Enroute Bus Inspections

I do them. If out of service escort to the truck stop. Thats as far as I take em.

 

You need to come down here to South Florida. I'll bet my last dollar every bus that runs the turnpike from Miami to Orlando would be put OOS at every service plaza. Just yesterday on my way home I was passed by 2 separate groups of tour buses tail gating and running at least 15 over the posted limit, which is 70, in the pouring rain mind you. At least the occupants where watching a movie.

 

I've seen bus inspection's on I-15 northbound going into Las Vegas NV. Don't know if they were put OOS, but I know they were full of passenger's.

 

DB I am out of the business now and don't really care anymore, but I wander what happens when one of those passengers you left at the truck stop is injured while there and finds her/him a lawyer to sue you and everyone involved in their problem because you left them at an unsafe place?

 

How is it a unsafe place? Is a truck stop not a public place? Let me ask you this, how bout I let the driver continue in his out of service coach or the driver is out of service and has a wreck, what do you think the passengers lawyers are going to do then? I can not legally let an out of service vehicle continue it's trip. If I have them on the interstate, I have to escort them off the highway to a safe location before I place them out of service. If I get them at the scale, they are out of service there. The bus company can send another coach to pick up the passengers at either site.

 

Maybe they sue you the driver and the bus company because you have a unsafe coach and put them in that scenario. Or sue you personally because you are an unfit driver. We could play this game all day. I can tell a judge or jury what I did, and articulate why I did what I did. What you have to understand is, when you put a coach out of service you have 40-45 pissed off individuals that you as a driver have to explain why you are out of service. That will definately hurt having repeat customers.

The thing I've found with motorcoaches is, the driver's think they are exempt from the rules and they will not get stopped and inspected enroute with passengers. A few years ago the motorcoach industry had a big push because we were stopping a lot of coaches and holding the passengers up. It was relayed to me, to only stop them for moving violations or safety defects. I have continued to stop them because they are hauling precious cargo. I stopped doing random inspections on them en route with passengers. However, in light of all of the wrecks and fatalities they should be getting stopped more. Think about this. A truck wrecks and God forbid it is a fatal wreck, you have possibly the driver or co-driver dead. 2 people. A fully loaded motorcoach wrecks you have the potential for 40 to 50 people dead. Do you see a problem with that?

 

You answered my thought when you said you have already been told to back off the inspections of coaches. I'm glad you keep on keepng on myself. I drove coaches for alot of years and I know that the industry isn't nearly what it was. What I was getting at is that you will not be allowed to do the job because some politicians wil be pressured into seeing that it is not done. You are concerned about safety. They are concerned about votes.
Now as far as you thinking truck stops are safe,YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!!!!!!!

 

They are a lot safer than standing on the shoulder. I've taken them to a fast food joint as well. Just depends on whereI have it stopped.

 

I all ways thought that was misspelled and had some letters missing, they ment to say "busy weighting" and you could by pass the scales.