DOT inspection

I pull alot of permitted loads. Regardless of what the pre-pass says, I will have to pull into the weigh station if its opened. Sometimes, the scalemaster will come out to the scale. Most times I have to go inside the scale. Sometimes you just have to bring your permits in. Sometimes they want to see the permits, permitbook, DOT card and logbook. Sometimes, they come out into the parkinglot and look at my securement and the load and trailer.

Been DOT'ed 4 times this year so far. But if youre pulling oversized or Hazmat, you expect it.

 

Goodmorning, yes i had my share those, most time's after how they seen my loogbook's and how neet i was with it, they pass me thru, even when i was in Fl, they brought the dog's out, opean both door's told kylee jump, i never seen a german shepard jump that high, they were looking for drug's, i vol them my truck, cause i dont do drug's or belive in them, she found all my cold med and nasel spray i was using that time, he loked at them , said you okay, it had the doc label that macth my doc card in my pocket, but yes go in , go in with a postive alltuide , dangett whish i learn too speel, but then i wouldnt be a truckdriver right,hehehehe,Everett.
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Our company has a great Safestat score, and my truck is almost always shiny as can be. We almost never get DOT'd.

I have gotten level 1'd once for streaks on my wheels. I used the acid wash on them and apparently didn't get it all out. It'll leave streaks coming from the lug nuts, just like having loose wheels. Needless to say I'm a lot more thorough on the wheels now.

I also got level 3'd in Indiana, but that's because I got pulled over for being in the far left lane. I had a Swifty decide he wanted to occupy my space in the middle lane as I was passing him, and took the left lane to avoid him. We came over a small hill and a trooper saw me in the left lane and pulled me over. Got a warning and a level 3, but all was clean.

 

I've only had two inspections this year, one level 1 and one level 3.

The level 1 was good for a chuckle, it cost my customer $8,000 in fines and unloading charges. The guy mis-read the scale that I was sitting on while he was loading me and had me loaded to 88,500 lbs. I was over on gross, axle, and almost bridge (20ft container on a stretched 40ft 3-axle chassis). Had he kept me to 84,000 lbs they would have let me go. My tractor was only 6 mo. old at the time, he found two minor airline issues that he warned me about, but put the container/chassis out of service for the overweight and then wrote me a $5,800 ticket that the company paid and billed to the customer plus the customer had to hire someone to come and unload 8,500 lbs from the container and haul it off.

 

I've been called in for inspection twice this year. The first one as in Georgia with a Prepass. It red lit me and I had to go in. Level 3 only. When it was all over I asked the lady why I was pulled in. She said the system was set up (that day, not always) to red light every 50th prepass truck for a level 3. I was lucky #50. The last was in September hauling Hazmat for a full blown, bumper to bumper, including the dog walk around. I was real close to 80k, an ugly trailer, and Hazmat stickers. I knew before I pulled into the scale I would get called in and even added an extra hour to my schedule planning for it. Passed that one too. Been there, done that, got the sticker.
Joe

 

I made it 3 years without an inspection and it really made me mad as my company paid $50-$100 for each level passed and I always passed!