Voluntary DOT Inspections

I had an inspection & in the next county, got pulled over for another. I showed the paperwork, just having completed one 70 miles back & the officer said , well we do a more thorough insp & may find something the last d.o.t. missed. he found a violation, but his partner said no. I do not know what they were refering too. one wanted to write me up, the other was adamant about not. they were visibly disagreeing with each other. one would say go on, the other would say, wait a min. I got my cell phone out & said I am going to call a supervisor out now, unless you find a violation & tell me what is is or let me go. he gave me back my paper work & told me to go on.

I go over my truck & it is legal. when I check it. when a light goes out, it is in violation. I am not smart enough to figure out when a light is just about to go out before it does. I also do not get out after every turn to see if something in the road may have cut or put an abrasion on my tires, I will not stop every 100 miles ,or before every scale & get my flashlight & creeper out to give myself a level 1 insp, so that I know my truck & trailer is legal before the d.o.t. may inspect. some things are just going to go out before I can catch them. wheel seals, lights, air, all things that wear, does not break down just when your inspecting. some things happen, like maybe when your driving in one of our great states with the roads that are just a constant speed bump. ever been in M.i.? Years ago I used to run there. the roads would bounce your eyeballs out of your head. it's a wonder the lights would stay on at all on some of the stretches of highways we have. then theres the liquid salt they now use. it will wreck havoc on the wiring sys. any d.o.t. officer can tell if your trying to keep equip up. if you have a few bald tires, & lights out, & brakes out of adjust, & a list of violation, the officer knows you dont take seriously the upkeep on your equip, but if after an hour of inspecting & all he can find is something like reflective tape fading in some spots, or the p.v.c. brake valve has its markings faded, then he has it in his mind, he is going to write you up regardless.

 

My last level one inspections was around 2005 in WI... I was flunked because of a minute air leak in a brake canister. I replaced the canister on the spot but the inspector said they don't have the $$$ to reinspect me so I didn't get a sticker.

As a metter of fat i have NVER been given a CVSA sticker for any inspection I've been given... where I usually run I can avoid 'the man'....

 

With new CSA I understand that how it is looked at has changed. They now compare you to carriers of your size and rank you based on violations. So two years without an inspection is the same as having all clean inspections. Thought is that if you are not getting pulled in for inspections then you are doing well. Over 70-80% (depending on state) of inspections are triggered by visual violations or carrier history of violations.

 

He was wrong and must not have had much to do.

See paragraph (f).


Unless they see something wrong, most will appriciate you pointing out if you have beem inspected in the last 30-days.

 

I know what the book says.

It is better to not argue with them in the field.

 

Completely agree. Was once told that if they make a mistake and are writing you up for something they are mistaken about to wait until everything is completed then ask them to explain the code to you. Never do it during inspection or while they are completing the form. Just invites them to find something else.

 

it is my understanding that if you have an L1 done....Unless there is something wrong....The inspection is good up until 15 days.....

 

For the last few months I had a level 1 done on my truck/trailer at the I-57 coop. I had a spotless truck and 4 brand new trailers. For every level 1 i had completed, QC gave me $100...... after making $1,000 QC called me and asked me to lay off the inspections since I pull the same 4 trailers every month LOL..... can't blame a guy tho.

 

I've run across too many DOT dudes who were either having a bad day, or were already jerks (and I was always polite) over the years. I'd never volunteer to hand my truck over to an enforcement arm if I didn't have to.
If you're worried about the condition of your truck and want to ensure its safety, get it inspected regularly by someone who really knows their stuff (and can't fine you for problems) and learn from that person so you can better watch your truck's condition between those inspections.
I've met many polite DOT officers, but if they're not ordering me into an inspection, I ain't gonna bring it up.

 

And take the fines out of it, it is much cheaper this way. Road service calls can get expensive.

Other than OR I have never had an issue with DOT officer. But I am polite. It amazes me how rude some drivers are to these guys. But I guess if they are making a fuss it makes me look better.