Any states to avoid during DOT week?

He is retired but he worked the NW Ohio area. Actually one cool dude. Told me once he didn't pay much attention to clean old trucks. Said he figured someone is taking care of them to be on the road. He was looking for ragged out junk, and 3-4 yearold trucks with payments. Claimed that is were the violations are at. Guys having trouble making payments and maintaining them.

Don't hate me, just saying what he told me.

 

In fact our Operations Manager has authorized steaks from breakfast.

 

Whenever slow rider is going to the club he is always sure to dangle a couple Trojans out of his shirt pockets.

Naturally, all the ladies come running over and the bartender makes all his drinks for free.

 

Best way to do a pre and post imo is post trip is to check for flats, damage, overheated parts, blown bags and so on I.E anything obvious. Pre is to check if anything leaked or went flat overnight, Fluid levels, thump your tires and/or check air pressures, make sure load is still secure, check your hubs and seals and do a lights test.

After my pre i usually roll up to the fuel island to fuel and do a spot check. I.E Check my tires for obvious damage that i may have been sitting on before or see if the truck shifted to lean in a way it shouldnt after i moved it.

Ive found a few things that way i would have missed otherwise. For example. I found this going through my steer tire that i had been sitting on before. Doesnt look like much in this photo but it was a plam sized rock that had cut into the sidewall and damaged my inner cables. Ive been a lot more vigilant about my ores and posts since.

 

How far you have fallen in my eyes!

You are not the dapper don I expected from your previous posts. All your preaching about presentability and it was a sham!

Sweatpants and a T-shirt?! No polo and casual slacks with at least a flexible waistband? Some dickies at least?

One day the coups will catch on to your rouse. In fact, I may have to begin a campaign of warning them when I get pulled in for not wearing a safety vest:

"Mr. DOT man, there are drivers who are just fooling you with a safety vest when in fact they are offering nothing but "adequate illusions" [their words not mine]. Leave us mere mortals to slum it down the road with our dickies shorts and polo shirts, please. And turn your sights onto these charlatans of presentability."

 

My favorite part about the blitz is seeing all the bull haulers doing the speed limit

 

Gods honest truth, that '15 Mack I drove, 3rd day on the road got pulled in for a level one, think it just ticked 2,000 miles, and they did find something wrong with it. An airline that came off the outside of the front air tank and then went behind the mudflap and up to the frame rail, the protective material covering the line was 1/2" too short, despite the fact that it didn't come into contact with anything, they wrote me up because the covering didn't go from the frame rail to the tank, but stopped 1/2" short of the tank fitting. Boss was incredulous, the Mack dealer was incredulous. Dealer checked 9 other trucks on the lot, all had the same situation, they checked 10 trucks that were in service, all the same. In 5.5 yrs of driving that truck, it only received two level one inspections, and only that first one did they say anything about that line.

 

Best load to haul during blitz week, an unlined container carrying dripping wet hides, no inspector in their right mind will crawl under, only thing better would be a loaded livestock truck

 

Got in the middle of the Blitz with a load of Michelin tires out of the factory going to Oshkosh.
Driving an older shakefreighter. Fixed wheel and no slider on trailer. Never should have taken the load, except the manager of the company was a great guy, and this particular load would pay me over $10,000 big ones directly and indirectly. Not a bad payday for 3500 miles for a driver. Oh Yeah, can make money in this industry The people who owned the truck, maybe not so much. Was the Ladies truck and She used really bad language at me later on into the run.
Had to shut off all communication with Her eventually. Before I got back from the run? She had the RCMP all over me. Bad racket.
So, my concern was my License and my Pay, soon was taught there was no money for moi after the run from the Lady that is. Blitz is on, wore out truck and my Ist. time in the vehicle. I stopped when reality hit me, bought a necktie and lovely white shirt. I'm 59 at the time. Got the equipment back safe,
Point is, I have found the DOT to be fair, if I would be fair. Oh! and that manager? He told me on the run to do it safe, keep Him informed, He would make sure I would be paid in full. He was a Man of His word. I have encountered many Men and Women in this industry to be the same. Course, I've run into many who have told me something that was too good to be true or too bad to be true.
I enjoy reading Your experiences. You do good.
Sometimes 8 inches can come in handy, from a Truckers perspective! have a good day everyone.