Observations from roadside inspections

Look guys, I know I can only talk about the guys and gals I work around and I don't have the experience that you do. But, in my State, there is a number of local departments that have inspectors. Yes, Troopers run the program and there is a number of "road troops" that are not assigned to our unit that are certified inspectors. There is numerous departments that have an inspector or as many as 50 inspectors. From my experience, before I was transferred to my unit and not certified as an inspector I did not stop trucks and harass them. None of the people I worked with did. The only time I requested a driver's log or medical certificate was when I was investigating a collision with a truck and our truck unit was enroute for a post crash inspection. Today the road troops whether certified or not will secure all driver/vehicle documents when they are the first on the scene on a collision and they have requested us to respond. At that time I direct the troop to secure all documents (license, medical certificate, log, registrations, bills etc....)The way the law is in our State, a State Trooper that is certified to inspect commercial vehicles as defined in the FMCSR's can direct any law enforcement officer to gather that information. Failure to submit the information and/or submit to an inspection is deemed a refusal to submit to a inspection. Which at that time becomes a costly endeavor. In over 12 years as a Trooper I have never seen this occur before. But I'm not naive to think it never could. And I know you guys are operating everywhere in the USA and this may not be the case because laws vary from State to State. Just stay professional and act like you have some sense. To many people, whether driver's or not, act like a bunch of jack***** and dig their hole deeper and almost always make their situation much worse than it has to be. I know from my early days as a Road Trooper and even today, you get a guy that acts like a blooming idiot and cussess and fussess and is generally a pain in the rear end, he's not getting any breaks for anything. There is 10 violations, there will be 10 tickets. If there is 10 criminal violations, there will be 10 criminal charges lodged. It's a simple principal my training officer taught me years ago, "treat people the way you would want to be treated, if you were in their position. You don't belittle them, ridicule them etc."

 

What's your take on the scenario I gave DB? If you were a local cop that was not DOT certified and stopped a truck then asked for logbook ( just hypothetical ) and the driver asked you in a nice courteous manner if you were DOT certified. How would you react? Would that get your shorts in a wad so to speak? As I said I have had this happen 3 time in my career and no problems in any of the 3 cases but some seem to think that it is insulting the officer and asking for more problems. Have I just been lucky or what? Keep in mind I'm talking a local cop not a trooper or DOT. Thanks

 

I guess it's hard for me to say, I have never been a local guy, I only have my experiences to draw from. In my opinion, it would be hard to really say. Because I've seen some locals that are good and some that are the "Roscoe P. Coultrane" type. So I would imagine it would depend upon who you were stopped by. There is no way to know whether a "Roscoe" type or a very good local officer have stopped you initially. In the same token, you'll have officer's from each and every department that are the "roscoe" type. It doesn't matter that he is a trooper or not. I've seen some real jack holes that have worked in my department and thank god most of them have been fired or resigned that I knew.

 

Well Bear I'll go back to your earlier post... even if they are a Roscoe P. Coultrane type like you described, the driver going off on them will not make things any better. So if the driver truly feels that what the officer did is bull, go to court. A lot of what happens out here is based on attitude. I can tell you an experience I had...

I got pulled over in Washington state for speeding. The state trooper asked to see my logbook and I told him flat out, "Officer, I'm not going to lie to you, I haven't touched it since midnight." He told me while he was back at the car to get caught up. So of course I did. When he came back he handed me a warning for speeding. He told me, "I'm gonna cut you a break this time, because you were honest with me."

Prime example of attitude right there.

 

Looneytune I agree with you and DB 100% on attitude. I learned that at about 16 when I got my first speeding ticket. I give an officer respect whether they deserve it or not. Most give it right back and it makes things go a whole lot smoother. However I don't feel like questioning a "roscoe" unqualified cop on whether they are DOT certified or not is being disrespectful if presented in the right manner. If they are fine if not and they want to call a DOT fine by me. I don't worry about DOT inspections.

 

Oh I agree hillbilly, it's all right to question someone or something if done in a respectful manner. If the officer goes off, well hell you didn't contribute to that.

 

I have had more good experiences with DOT then I have bad. However i credit most of that to the fact that i've always been a law abiding citizen. I did get caught red-handed one time at a small scale in Nebraska, i diddn't fill in my log book when i began driving that morning, i just wanted to get there and get unloaded and i let it slip by me..

He pulled me in, and ofcourse, since i was the only truck on the road he pulled me in to look at my paperwork.. He knew that i wasn't running hot because i had a trainee at the time and everything on his book matched what i said we were doing (my trainee was sleeping) so he let me fill in my log book there get it up to date and head off.

I was also let go once in Missouri for being 25LBS over on my drives, the DOT came out to the scale and jumped up on my passenger step and said "Will you burn that off in fuel?" I said "Yeah, probably. He goes "OK, have a good one." I had just gotten a new truck, it was one of those heavy football helmet looking 387 models.. I came out of a 379 and was still getting used to the weight of the truck and what the gauges should read, etc. I also made the mistake of fueling up when i wasn't sure.. OH well you live and learn

These are situations where i was in the wrong and they were just very kind and courteous about it.. I could've had much worse luck.. OFcourse i am always polite and professional as well.. As much as i think these laws SUCK i know that the people who enforce them are just men and women with jobs to do, and families to support. I'd like to meet Bear one day, he seems like a helluva guy

 

Now I know for a fact from that statement that you do not drive in Chicago traffic. 55 is suicidal unless you're in a rolling traffic jam.

 

I just thought I would mention some things. Any officer that wishes(or his department) to be involved in being DOT certified takes a course. Upon completion they will of course be certified by the DOT and get a little gold DOT pin. It is not hard to spot these on the collar. A lot of these officers actually have no idea what they are doing but get extra pay with the pin.
I have been asked two times by a non-DOT officer to see by log book and did not let either one, told them why, and did not get a ticket.
Of course I am sure most of us have been pulled over at one time or another by a full blown DOT officer that did not know what he was doing.
Ever have to pull out the book to enlighten an officer?

 

I have driven 16 years in 48 states and Canada. I have been stopped many times for various reasons and several on scales. I have ran into only 3 crooked cops in all this time and one that was just a jack donkey.
I have been asked if I minded if my truck was searched 3 times and was always very nice when I explained that I didn't mind as long as there was a warrant.
A Georga State trooper(22 mile marker) asked, I refused, and he informed me he didn't need a warrant. I informed him that he had a gun, billy club, and mace so he could do whatever he wanted but unless he suspected me of being armed thus performing a Terry stop he would need a warrant to be legal. He said," what do you know about a Terry stop." I told him that the Supreme Court in Terry verses Ohio in 1968 stated that if he suspected I was armed and dangerous he could pat me down for safety and since I was out of my truck it did not pertain to the vehicle.
For the record the definition of crooked; not straightforward; dishonest.
I was stopped in La.(my home state) by a DOT certified trooper. I was told I was speeding 62 in a 55. I was friendly and informed the officer that I had the cruise set(flat ground of course) and that he most have recorded the van that was passing me. it next became evident that he was crooked. He told me that as many times as I sped and didn't get caught(clean MVR) that I might as well bite the bullet because he was going to issue me a Louisiana DOT ticket that would not go on my record unless I pissed him off in the next 3 seconds. I took the ticket, smiled, and told the officer to have a crooked day. To me he was a crooked cop.
*****Legal News update*****
For all interested you can search the web for "warrantless vehicle search" and will find;
04-21-2009 the Supreme Court decided by a 5 to 4 vote(thus affirmed) in an Arizona case that even an arrested person has rights. This means that our court has changed a 28 year old law that restricted a lot of rights. Even before now the law has always read(check it out) "reasonable suspicion less than probable cause". Justice Stevens said that current police practice, "is the greater evil."
This means, to those interested, that on a routine traffic stop, especially without probably cause and most certainly when not being arrested, a person does NOT have to allow a vehicle search without a warrant.
This does mean that a police officer will begin to leave a suspect in the vehicle instead of asking them to get out. Why? When you are out of the vehicle it will be off limits under normal circumstances.
dieselbear is correct concerning a CMV(and this would be in all 50 states) and an accident. This does change things but not on a routine stop.
Most officers are just doing their jobs and I appreciate this. I drive for a living so getting stopped, at some point, is part of the job. Being nice goes a very long way especially when I was in the wrong.