Petty, BS tickets by DOT getting out of hand

This is what it looks like on my end of the business:
http://www.chron.com/news/gallery/Truck-gets-stuck-under-bridge-on-I-45-61286.php?cmpid=houtexhcat
Another driver posted this in the flatbed forum. This was in Houston, on I-45 underneath the Dallas Street overpass, right downtown Houston. I pull out of Houston, Galveston, Pearland, LaPorte, Freeport...etc. I've pulled quite a few oversized loads up and around Houston. I have never pulled one inside the 610 Loop. They always route you around the Loop. Always. Never had any issues with the Locals, in fact I have 2 sargeants' numbers on speed dial for the big loads where we are required to have a police escort.

Point is this: OP, you're the driver, just like me. You have restrictions. I have restrictions. You ignore your restrictions, you get a driving award. If I ignore mine, I will wind up wedging a load underneath an overpass and in big B I G trouble. If you're going to play the game, learn the rules.

 

What? You expect them to pull off a stop they're already involved with to go chase 'em down? SMH

 

No, I don't expect that. My point is : I think that there are certain states or areas where the police go specifically after the trucks, htey tend to be more lenient for what I think is a severe safety issue when it comes to cars. I have seen trucks pulled over for a marker light (well, at least that's what I thought) while cars speed on the same road next to that truck.
I absolutely don't think this happens everywhere andf I applaude the police for doing their job. The law is the law for everyone, but the police attitude certainly affects how your ticket is gonna look like.

 

Don't give the police a reason to pull you over, and they won't. FYI, your attitude dictates whether or not you get a ticket moreso than the LEO's attitude.

 

This is where the professionalism comes in at.

Most cops (the overwhelming majority) are going to conduct themselves in a very professional manner. Occasionally, you run into one with a chip on his shoulder. If you have a chip on your shoulder and he has one on his, you bang heads.
"Don't you have some real crimes to solve/Don't you have anything better to do than pick on truck drivers?" is not being professional.

Driving down a restricted road is a no-no. Noone should have to tell you that. Cop pulls you for driving down a restricted road. Most of us would say, "Officer I didn't see that sign until I was committed into the turn. I am trying to get turned around and get back onto the truck route." OP said, "I don't see why this road is restricted to trucks. Give me a good reason why I cant drive down this road."

 

You know that's a safety feature on a ####### truck right? And if I wanna use the #### thing I'll ####### use it! I could care less what anybody else likes or what some idiot in the town I'm delievering in wants to hear. As mndriver said they ignore the loud bikers, they ignore the loud muscle cars that are straight piped, and god forbid we write the moron with the imported fart going down the road a ticker for his muffler or the gangster that's got his music turned up so loud you can hear him 3 blocks away with the windows up. But we come right after the truck driver that uses his jake and then we call him a Jake brake cowboy.

I came through Marysville KS one night headed west there's a steep hill and a stoplight on hwy 36 headed west. That light is pretty quick on the yellow. Light changed hit the Jake and the service brakes barely got it stopped just as the idiot 4 wheeler pulled out. Came through a week later and there was a sign that said Jake brakes strictly enforced $250 fine minimum. Without that Jake I would've had a new hood ornament but I'm not supposed to use it because its supposedly loud. Half the time I can barely hear it when it is on with the windows down and I'm sitting closest to the stacks. I leave it on coming through towns that have no Jake brake laws I have never got a ticket or a warning for it and the first time I receive a ticket it'll go to court and I'll bring up that its a safety feature. I can understand not using it in a residential neighborhood but in a city on a truck route ###### I'm going to use it if I need too. Call me a Jake brake cowboy call me unprofessional say what you want but its a safety feature. I've had neighbors complain about my pickup in the neighborhood I used to live in. Had a 4" exhaust and a free flowing muffler used to get home around 11 p.m. never hammered on it matter of fact I used to idle up to my house and idle up my driveway but they still complained all the #### time but on the weekends you could hear their music a block and a half away from their garage not once were the cops called but I had a nice little chat with an officer one night and also crawled under with a flashlight to show him it did indeed have a muffler. Even offered to take it off to show him that it didn't have extension pipe welded in it. Funny how society works. I've read that truckers are our own worst enemy on this thread...far as I'm concerned more of us need a backbone and need to quit taking everybody else's crap. I'll agree with mndriver fully on this when they start pulling over a pack of Harleys, the farts going down the road, and the morons cranking their music up loud I'll quit using my Jake because its noisy until then it stays on.

 

Sometimes its crap. I was at DOT info meeting. Two instructors who had worked together for yrs doing this. (fairs, shows, as well as actual enforcement) Twice they disagreed. (with each other) on what was legal/not...

I was told my method of securing equipment (personal use) was no longer allowed. Because in some cases contractors leave equipment running in winter, loose items in cab MAY cause loader bucket to raise and take down bridge/powerlines. So I have to chain down bucket. Which will cause my tongue weight (talking pickup/imp trailer) to either be very HEAVY or floating. Trailer is 18' tandem 6k axles, tractor 8k with loader. Thing is rear tires are filled with fluid.

 

Like some have said, these people see trucks as cash cows. They can pull us over, write a ######## ticket, and we'll pay it because it's cheaper and easier than trying to fight it. It's not only the cops though. People hate truck drivers. We are big, slow monstrosities that have nothing better to do than to get in everybodies way and clog up the roads. That's where the pass pass pass mentality comes from. Police officers are no different than any of the other drivers out there...except they have a badge and a gun and some flashy lights on their cars. 50% also firmly believe that they are above traffic laws and therefore don't have to follow them. So we get to deal with a triple whammy. A 4 wheeler who is more than likely annoyed or angry with us, has the authority to screw us, and has been told to do just that by their superiors. That is why, as a "professional" (and I use that term loosely) driver, it is our responsibilities to CYA and don't do things that will get you screwed.

These truck route restrictions through towns rarely have to do with impassible roads. It is because people #####, and the council members want to keep their constituents happy so they get reelected. It's the same with airports. Even though the airport was there long before they were, people move in right next to the runway and then ##### about the noise. Because of this, most airports now have noise abatement procedures that require departing and arriving aircraft to follow set routes into and out of airports. Even though those same people like the convenience of the airport, and they utilize its services, it is only welcome when THEY want/need it. Trucks are no different. Welcome to the country of selfishness. It's only going to get worse.

 

I agree with you 100% driver. Here's the pathetic thing I live in a town of about 12000 people. Has one of the most screwed up truck routes ever. Hwy 77 and hwy 136/4 run right through the city. Hwy 136 west isn't too bad to get on. However from 77 to 136 east or hwy 136 heading west to 77 north is a royal pita to get onto. People complained about trucks coming through down town back before I was born (my dad grew up here when they made the truck route) and now people whine and complain about the truck route because they have to back up so trucks can get on 77 north from 136 when they're coming from the east or to get on 136 and head east from 77 north or south. Its pathetic I made the turn to get on 77 north the other day little 18 year old girl pulled right up to the crosswalk right as my light changed so I could make my right turn. Swung out hit the brakes and waited for her to back up so I could make my turn. She backs up I continue to make my turn and she goes around me because she was in a big hurry to go nowhere and almost hit the car in the right lane. Its pathetic sad thing is there was a cop right behind me that didn't do anything. I've wrote to the mayor and got the response of "it will cost too much to paint stop lines at those locations and nobody will obey them anyway. And enforcing a $200 Jake brake fine is easier than enforcing a $200 fine for no stopping at a stop line." Really? Well guess when a car gets wiped out because we have finally had enough they'll get the picture.