Need dot consultant? Dot advice

They are correct pro99. You have to be engaged in interstate commerce to require bills. Even some local companies will use bills as customers need receipts for billing purposes. Since you are "in house" and not crossing state borders you are legal.

 

I apologize if this has been covered before, but I had no luck searching.

I drive a service/lube truck for my employer. It also carries 700 gallons of diesel fuel, as well as 200g of salvage oil/coolant, and about 500 gallons of misc. oils.

Does this truck need to be placarded, and do I need the corresponding hazmat endorsement on my license? God forbid there were an incident, I'm sure I'd be on the hook being the operator.

 

Any transporting of fuel in excess of 119 gallons is subject to hazmat. This equates to about 1,000 lbs.

 

OK, tell me how to expunge the CSA 2010 "warning" that they call a "violation". I have no tickets, except in the mind of an Oklahoma officer who decided to give me a warning instead of a ticket. But, then it shows as a "violation" on my record. That's not fair! If I had taken this guy to court, I would have won, and I'd have nothing on my record.

Officers make judgement errors all the time, so why is the CSA so all-inclusive of officer remarks, without allowing the driver to respond in writing? Credit agencies are required by law to allow this, why can't DOT live up to the same standard of ethics?

The CSA 2010 doesn't appear to distinguish between convicted violations and "warnings". What's the sense of this, particularly where there isn't an accident or any substantive safety violation?

CSA 2010 says to contact Oklahoma to get this changed, but I'm wondering whether this complaint process will work, is worth the time and effort, or is necessary to keep my authority squeaky clean. This OK situation happened more than a year ago.

 

I had a challenge the other week. The guy was written up for a host of violations, that were present. He also was written a pile of tickets. He got an attorney and we did a plea to two of them and tossed the other ones. His carrier then wanted to have the ones that were not prosecuted removed from the inspection. They were denied.

If you have a valid reason or there was an error I could see removing the violation. But we have no idea what "violation" you are talking about.

What I do is bring the driver around the truck and show him the violation(s) or show him the log violations so he understands the inspection report and why the violation was listed.

 

This was over a year ago, in the panhandle region of OK, outside Guymon, if I can recall right, I've have to look it up to be sure. I was leaving town on a stretch of highway where the speed limit posting changes every 1/4 mile or so. From 35, to 45, 55, and finally 65 mph. The officer had come over a rise in the opposite direction then u-turned to pull me over. He politely asked if I knew whether or not I was speeding. I said, no I wasn't speeding, that I was leaving town according to these posted increases in speed limit. This was during broad daylight, so seeing the signs wasn't hard, and I knew that I was pacing the changes pretty well. But, he got annoyed that I didn't just agree with him, and so he abruptly decided to do the inspection. He only managed to find a really minor logbook mistake and a left high beam bulb that was apparently out (although my dashboard computer didn't throw an error code, and later I wiggled the bulb and got it started again). He was really concerned about "being told the truth" as if he were both judge and jury in this system. But the system wasn't honest as it turns out because I'm certain that he made a mistake in judgement about where I was and what the speed limit was supposed to be for me. He had even acknowledged the difficulty of the frequent changes in posted in this area when he showed uncertainty about exactly what the speed limit was supposed to be at the place he first saw me. But, now despite the fact that no local ticket was given to me, and no conviction was made, the report marks a speed violation. The system assumes the officer doesn't make mistakes in judgement, which of course, judges and juries understand officers do all the time.

 

I am a trucker in illinois, usa. I want to buy a truck in canada. It has an tandem axle spread of 60. The drives are further apart then a regular truck...what problems can i run in to if i purchase the truck? Does usa allow axle spread of 60? any help will be appreciated.

 

Canadian tandems do qualify as a spread in some states. Have to check in each one...

 

What does code 393.60(c) say beside "damaged or discolored windshield"? Is there another code for chip on windshield? Does it specify kind of chip, size, location of chip on the windshield? Where do I find more info? Thanks.

 

Glazing and window construction
393.60Glazing in specified openings.

(a) Glazing material. Glazing material used in windshields, windows, and doors on a motor vehicle manufactured on or after December 25, 1968, shall at a minimum meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 205 in effect on the date of manufacture of the motor vehicle. The glazing material shall be marked in accordance with FMVSS No. 205 (49 CFR 571.205, S6).

(b) Windshields required. Each bus, truck and truck-tractor shall be equipped with a windshield. Each windshield or portion of a multi-piece windshield shall be mounted using the full periphery of the glazing material.

(c) Windshield condition. With the exception of the conditions listed in paragraphs (c)(1), (c)(2), and (c)(3) of this section, each windshield shall be free of discoloration or damage in the area extending upward from the height of the top of the steering wheel (excluding a 51 mm (2 inch) border at the top of the windshield) and extending from a 25 mm (1 inch) border at each side of the windshield or windshield panel.

Exceptions
1) Coloring or tinting which meets the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section;
(2) Any crack that is not intersected by any other cracks;
(3) Any damaged area which can be covered by a disc 19 mm (3/4 inch) in diameter if not closer than 76 mm (3 inches) to any other similarly damaged area.

(d) Coloring or tinting of windshields and windows. Coloring or tinting of windshields and the windows to the immediate right and left of the driver is allowed, provided the parallel luminous transmittance through the colored or tinted glazing is not less than 70 percent of the light at normal incidence in those portions of the windshield or windows which are marked as having a parallel luminous transmittance of not less than 70 percent. The transmittance restriction does not apply to other windows on the commercial motor vehicle.

(e) Prohibition on obstructions to the driver's field of view'(1) Devices mounted at the top of the windshield. Antennas, transponders, and similar devices must not be mounted more than 152 mm (6 inches) below the upper edge of the windshield. These devices must be located outside the area swept by the windshield wipers, and outside the driver's sight lines to the road and highway signs and signals. (2) Decals and stickers mounted on the windshield. Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) inspection decals, and stickers and/or decals required under Federal or State laws may be placed at the bottom or sides of the windshield provided such decals or stickers do not extend more than 115 mm (41/2 inches) from the bottom of the windshield and are located outside the area swept by the windshield wipers, and outside the driver's sight lines to the road and highway signs or signals.

Now the interpretations:
§393.60 Glazing in specified openings.


Question 1: May windshields and side windows be tinted?

Guidance: Yes, as long as the light transmission is not restricted to less than 70 percent of normal (refer to the American Standards Association publication Z26.1-1966 and Z26.1a-1969).


Question 2: May a decal designed to comply with the periodic inspection documentation requirements of §396.17 be displayed on the windshields or side windows of a Commercial Motor Vehicle CMV?

Guidance: Yes, provided the decal is being used in lieu of an inspection report and is in compliance with §393.60(c).


Question 3: If a crack extended into the thickness of the glass at such an angle as to measure 1/4'' or more, measuring from the top edge of the crack on the outside surface of the windshield to vertical line drawn through the windshield to the far edge of this angled crack on the inside of the windshield, would this constitute a crack of 1/4'' or more in width as defined in §393.60(b)(2)?

Guidance: No. The crack, in order to fall outside the exception, would have to be a gap of 1/4'' or more on the same surface of the windshield.