72 Hour DOT this week...... HOW BAD IS IT???

It hasn't been anything out of the ordinary for me. They said they are looking mostly at logbooks and brakes this year. What does your truck look like when the officer walks up? How do you look when he/she steps up on your steps? How organized are you when they ask for your paperwork? Just remember the first impression is the lasting one. I plan on stopping by either a TA or Petro for their free exam before I go too far just to be sure, but then I'm an o/o so it's up to me anyway to make sure my truck is up to par.

 

The yearly safety blitz is normally a ZERO TOLERANCE event. If you don't understand the Zero Tolerance concept, you're going to be the next victim. Some good examples: air lines with minor scrape marks on them from rubbing on something, wires twisted together by hand (proper connectors are a requirement, no twisted wires allowed), tools, containers or any object sitting on the fuel tanks or frame (or tool tray) unsecured. (Meaning not strapped or tied down). Paperwork with minor mistakes (like the VIN number from your last tractor listed in the lease agreement). In other words, everything you never thought you'de be tagged for, as well as the usual stuff.
Here's how the whole thing looks. The Federal Gov't sets up the Roadcheck programs and allots money to each state that participates. Each state enforces the Federal and State safety standards. They get allotments for the number of personnel they dedicate to the program, and a set amount for overhead. (Fuel, meals, misc supplies, etc). It's usually a little extra profit for the states. In return. the Law Enforcement officers and departments that participate must show results. Properly filled out inspection forms detailing their activities and the result of their efforts during the implementation of the program. Or, a detailed record of how many violations they discovered and how they handled them.
States are out of money, and the Feds have to print every dollar they hand out. Governors of each state want Federal dollars to help pay State Employees' wages and bennies. So my friends, we are the cash cow for the system. Each year we wander into weigh stations and inspection facilities to learn that we are parked until a repair truck fixes our leaks, lights, cracks, and worn parts. If the inspectors don't produce results, the Feds allot less money for the next year's inspections. If a state makes a major effort and gets impressive results, they will be assured a larger allotment for more inspections in the future.
This year, if you have to drive through the safety blitz, know that some states ignore it altogether and refuse to participate. Other states go wild for 3 days at our expense. Make sure you collect all your fuel cards and the frequent fueler cards for the truckstops you visit, and hide them. Recently, the info in the magnetic strips became "documentation" that you might be asked for. Don't fall for it, tell them you don't have any of those cards and that you don't use those programs. Next, UNPLUG your cell phone for 3 days after you go through it and delete all the topless pics of girlfriends and wives. Get all the porn, sexting pics and the incoming/outgoing calls deleted. Michigan recently started asking for motorist's cell phones. Troopers take the phones and download ALL the info in them in the patrol unit. And- SURPRISE !- the motorist gets citations in the mail for speeding, texting or using the phone in construction zones or school zones. Traffic investigators check the phone's GPS pings to do that. Then there are the criminal charges for the sexting pics.
Anyway, if your phone is turned off with the battery in it, it still sends pings. It can't be tracked with no battery in it. Take the battery OUT and hide it. If anyone asks for your phone in the safety blitz, tell them "No". If they see it, tell them it hasn't worked in a long time and it needs a new battery, you lost or threw away the old one.
If this is your first year out, I hope you find all the states that don't do the Roadcheck this year. If you get caught in one or several, stay cool. DON"T volunteer any info. Keep your answers short and to the point. And the most important point of all this year, DON'T pay ANY tickets you get in Roadcheck until you talk to a lawyer! Any ticket you get can wreck your driving career. The trooper, officer, deputy or inspector is LYING if he tells you "this won't go on your record if you just plead guilty and pay it". Don't believe it.
Oh, and one last thing- Welcome to Trucking, NOOB !

 

or you know just run legal all the time and you don't have to sweat about how the government is trying to screw you.

 

"Anyway, if your phone is turned off with the battery in it, it still sends pings"

Yes, but ONLY if the state trooper's PING DETECTION DEVICE has been correctly calibrated, meaning the aluminum foil hat on his head is in perfect alignment with his hairline. You left that part out of your overly paranoid rant.

 

Of course, but even that is no garantes.

 

nah dont think I'll hand over my cards or cell phone.Inspection is one thing,4th amendment rights another.

 

I was inspected four times my first year out, only been inspected once since, and NEVER during CVSA...

 

7.5 years of driving, and I've only had ONE full-blown inspection, and my logs checked twice.

Now... the one inspection was during blitz week in 2008.