"But Officer....."

Did you pee in his Cheerios? I remember the very first time I got pulled over he was arrogant and peed me off! But I got even, I married his sister and then I took it a step further and had kid's with her. I sure showed him I did!! teach him to do his job lol ! We are great friends now!

 

You know, the very first encounter I ever had with DOT did not go so well for me. My fines totaled almost $6000. (That's another story for another day) But let's just say, I was young and dumb, and you know the rest of the line.

But the officer I had the pleasure of dealing with was probably the most respectful, level headed person I ever dealt with. He took the company to the cleaners that day, he wrote up every little thing he found, and issued a citation for it too. Put me OOS with an oversized load about five hours before a major snowstorm was to hit.

He took the time to explain everything that I should have known beforehand, and did it in a very pleasant manner. Very professional.

The company I worked for fought some of the tickets in court, and the officer agreed to drop some of the charges. We got off with a fine totalling around $2000. Then he showed up at the office, which was out of his area of authority, on his own time, and spent half a day educating myself and the owner on what we need to be doing. Free of charge.

I've had some more issues with DOT, but they've been pretty minor. Looking back on it, I honestly believe that officer went above and beyond to help me as a young gun full of urine and vinegar to do things correctly and have a pretty productive and enjoyable career. Without him, I'd probably be flipping burgers somewhere for a living.

So they're not all bad!

 

I, for one, have total respect for @Observer1 for coming to this forum to learn more about this industry as we, the drivers, see it.

Something he mentioned that we have had numerous discussions about at our shop is the written warning thing. We had always suspected that a lot of the officers honestly think it's the same as a written warning to a 4-wheeler driver. No consequences whatsoever. Just slow it down or whatever. They have never been told about what it does to a company's CSA score.

I'm glad he's here and I look forward to reading more of his posts. I think we all can learn something here.

 

If you're going to take the time to give a verbal warning, you could always ask the driver if they'd like a level II or III inspection as well. Sometimes we might not have the time to oblige, but some company drivers will get a small bonus around $20 for a clean level III, and O/O's will be conscious that it'll weigh favourably against the yahoo the boss hired then fired 6 months ago after getting the book thrown at him. If you notice a minor form and manner error, or a light not working you can point it out to the driver and send them on their way, because it might actually be news to them, and save them the headache it would have caused if a black and white LEO caught it later down the line.

Also, pointing out why the driver was pulled over right off the bat is a courtesy that's been skipped over fairly often. Having to ask at the end of the stop and getting a "because I've never seen you before" is a bit of a head scratcher.

 

I found POE were really good twice i was more than 1000 lb over on the axles got the red light at the Indiana POE told them i'd slid the axles 8 holes forward to transfer the weight allowing for 240lb per hole only to find out it was over 400 lb per hole so i'd shifted over 2200 lb to the drive axles the officer let me go back slide my axles and I got the green light onward to Denver woo hoo. which proves not all police are out to get you.

 

@LoudOne i always say common sense is like deodorant, the ones you need it the most don't use it.

 

Regardless of what others have said in response to your post, I actually appreciate the fact that you are trying to get a better handle on what us drivers face everyday.
Mind you, there are mindless idiots out here that will constantly try and take short cuts, pull the wool over someone's eyes. Trust me, those people need to be jacked up.
There are, however; many out here just trying to do a good job for their company, their families and for themselves.
But like trucking, even law enforcement is cursed with numerous idiots. The only major difference, is they have a badge and a gun.
We are all trying to do a good job.
The better we all get along, the more we take the time to work together, the easier life becomes for all.
I urge you to disregard the ramblings of the other posters who mouthed off about your lack of respect.
To me it is very honorable when someone goes out of their way to learn to walk in another's shoes.