DOT Inspection Bonuses

If you have a company letter of responsibility the equipment related tickets will be written to the company, only violations for things like log book errors get written to the driver.

Most guys don't carry that letter or even know such a thing can be done but when I drove other people's trucks I told them "I don't roll till I have that letter in my hand, if you don't provide the owner responsibility letter then you can find another driver".

As an owner I frequently requested a level 1 for many years since California was going to get you anyway 2 or 3 times a year, requesting an inspection meant I could pick the schedule instead of them; potentially saving a lot of money in missed loads. I don't do this anymore because they have become such Jackals, many CA scales won't even inspect on request anymore.

My current policy us NEVER invite the government to torment me and when they instigate an encounter take no BS and let them know you are recording them.

 

That was a quite notorious scale for many years but they have become much more professional the last few years, maybe they got an old school Commander running things now.

Morgan Hill are still a bunch of incompetent pricks though

 

Every 3 months the sticker color changes, in the first month of a new color they cut off both upper corners of the sticker, in month 2 they cut just one corner off and in the 3rd month (final) month of a color they leave the whole sticker intact.

This enables them at a quick glance to know when you last received a passing level 1 inspection, in California they want you to get a level 1 every 90 days, but due to manpower limitations they will usually wait until your sticker is 6 months old.

That regularity is why we used to request inspections, it was coming anyway so might as well pick the time myself; but with the current climate of inspectors who know nothing about trucks and who think you should be thankful to THEM for passing a level 1 (I am the one who lays under the truck and pays to keep it in shape) it is just more hassle than it's worth.

 

Double post

 

Was talking to the inspector at Tremonton while he was giving me a free MVI, he was saying it was a popular ploy until they banned it. Seemingly some companies with rubbish scores and equipment were getting a new truck and getting it inspected on request daily to build their profile up!

He swore it was true, for myself I've always believed if they really want to find something to charge you for, they'll find it. I try to stay away from their attention personally but keep my truck in shape just in case.

 

Every inspection is recorded to the trucks license plate and VIN, if the truck was "inspected yesterday" they would not do another even if the company scraped off the sticker.

That inspector is full of crap, he knows the reason many have stopped doing inspections on request is because they think the surprise factor increases their chances of finding something petty to cite.

It ain't about the fine, they are perfectly happy writing no fee fix tickets; the goal is to show that a very high percentage of the trucks they inspect have some form of violation. That is how they justify their existence and get budget increases to hire more people and build more facilities.