why do roadside inspections take so long?

That bears repeating.

 

Ive only had them do the routing software on me once and that was in New Mexico. The girl was in training so they went over my logs with a fine tooth comb. They gave me a couple things to "fix" and I went on my way with no violations. I was shocked at how nice they were about it.

Arizona should put "we hate truckers" on their state welcome signs. I don't know what the deal is there over the past few years but I've been roadside inspected 3 times in the past year on 10 between Tucson and Phoenix. I HATE sitting on the shoulder getting inspected.

 

They do love that I8/I10 junction. Everyone from the DPS to the city cops to the county cops have their very own DOT squad. It's not that they hate truckers--they just know where the big money is.

 

The time stamp on your BOL does not have to match your logbook, just has to be before your log entry showing how it got onn the back of your truck.

 

You don't have to carry the annual inspection forms if you have stickers meeting the requirements: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/396.17

Also I've never seen a requirement for #4 other than to have emergency response information on hand (which can be just a photocopy of the ERG)

 

Just a little advice? don't keep receipts, I never keep them, when they ask for receipts, I tell them, I don't keep receipt, my company is paperless, no need to turn in, no need for me to keep, usually on a road side inspection, I'm out in about 30 min.

 

Few things.
1. Scales in Colorado are part of Colorado State Patrol, have been since 2013. Regular CSP officers, those in cruisers (Crown Vics, Chargers, Taurus, Impala), will only do a Level 3 inspection, unless setup as part of a portable, they don't carry the required items to do a Level I or II. The officers who drive the Tahoes, Suburbans, Explorers do often carry the stuff to do a Level I, including the little portable scale plates. CSP also has the HAZMAT vans, and several F-350 pickups they can and will stop you for any reason, including going after 4 wheelers (funniest thing I ever saw was a Chevy Kodiak HAZMAT truck racing by me, engine screaming, at 90 mph chasing after a speeder). The scale people can only do a level III, but if a CSP inspector is there, he can do a Level I.

2. The same with Neb. State Troopers, the cruisers can only do Level III inspections, the pickups and SUV's can and will often do a Level I. They generally work the 2 lanes in the N. and W. part of the state, they love US 385/NE 19 from Co. state line to S.D. line. Neb. troopers in the pickups do carry the portable scale plates, both the cruisers and the pickups carry the dip tubes for doing fuel checks to make sure you are not running off-road diesel. They love to do a portable fuel check station during harvest.

3.Nebraska, Kansas and Ok. troopers are really pushing the cab inspections since Co. legalized pot. They generally prefer to do pot stops on 4 wheelers, but, trucks with Co. plates are getting this treatment as well.

4. Wyo., some of the cruisers have a creeper and chocks onboard to do a level I, but they generally don't like to.

5. If I get asked for a fuel receipt, we fuel in the yard, I have a 1,050 mile range with full tanks. If they press the issue and it's during business hours, I tell the to call our office. If it's after hours, I'll give them our lawyers business card and tell them they can arrange an appointment with him to audit our books. If they ask for meal receipts, I tell them I can call my credit card company and have them fax over a copy of my statement, but I don't keep the receipts.

6. Recently had a Level III in the middle of the night at the NB Ft. Collins POE while hauling HAZMAT. They checked my log book, then checked it against port clearances for Colorado and Wyo. for the prior 7 days. Since we run prepass, they only had two port clearances pop up. He didn't bother to check prepass against my log. He did ask for all paperwork, and if I had a copy of the ERG. I showed him the photo copy that was attached to my shipping papers, he said that wasn't good enough and wanted to see the actual book, which we do carry in the truck.

7. Time stamps can be tricky. Have twice had them called into question. One, arrived at a customer at 7:48 am, paper log book showed status change @ 7:45 am. Proof of Delivery invoice showed I left the customer at 10:02 am, log book showed change of status @ 10 am. Trooper said I couldn't do that, that the log was false. I told him, and pulled up a google earth shot of the scale house, that I marked my time out at 10:02, handed the customer his copy, walked 10 ft, got in the truck and left. I was in gear and rolling by 10:05, the cutoff to move forward to 10:15 am was 10:07 by my understanding of time calculation. He hemmed and hawed this one for 15 minutes before saying it was a gray area. Wyo., especially the scale at Sheridan, like to get picky about bodily fluid stops. Made a pit stop on an off ramp in Montana one time, got inspected at Sheridan, she questioned the time it took me to get from Billings to Sheridan, saying that it should have taken me XX amount of time, but it took me XXX amount of time, I said I made a potty stop on an off ramp. Figured it took me 4 minutes to take a leak and thump my tires. She wrote me up for not making a notation of this on my log book. In the grand scheme of things, it didn't make a difference, but she was nitpicking.

 

didnt read the whole thread, but becuz they wanna make SURE they dont miss an opportunity to break out the ky...

 

I was almost 30 miles into Arizona on westbound 10 before I saw a truck getting a roadside inspection. They're slacking off.

 

30 miles? You must not have been paying attention. I don't believe it for a minute.