Just some of the stupid things I see

I've found that's the way it is in most places and circumstances, not all, but most.

 

Many drivers don't realize that most scales do count as a parking haven. The trucker that bypasses the scale and goes 40 miles down to Petro deserves the write-up IMO. Thery are just trying to save a buck by not having to call road service. That's not the idea behind safe haven parking.

There are some scales that dont have parking though, but you still want to communicate with the scalemaster.

 

Any driver that has been properly educated during their training would know this. That wasn't covered during my CDL training or by the company. It was taught to me by my dad who has 30+ years under his belt.

 

Yup that's what they teach US. Now... if they'd just TEACH the gubbermint employees at said "safe haven" that when we pull into the so-called "safe haven" with an obvious problem that we're trying to do the right thing and not endanger the public with a large broken-down vehicle on the side of the road.

So how about no DOT inspection of a vehicle with an obvious problem that happened after we departed our last stop, especially if we're calling road service or a tow to deal with it???

 

Two reasons:

Regardless of present company and the common sense most officers possess, there are some few who wait in anticipation for the opportunity to write some poor schlep a ticket. They have the "gotcha" mentality.

And, there are drivers who will go and go and go, despite shredding a tire all over the interstate. Like the guy who passed me in Florida with the empty lowboy trailer, rubber just a'flyin. Hailed him on the radio. He knew about the flat, but was going to the TA....75 miles down the road. I stopped at the Petro, got fuel and returned to the road. There was a trail of rubber all the way to Wildwood. Just being nosy, I went into the TA to get a pop. There was the lowboy, sitting on two shredded tires and one destroyed rim. The tire blew between when he started and when he stopped. He passed a (closed) scale well after he passed me going 70mph. I had one of those radar things on my dash.

That guy was a dummy. But it's because of dummies like him that DOT guys act the way they do with the rest of us.

 

While true, there aren't that many properly educated drivers on the road with enough common sense. These drivers are the bad apples that spoil the rest of the industry. You and I may know this, but the student who just got out of school doesn't. And unless his/her trainer or someone else says otherwise, they will continue until they get written up or kill someone.

 

Ok, I need to ask if what I saw today is standard practice by the DOT. I was in Conway,SC, 5 lanes(middle lane was left/right turn) 10 wheel box truck in the turn lane with blue lights behind it. I thought he was probably broke down and the cop was just there helping. WRONG, SC DOT was chocking his wheels and had a creeper to slide under his truck. What was going on?

 

Yea, that's what I figured but in the middle of the road.