HOS violations are biased against drivers

OK you ex-law enforcement or long time drivers out there...

Remember a thing called a "traffic stop", where all that was checked was license, registration and insurance?

We still do that!

I weigh trucks across the scale all day long. Many times a day, if I see something minor, like a brake light out, etc. I call the driver in, do a "traffic stop", check his registration and make sure he is not on America's most wanted. I might peek at his log for today to make sure he has one. That's it! He fixes his brake lights and goes on his merry way. No inspection, no ticket, nothing. Just making sure somebody does not rear-end him because a light is out. Been doing it that way for over 20 years.

You want me to call that a Level 2 or 3 inspection and give you a copy, I will need to check a lot more stuff, and keep you a little longer.

Do you really want it to be a full blown inspection every time I talk to you?

Oh, and that little traffic stop for no brake lights.... what will that do for your CSA points? (OOS)

 

I sure wish there were more like you out there. The officers I have came across are so ignorant(i give them no reason to be, i talk polietly, call them sir and have my paperwork in order) but my goodness................ just got d.o.t'd at the Janesville, WI scale in Wisconsin.. They hit me with a general form and manner violation because my logbook carbon copy (yellow) was like smeared. I cant do anything about that!! its carbon!! for chirst sakes, you just push down on your log and it will transfer over from your white log to your yellow carbon log. Sigh... still VERY READABLE.. but my company is pretty pissed with me but at the same time.. they understand... still pissed...

 

I asked an enforcement officer a few years back who was going to cite me for illegible writing on my logs, this was before I went to computerized logs. He told me what he was citing me for and I asked him where in the federal regulations that he can cite that explicit defines what is legible and what isn't. He thought I was being a smart !!! but I said there isn't one and legally that citation will be thrown out because of there is no definition. I can't print or write like others, my hands were damaged in an accident so it is legible to me, to my wife and to the company (who never complained about my logs). By the way, I had to write a letter in court under oath which was accepted by a federal judge who said the same thing to me that I'm saying here, the word legible is open to interpretation and no one can hole people accountable for bad penmanship.

 

Yes, but I gotta be able to read it.

 

Now if you would just put these on ... it would all make sense ...

 

its worse, he's in Safety!!!!!

 

Previously in safety, now I'm a planner/dispatcher....

 

huh. been a while since I have ventured out of co forum. been cussed out yet?

 

Behind my back, it all gets back to me. Oh well, stuff happens.

 

Everything about this industry is biased against the driver. That's why we all used to be outlaws. All we were doing is making the best out of a bad situation. Same today, just trying to do the best within the box the government has us in.

Nobody should think outside the box!