly see on your "Stalker 2" monitor that said car was going 73 in a 55.

In the regurlar world of no police around people drive like stupid...tailgate trucks, squeeze to the right of trucks, before we can get back to the right on a pass, pass people on the shoulder, weave in and out of traffic, etc, the presence of even a police car usually keeps these things from happening...although I have seen a few people pulled over in traffic not having seen the cop sneaking up on them...
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And if speeding is a dangerous offense, it is more so dangerous, in 6000lb suv's with inadequate braking systems, van like handling, and rollover potential.

i love these H2s, escallades, navigators, wranglers, etc etc that are going 85-95mph....not realizing that it is an accident waiting to happen, these vehicles are not designed for these speeds and especially maneuvers at high speed.




K

If I had any type of attitude I wouldn't be posting on a truckers forum would I? I respect truckers that respect me. I respect anyone that respects me. Normally I get the "attitude" first. I've never been a trucker, most have never been a Trooper. "Walk a mile in my shoes....." I just lurk here to learn what truckers appreciate and don't from law enforcment.

If you pull us over the traditional way please don't write us a ticket for failure to follow a signal device. As Burky stated we always don't know whats behind us and let alone can hear you.. Unless you peak around the side of my truck and I be looking at the exact same time in my mirror, I could never see you behind me..

I have no problem with you pulling a driver from the front neither, just make sure to let the truck slow at his pace if you chose to do so..

I guess it would depend on the traffic condition and location in what method I would prefer.

Heavy traffic perhaps you being up front for your safety, and light traffic the traditional method for visibility purposes..

Yes I would say 99% of us do care about your safety even if you are pulling us over. Maybe we particularly don't like you at that moment but we still want you to go home to your family at the end of the night..

A few request

And if you happen to live in one of those 55Mph states don't pull us over unless we are going faster then 65Mph (outer city limits speed, inter city 55Mph is understandable)

And start pulling over these people who impede traffic PLEASE, you know the ones who hang out in the middle and left lane never getting over to let people on by, and make you pass on the right..

Start pulling people over for their headlight being way out of alignment, and those who choose to have their running lights on.. If their running lights are brighter then their headlights they are using illegal off road use bulbs and should be warned to change them..

Pull over people who choose to drive down the Interstate with their bright lights on with traffic coming from the other direction.. At least warn these people so perhaps they will not do it next time..

As an additional item, kindly come up to the passenger side of my truck. We can handle everything from there, but if you come up on the drivers side you are exposing yourself needlessly to passing traffic. I never like to see a trooper leaning down to a car window with his fanny hanging out into traffic. I always cringe when I see that happening.

I am old school. I always dismounted my truck and carried my logbook back to the passenger side of the car. If a trooper wanted to see my truck that was always OK with me. When a trooper walks up to a car they always stand back a little to be able to control the situation or break leather if they have to. With a truck the trooper is at a disadvantage from the safetypoint that they can not see what the driver is doing. I always dismounted so the trooper could see me and see what I had. I always was thanked by the trooper for doing so.

I have not been stopped in a long time, but always had the trooper behind me. Last year we had a driver robbed near me. I think it was a Boyd driver. The robber had a stolen cop car and robbed the driver of his wallet when the driver came back to him. Not sure what the protocall is now for a driver or the cop. Safety needs to be an issue for both of them.

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My childhood dream of becoming a truck driver turned into a nightmare!

Same here. If you're doing DOT/'Get Them Truckers' Duty, I strongly urge you to case the area beforehand for a location where a truck can safely pull over without putting you, the Officer, in a dangerous situation. I don't like being pulled over any more than the next guy, but it would really ruin my day to see some 4wheeler tear you off the side of my truck.

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No load is worth your life. Or anyone else's.

RON PAUL IN 2008!!

#1 and #1 only...........