Picked up a hitchhiker annnd got randomly inspected.

WRONG! What is wrong is a driver taking it upon themselves to open their employer to legal liability. You take a hitcher into your truck and something happens to that hitcher the settlements could reach into the millions. This is not just a thing either. A lot of these carriers are self insured. It's horrible how unfortunate it is in today's OPENLY litigious society that carriers have to be this way. It don't matter if the situation is an emergency or not. A driver has a cell phone and/or a QC, I suggest you use them. This situation is not going to change either. As I said in a previous comment Rayloc (NAPA) fired 2 drivers for doing this.

 

I never get paranoid when I got a 41 magnum in my hand

 

This thread is very informative. It's opened my eyes to the possible negatives of trying to help someone on roadside. Slightly changed my opinion on the topic, but regardless, if the situation calls for it I am stopping. Job be dammed. There are other jobs out there if its freezing temps out and raining and all that wonderful stuff I will be stopping to help a person in need

 

In this day and age one can help out without breaking the law or likely even company policy.
Simply pull over and offer to sit in the cab and call 911. Once the cop is there they will be the ones helping and you can be on your way.

 

Lots of people like to hide behind company policies as an excuse to not help someone in need.

 

I dont believe that using the government to take care of every little problem is a healthy state of affairs. We live in a sorry age where men are not encouraged to be men. Truckers need to go back to being Knights of the Road. Your self respect is far more important than following every little rule in the rulebook.

 

So, whats your point, normally its the nice guy next door all the neighbors, not him hes so nice. No more neighbors, same logic

 

Most of the time regulations and laws exist because someone thinks they are smarter than you, there is regulations against most everything, Drivers have in the past been required to wear ties, hats and polished shoes. FMCSA is not going to make all my decisions by issuing reg's. I do what I believe to be the correct thing for the situation. Write me a ticket, you want your truck come get it, no problem.

 

Somehow I think this topic has got off track a bit. The FMCSA is not all that concerned about having unauthorized passengers in a CMV. This is also not about silly company policies. It is ALL about legal liability. Think about it this way. If you were an owner running you own company how would you feel if one of your drivers picked up a hitcher and 10 miles down the road said driver crashed and both occupants of the truck were killed. Then find out that passengers family has filed a multi million dollar lawsuit against you? Your insurance company may pay for the settlement however what do you think happens next? I'm sorry our society has become like this. However you must as a business owner think like this. In all honesty there are going to be very few situations where a driver in an emergency situation does not have access to a cell or even a QC to get a person help without opening your company up to any sort of legal liability. The old days are now past, good or bad their gone. No point crying about it. If you chose to allow an unauthorized passenger aboard your truck it's on you. However if your caught and fired don't start crying about how bad that (censored) company is, because it is 100% YOUR FAULT!

 

I agree you have to be willing to accept the consequences for your actions, as far as the fictitious driver having an accident, he probably should ave been fired anyway.