If you go to DOT for an inspection.....

Myth.

You drove it there, you are liable for the result.

 

I would assume if they find a violation they are not going to just let you go..sounds like trucker bs to me..

 

Even though its not true, sometimes it's not a bad idea to volunteer for an inspection after a very thorough pretrip sometime late in may. That way you have a sticker to keep you out of the bays during the safety blitz when everyone is in a worse mood. I was planning just that last year, but chp beat me to the punch. Either way I had my sticker for safety week.

 

Drivers don't initiate DOT inspections. Only the DOT does. If a driver has a problem with their company they have online complaint forms.

Otherwise you might get a "get lost, do your own inspection" to "oh, you are looking for a free $50 for a clean inspection. Look what we found here"!

 

Fact, but you need to make an appointment with the local US Marshal to meet you at the scalehouse of your choice

 

Once again some bad information. Yes if you ask for an inspection and they find something wrong you get cited and have to fix it before you leave and you dont get a sticker. Sometimes you have to do this. For example before you pick up a radioactive load in the state of Washington you have to get a Level 1 inspection from the WASP.

 

Never did like to play Russian roulete.
If you loose you pay and so does the company.

Never did care for all the pain and suffering.

 

Not true...I have pulled into the scale house twice and asked for a voluntary inspection. Once to prove a correctable violation was corrected on an inspection form and second since a sticker was expired and I had a tight mission critical shipment going through 4 scale houses that we get random inspections at regularly and wanted a current sticker and no delays.

 

Myth on several levels.

Anytime you are inspected you can be cited for violations.

However, we are prohibited from doing driver requested inspections. They are to be random inspections (tempered by the carrier's safety rating) unless we see some obvious defect.