So i had my truck searched on friday

None taken.

I believe they are revenue hungry nowadays.

 

Stop on a highway shoulder or on a ramp and you are asking for attention.
Next time find a rest area, service plaza or truck stop.

 

I always write down my driving directions, turn by turn, at the start of a trip. That paper is ready to hand, and at every stop I at least give it a quick look. At my age, memory is not to be trusted when it gets down to the turn-by-turn stuff at the end of the trip.

I make sure, also, to write clearly and large enough that I can easily read it with a quick glance across at the passenger seat. At every stop, I cross off all the previous turns - this makes it a little easier to find where you are with a quick glance.

I suggest using one of those ultra-fine Sharpie pens - or any other fine fine point felt pen. It forces you to write big, and the writing is easily discerned even in low light conditions.

oh - stopped/searched. yeah. fast talk'n' and belligerent is actually taught as a tool in some schools. None of the cops I ever worked with used that system. It's easier than actually paying attention to the persons you are talking to. If you are polite, professional, and pay attention to the people you are talking to, you apparently stand a better chance of tripping up the bad guys. But of course, that means you have to pay attention to facial expression, HOW they are responding, as well as body language...

Still, yes - I've known of various exchanges to take place on the side of the road.. call ahead, arrange to meet at such and such a time at such and such a mile marker.. to be honest, I'm surprised it doesn't happen more.

There's nothing at all wrong with making them get a warrant or the dogs. Sure, it takes time out of your day - but it also takes MORE time out of their day. And if a particular officer shows a trend to unfounded searches, it will become harder for him to get a warrant in the future. Depending on the jurisdiction, and how you do it, a refusal to submit to search may actually get you back on the road faster. Of course, that's a call for the man on the spot.

I don't have a lawn chair nor do I have a boom box (that's what the radio in the truck is for, after all), but I'm not afraid to sit in the grass on the side of the road and read a book. Heck, I've been known to ask the officer if I can't sit in the back of his squad for the A/C.

The only time I've ever actually had my vehicle searched was when I was crossing the border into Candada some 25 years ago. I was just bumming around, so I didn't really mind the 6 hours it took them to tear my car apart and put it back together. It let me finish a couple books I'd been reading.

 

Yeah, that's how I write down directions too -- with a Sharpie in a spiral notebook. It works pretty well.
Glad you got out of it okay, seeing as how you hadn't done anything anyway.
I've never had any kind of job where you get treated with so little respect as drivers do in the trucking industry. I've sometimes felt like I was back in grade school. That was the last time I had been treated so unfairly.

 

At the start of every "trip", I print-out a "trip-sheet" (for recording state miles) and I print out the directions to the shipper/receiver on the back. (IF I haven't been there before). This saves a tremendous amount of time at the beginning and end of a trip.
I also use a "sharpie" and write in large letters as well.

 

In June 2001, I was eastbound toward Atlanta. I was pulled over in the scale house, west of Atlanta.
The officer tried to tell me that my air lines were touching the catwalk. I took a look, and there was at least a foot and a half between the lines and the catwalk. In his defense, he said while I was in motion, the lines were bouncing and touched the catwalk. He tried to tell me that was an offense.
Next, he stated that he didn't like the padlock on the trailer. Wanted to know what I had back there.
Anyway, he called for a drug dog. The dog "alerted" to the prescence of narcotics. So, he calls for reinforcements. Ends up with 6 uniformed officers, two plainclothes undercover "narc" officers, and proceeded going through the truck and trailer looking for anything illegal.
I sat on the hood of one of the squad cars watching them like they were stupid. I knew there wasn't anything illegal in that truck. The dog "alerted" on the tractor. They went through everything! Personal belongings in the cab, sleeper, and under the bunk storage. Even tried to find a false compartment in the fuel tanks.
Went through the trailer, too. I made him sign the bill of lading stating that he broke the seal. Had him print his name, with rank and badge number, and department contact information.
When they didn't find anything, they called for another drug dog. This dog didn NOT alert. So, everybody left except for mister suspicious. He said that since I was so cooperative, he was just giving me a warning.
I drove off laughing at what a bunch of idiots. Waisted an hour and a half of 8 officers, not to mention my own time.
What a crock!

 

id call the us marshals for harassment ..then say why do you think Ive done something wrong .tell him the us marshals wont him to wait till they get there .i bet the sun of a bit.. would let you go so fast he'd probably take off leaving you in his dust. i think i might just go to the state police office and make a complaint. the cop noes he cant search your truck unless you give him permission that's the law are only if for certain they have a good reason to think your truck is carry something .oh by the way i hate the sun of bitc.. they think there god i laugh my ### off every time i see a cop get caught doing something and the world tell the story .you have rights even if your a truck driver. its the bottom line. a friend of mine was a state man i told him to his face i hated cops because they break laws every day my friend couldnt believe i said it to him but he understand after i told him they break more laws than the average person ever would do he said well some do, i said most do .

 

I'll give you 10:1 that this same cop hangs out with his buddies after shift, whining about how no one has any respect for the law any more.

 

Forget about "Probable Cause" and "Warrants," when you drive a commercial vehicle.
Most of us are aware of "Probable Cause." What alot of people don't know is, "Any authorized agent of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, (DOT Certified Police Officer) may enter any vehicle, building, or property of a motor carrier for the purpose of conducting an inspection." Even alot of police officers think they need "Probable Cause" to search a vehicle. A DOT certified Police Officer may enter your truck to "Inspect" without probable cause or a warrant. Inspecting your truck can include looking in the refrigerator for beer, looking under the bed for "Prohibited items," or anything else he feels like doing. We have little defense along the lines of "Illegal search and seizure." Forget about the truck being your home. I have some personal experience in this area. The only thing we have in our favor is the fact that alot of Law enforcement people are unaware of this clause in the FMCSA rules.

 

I can guarantee that there isn't going to be ANY officer....EXCEPT a U.S. Marshall in the presence of the Shipper's and a FDA representative break the seal and inspect/search the load on my trailer, if they can do it at all. My company's customers won't allow anything less. If I get delayed by some over-zealous cop, I get paid by the hour. Usually, all it takes is for me to show them the BOL, and they don't bother me anymore than necessary to complete an (Level l, ll or lll) inspection and send me on my way.