FMSCA video

The vehicle was over 10,001 lbs, like many other vehicles rented or leased by carriers every day. On to come to mind is a home delivery companies that deliver mattresses, furniture and appliances. If you look at history and the activities overseas, it eventually comes to the US. They use truck bombs and suicide bombers in trucks for a terrorist attack. I believe that is the message, not that legitimate truck drivers are terrorist. However, how do you tell whose is who. It's not like everyday, a legitimate trucker wakes up and sticks a sticker on his head and says "I'm legit truck driver." and the a terrorist sticks one on his head that says "You better run." Rental vehicles are encountered everyday either on traffic stops or cmv inspections. I know half the ones I stop are someone using it as a moving van, the other by a carrier. From my perspective, its reinterating the message of violators can drive anything. If you see a violation, do not be uneasy stopping a large vehicle. It's not saying to write every truck driver a ticket. Warnings are an effective traffic enforcement tool as well. Criminals drive trucks as well. I don't think that is a news flash to anyone on here. Trucks are used to deliver large loads of dope, transport stolen goods and wanted felons have driven a truck. Just like every other type vehicle on the road at this moment. I locked up a driver last week that had been wanted since 1997, he had changed his name around to avoid detection. He had been stopped at least 5 times in that period from 97 until last thursday. Driving a F550, not an 18 wheeler, wanted for felony burglary and theft. The fact of the matter is this. I have no idea who I am going to encounter on a traffic stop each and every day. If I did, I would be playing the lottery and getting rich. What I do is a lot like fishing. Some days I get nothing, some days I have a good run of stuff and some days I get the big fish. My initial contact with an individual, my gut feeling and what I observe with the individual's actions are what keeps me alive. The guy that was wanted last week. He was jumpy from the start and almost shook out of his clothes. His medical card was expired and kept saying "I can go get my new one at the yard and bring it back." Trying to be able to get away from me. When I ran his license, it came back with a possible match. The name was not exactly the same. Same last name but first and middle had been rearranged and changed. Asking for some other identifiers, he tells me "I don't know." Horse poop. Then he really got jumpy, so I knew there was something he was trying to hide. Fingerprints confirmed he was the wanted subject and after 15 years his days on the run are over. He will be extradicted back to where they want him at.

Driver's I know it is probably hard to imagine or think any other driver would do something so atrocious attack america. I would have too prior to 9/11. However the world we live in now, is not the world we grew up in and it never will be. There are people that want to hurt kill and terrorize any americans. That is a fact. Just watch the news everyday. My job when I stop a truck is to determine if I just stopped one of those folks or a real trucker. The 9/11 hijackers didn't concieve that plan the day before the attacks of 9/11. It was calculated out over 10 years in the making. So a legitimate driver today, could very well be an operative for a later date. Another part is you a legitimate driver see a lot of stuff in and around trucks stops, loading docks and other places trucks park at. If you see something, call the authorities and report it. Something that seems trivial to you make make sense to law enforcment or an intelligent analyst.

 

Good thread with valid points. But I still have issues with law enforcement when they only target trucks. And it does happen. Ever driven the "no fly zone" on I65 in southern Indiana? Ever notice sometimes it looks like they are picking on trucks? They are. I know this because a trooper told me that in the KFC that has truck parking at exit 6 or 7.
Me- Sure got a lot of trucks pulled over today.
Him- Yep, slowin down the trucks today.
Me- Guess I'm safe then?
Him- Not if you do something stupid. I can make time to pull your car over.

I waited til he left to get in my truck.

My point is this. I understand that wanted felons, drug runners, drunk drivers etc drive all types of vehicles. Law enforcement are trained on how to spot things that tip them off to these drivers. But, if they are only watching trucks that day, how many go right on by?

 

There is a lot of variables that we don't know before you jump to conclusions. Was he a truck enforcement guy? Was there a special detail that day focusing on CMV's? We don't know. In the unit I work, I stopped mostly trucks. That's my job now, I'm not assigned to regular road patrol. I have more training than an average road guy to deal with trucks. So my function is to focus on trucks. I still stop cars when they do something stupid near me. I still run on calls but I don't have to handle them anymore, which means I don't have to write the reports etc. A truck is involved in a wreck, I get sent to do my end. I look for overweights, and I stop trucks for inspection. Kinda sounded like what you said that guy was doing.

 

Thanks DB. And I get it. I know the guy I talked to is a diesel bear. Drives a silver unmarked. That day there were 3 full grown and the red mustang with trucks. And really DB I do get it. Honestly, I wouldn't want your job. Guess I was more picking on IN than anything. It's common practice there.

 

What you are saying is that a handful of Jihadist terrorist turned the United States Government against its citizens and you seem to be OK with that idea. Suspecting law abiding citizens of being potential terrorist is not law enforcement it TERRANY!

I'm not buying it. One day I woke up and America was a fascist police state forcing its citizens to defend themselves against a leviathan.

 

I have been through that "no fly" zone many times.
It's CLEARLY marked as a 55mph area. From my personal expirence, they don't PLAY there. They don't care how many wheels you have. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or even 18. If you are doing 56 or better they're going to get you eventually.

 

dieselbear,

I will ask you directly.

What is a terrorists most effective weapon?

 

Why don't you tell me.

 

Because your comment smacks of the very thing that they use.

I deployed not once, but twice since 9/11 as a result of the events of that day. And every time I hear comments such as yours, my skin cringes for every American alive now and in the future.

 

Not exactly. Drivers of all vehicles violate the various traffic laws around this country. Drivers of all vehicles use those vehicles to facilitate criminal enterprises. Not ALL vehicles and NOT ALL drivers. More like 1% of citizens in this country. Let me ask you, can you tell by just looking at a vehicle if that individual is up to some criminal activity? The answer is no. Part of my job is to detect signs of criminal activity afoot when I come in contact with them. The video in question is targeted to regular road patrol officers that do not have commercial vehicle experience or inspection experience. Most road patrol officers are not comfortable stopping a vehicle that large. Most don't know what to do with it, or with all the documents drivers can hand them. I know when a road patrol guy calls me and needs my help they always comment on all of the documents. The video is just showing regular officers that if a violation occurs in their presence, enforce the laws as you would for any other vehicle. It doesn't say write tickets to truck drivers. It says enforce the laws. Last time I checked I can write tickets or warnings. So If the individual I stop is not an arse, majority of the time he gets a warning. If he's an arse or has diarhea of the mouth, I'll give him something to beech about.

The part about the terrorist in the previous post was to another poster about the Oklahoma Trooper that stopped McVeigh less than a hour after the Oklahoma City bombing. He wasn't a jihadist. He was a home grown former US soldier. The statement I was making is no one has any idea what anyone can and will do at any given time. Just like I don't know just by looking at a vehicle that it is carrying couple tons of illegal drugs, smuggling illegal aliens, hauling a stolen load/equipment or a individual that just commited a murder. I don't and no one else does. I stop driver's of all vehicles each day. From what I see and what I can detect determines the outcome. In September 1999 I had a guy in a passenger car that nearly blew my head off, I sure wish I would have known that before I walked up to the car. My senses and my experience is what keeps me alive each day. Criminal activity is criminal activity, whether it be a drunk, a wanted individual, a smuggler or a terrorist my job is to remove them from free society so you and your family can safely traverse this nations roads. In addition to removing criminals, ensuring safe operation of motor vehicles on the highways.