Can An Officer Step Up On Your Tank Step Without Asking?

Been out here 38 yrs now. I've always had a great respect for the law and the officers that enforce it. I don't do drugs, I don't carry weapons in my truck and I have a Qualcomm.
What I do have on board are 3 electronic devices mounted to the window; phone, GPS and an 8 inch tablet for Google Maps traffic monitoring and sattelite weather radar.

I drive an 11 car auto transport where there is some obstruction in the windows due to the head rack support. The GPS and my phone are stationed off to the right while the tablet is off to the left in the path of the already obstruction from the head rack.

I also drive a day cab and my truck is equipped with a lot of things in order to do my job right. Most of this stuff is organized and placed very well but it is not tied down.

I would not have any problem with an officer wanting to check my truck if he/she thinks that I might have drugs or weapons but what I would take very offensively is somebody trying to tell me that they know more about how to drive a truck or organize/secure my belongings than I do.

I practice preventive maintenance so that things won't go flying around simply by increasing my following distance and decreasing my speed.

I don't mind an officer examining my truck providing that they tell me what they are going to be looking for. I'm all for arresting drug criminals and keeping the drugs out of this business. But what I don't like is when an officer just simply hops up there at their own free will uninvited.

I have not personally had this experience myself but I have read about it. I was wondering what everyone else thinks about this.

 

In the good old cabover days you could pull the door handle on hold it and when they grabbed the door to help pull up it got quite exciting.

Remember they have a badge and a gun and can do what they want,
Don't mean it's right , legal or proper., but by the time you realize what is happening they are already there.

Nothing you can do about it, find something else to worry about.

 

Let's turn this a bit. Why would they NOT be allowed to? Trespassing is the only thing I can see, and as you are in a CMV and must allow an inspection I'd be surprised if that didn't get laughed out of any courtroom.
Oh it's rude, and anyone but a cop would get pulled (or pushed with the door) off really quick. Personal space and all that.

 

I don't have any issues with it because 90% of the time, they're coming up the passenger side, and when I've left the drivers seat to either open the door for them or to meet them there, they've asked why my seat belt wasn't on.

So now I just wait, with my belt on, and make sure they see me take it off.

Now Border Patrol has ALWAYS asked me of they so much as touch my truck. Theyve looked through the drivers side window a few times, but they've always askes

 

If he steps on my tank without permission, I'll fire the main gun at him, sorry had a flashback, I'm not a tanker anymore

 

Tell them to get off your truck and then enjoy how the rest of your day goes.

 

They'll treat you like a King.

......it's been 25 years. Still to soon?


Sirscrapntruckalot - If we couldn't laugh, We'd all go insane. - Jimmy Buffett, Change in latitudes, Changes in attitudes.

 

In the time I have been out here on the road they have stepped up a couple times.
I've always had the impression that they simply wanted to be heard more clearly, and to hear me more clearly, as the engine was running.
Even when I talk to another driver from the outside, I usually step up when I need to.

I don't have a problem with it.


As to the OP...
You have been doing this for 38 years, and it has NEVER happened to you.
So why are you even bringing the subject up? Too many YouTube vids?
Do you simply want a reason to cause some kind of conflict so you can post your own if a cop makes a step up to speak with you? Some reason to puff your chest out and pound on it, and then blame someone else for your bad conduct?

It boggles my mind as to why some people start these kind of threads.

 

He is the one with the gun and can make my life pure heck with inspections and what not, as far as I am concerned he can do whatever he wants, within reason. To me climbing on my tank is within reason.

I have had them do it before. Ohio Highway Patrol was notorious for that, but they usually asked first. Some didn't. The ones that didn't I just let it go and moved on. Never had any issues with the DOT. Got a ticket feom one in Chicago. He had me dead to rights. He was very professional. He did what he had to do and then let me go.

 

More than once has the phrase "he is the one with the gun" been mentioned.
They do not carry to intimidate people, they carry to protect themselves and others.

If you are not considered a threat you should have no fear.
And isn't that the reason that normal citizens wish to carry firearms? To protect themselves and others in the case of a threat?

I know there are bad cops out there.
There are bad people out there wherever you go. Many of them carry.

But we should never be afraid because of that.

I have a weapon, but I don't carry it. It is at home, and it is a rifle. Too big to carry.
I have it in case of a major disaster where I might have to protect or hunt.

But with a cop that is armed, I have no fear.