Lapsed Federal Trailer Inspection

To the best of my knowledge the only time most any vehicle can be legally moved if there is a problem is when it is being "towed". Flashing lights and in most states a decal in the window of the power vehicle issued by the state that approves them to tow. Outside of this operating a vehicle EVEN a non-CMV on the road is ILLEGAL! Yes, I know it sounds harmless and innocent, just take the trailer to a shop. Lets play with this a minute. You are confronted with this problem. Decide to take the expedient way and hook up and move it. Then about a mile away there is a major failure of some kind OR you are involved in a bad accident that's not even your fault. I would not want to be you when you are trying to explain this to safety later on. Because that safety critter is NOT going to give a tinkers dang about how simple it was or how short the distance was. This is the bane of a lot of drivers existence. Operations Vs Maintance and if you the driver make the wrong choice you find that both Operations and Maintance are not with you when you make that walk to safety.

Sure, you could make that trip from the drop yard to the shop 50,000 times and not have an issue. Then though just as sure as a cow farts, you will have a problem on that 50,001st trip. It's NOT worth it. Vehicle is not roadworthy and if you move it, you are letting others by without doing their jobs properly, guess what?? Don't expect to see them walking with you to safety!

 

For God's sake... check the lights, kick the tires, look at the 5th wheel plate, and give the brakes a tug test. Make sure you have the current registration and insurance and go with it. There's only so much that can go wrong on an empty flatbed... this is that whole mountain out of a mole hill thing.

 

Just found myself in this exact situation, flat tire and a inspection 2 months over due. What did I do, remind you I've been driving over 20 years and probably years ago I would of pulled it not having any sense on what could go wrong within 10 miles or 1000 but being wiser and the laws today that were not looking at fines if something really bad happens it's prison. Not a place I want to be. What I do, called my shop, his answer was to drive it to a repair shop, my response was get a repair service in and take care of it, after a short brief awkward moment and him hanging up on me he called back and said repair service will be showing up . Do not haul something down the road that is not in service this includes a inspection sticker. Dot does not care how far you take 10 miles or 1000

 

After seeing this thread resurrected I was thinking about this and remembered something that happened to a driver that worked for the same carrier I did. I know about this situation because I was the one that cleaned it up. I don't think it is there anymore but on I 70 exit 103 in Mo there used to be a truck stop near Boonville. This driver was sent to this truck stop to get an abandoned trailer. He discovered it had a flat tire, missing tag, and expired registration AND the yearly inspection was past due. After calling roadside assistance he was DIRECTED to take that trailer to a place near Kansas City. He did not make it. That flat tire came apart and the "gator" hit a 4 wheeler and caused a wreck. Needless to say, the Mo State police and their DOT was all over that driver AND that guy was later fired by safety. The guy later got a job with Swift and last I heard was still with Swift I think also is a trainer. It's like I said in post 11 last year. You can do this 50 thousand times and have no issues, but all it takes is one time especially if something bad happens to cost a job. It's simply not with it. If ANY equipment is not road-worthy call it in and stand your ground! There is one exception. While it sounds like a contradiction I would go on ahead and take a trailer to a shop if I were NOT having to go much more than a mile or two. Halfway across a state or having to roll over a scale? NO WAY!

 

The TA in Cheyenne is authorized to escort an out of service vehicle from the Wy Port of Entry to the TA Truckstop for repairs.

 

Take it to the shop for inspection, you'll be fine.
But if it'll make you feel better, when you're done tie yourself to
the whipping post , someone will be by to beat you later.

 

I’ve just notified DOT of your devious intentions.

 

When I make comments like the ones I have made in this thread I am trying to stay away from this nanny state it seems people have devolved into. There is a reason I don't advise pulling a trailer with flat tires etc. First my last few years I carried a 3 in 1 printer/scanner/fax machine with me. Through my phone, I had basic internet service. A missing or expired registration was fixed by getting the carrier permit dept to send me a PDF file of the registration and I printed it out. Missing tags is another matter, but if the registration is all in order I don't think this is an OOS violation. Thankfully I did not run into this situation very much and in most cases, I was already at a terminal and just got another empty. Flat tires are a different matter. Most any DOT cop can see a flat esp if it's on the outside and either in or out from the rear of the rear tandem. This makes you a cop magnet and once they stop you in most cases a DOT cop is going to start the long-form. They find enough on you this is an OOS order and the nightmare starts. This is fine across town but for long hauls, I highly advise against putting a trailer with flat tires on the road.

I am friends with DOT officers here in Virginia and one from NC. All retired but one. They tell me that when officers get close to a truck sometimes they will lower the window and listen for air leaks and at scales sometimes a DOT cop will stand outside listening as well. Remember in a lot of states the DOT enforcement is on the road NOT in the scales.

 

We "HAD" the same problem in my yard , leasing company was the absolute cheapest outfit.
Big Mama one of our spotters finally hung orange OOS tags on all of them around a dozen of them at the mill and they thru a hissy fit knowing with previous notice they were past the annual.
Big Mama prevailed noboby in Winnebago County wants her on her bad side.