Hotshots Requesting Accurate Info From DOT Officers Who May be Here...

Not on "Shipping Wars" . Seriously though vehicles under 10,001 lbs. GVWR are exempt from regulations unless carrying hazmat requiring placarding . That's the main reason people run cargo vans in expedite . The rates are lower but no log books .

 

Have you watched shipping wars? All I could stand was about thirty minutes.
Talked to Brooks other day he said you was in Canada?

 

Todd Dills mentioned Shipping Wars on his Facebook page . I told him I refuse to support anything promoting UShip . I know all I want about the show from reading about it here and joining in bashing it at the A&E site . .
I was in Canada last week . That load paid good - deadheaded to Axis , AL to load it .
I just got back from Akron late Friday night . An O/O rolled an empty tank on I-76 near Akron and I had to bobtail 450 miles and bring him and the tank back .

 

back to the original topic....deiselbear and scalemaster wouldn't like me, and i certainly wouldn't get along with them in an inspection. i will give them any supporting documents i may have, to support on duty time. would not give them any documents to support off duty time. off duty is off duty....and it is my time. the company and the dot get up to 70 hours of my time every week. they don't get my off duty time too. and to give them documentation, other than a logbook that says off duty, would be giving them the rest of the week too, and it ain't gonna happen. now, i just hope i am never put into a situation where i have to "stick to my guns" and defend that opinion....never have had to yet...

 

Most inspectors will let you stick to your guns and drop the issue of supporting documents for off duty - then find something else to nail you for . Play nice in their sandbox .

 

While I agree that I should play nice in their sandbox, RickG. I just have trouble getting myself to do so. LOL All them DOT officers get all upset, because some of us drivers, myself included, don't seem particularly friendly. They might understand if the dynamic where reversed. I have never given a DOT officer a fine for 129 bucks and then smuggly made a comment about making my quota and giggle in his face. It happened in Wisconsin. Most of the fines given to drivers are way out of line, and are not "safety issues" anyway. They are about revenue. I do agree that there are trucks and drivers that need removed from the road. Absolutely. So DOT should target them, and pretty much leave the rest of the drivers alone. The DOT officers with a good trained eye can spot those guys from a long ways off. No need to have every truck that crosses the scale pull around to nitpick paperwork to catch the problem children. When an officer writes a fine, that he knows he didn't really need to write, he is being a jerk. He isn't just hurting the driver, but is taking money from a drivers family. It is hard enough to make a living as it is. And DB and Scalemaster, if you have never written an unnecessary fine, thank you. But think of some of your jerk coworkers you know, before you get mad at a driver who isn't standing meekly, hat in hand, yes stirring your every word.

 

OK I have a question from a friend, Hes been hauling cattle intrastate for 5 years (1 ton+cattle trailer) and he now just got a mc number so he can go interstate. his currant signs have his company name, phone number, and US dot number, will these signs continue to work? or does he need more info on them to be interstate?

 

US dot # rade name and company lesaed to if applicable.
It's online at the fmsca site. The letters have to visible at 50 foot daytime.
But check to make sure for yourself

 

I drove for several years before becoming a "DOT". I do understand the dynamic, and was treated very poorly by some DOT officers myself. I make sure I am not one of that kind of officer, the kind that would, "smuggly made a comment about making my quota and giggle."

Not around here. The fines are low, haven't changed in decades, and all go to the local school district. No incentive for us to write them.

No, I can honestly say I don't think I have ever written an unnecessary ticket. I only write a fraction of the tickets I could legitimately, and then only when necessary.

I will not hold it against you for the jerk I just had to deal with, if you try not to have an attitude with me because of some other officer you had to deal with. Deal?

 

I am new here and 1 thing i have noticed , or at least thought is...

Dieselbear & scalemaster seem to be pretty decent guys and the kind of DOT officials i would prefer to be stopped or pulled over by.

If they care enough to be on here and offer us advice and personal opinions about our questions and comments, then they are most likely good guys on duty !!

I have had really good luck with the DOT , on the roadside and in the scalehouses...

I try to be polite and they have always been the same....

99% of the time that i have been pulled over,,,i did something to deserve it, so i dont need to have an attitude towardes the guy just doing his job,,,

OK , im done kissing and licking now,,,i will go wash my nose and brush my teeth !! LOL