Passengers in Tractor-Trailer

I would bet you sir Jose` would be out of a job if he was ever caught as that is againest Prime's company policy to have more than one person ride in the truck at any given time and it's like this with most companies. For someone to "legally" ride, they have to sign a insurance wavier which is normally good for a month. Some companies that wavier is free some not like FFE is $35 to have a rider. Prime has only made one exception to having 3 people in a truck and that's when we were told to stop and pick up a student in northern Cali and drop him off so his trainer could pick him up.

C.R. run like hell, I mean England as I last heard was bunking 3 people to a truck for teaming/training. I look at that as 3 is a crowd and with 3 people cramed in a tight work space as inadequate working conditions that is unhealthy. Nowyou don't have your life and someone else's in your hand's but your's and two other's lives in your hand's. Is it legal? I really don't know but it shouldn't be if it is.

 

Is the rule the same for an o/o running under own authority, the reason i ask i've bin stoped with my wife with me and other times with my nephew and never bin question about it once.

 

I have no knowledge on the subject as far as DOT but just from a guess I would bet the insurance companies play a roll in that area. If no one answer's back I would call DOT and ask them. Post back with the answer.

 

A threesome??

 

My understanding of this rule was that if the passenger is an employee, I (on the side of the road) had no way to confirm that. Also unless I am mistaken this authorization did not have to be in the vehicle , only kept on file at the carrier.. I didnt get too bent outta shape on this rule if I saw a passenger in a CMV.

 

For the O/O question. We always printed off a letter of authorization on letterhead with your company name on it and it satisfied everyone who ever asked.

 

Yes, it is the same rule. However, the O/O running under his own authority is the one who would authorize the passenger...so if he was hassled by an LEO, he could scribble down a written authorization of the back of a fuel receipt and he would then have the written authorization from the motor carrier under whose authority the CMV is being operated...as long as he remembered to include the necessary information. He may still receive a citation (as he did not have the written authorization UNTIL he was asked for it and scribbled it down), but the passenger wouldn't be kicked out of the truck on the side of the road due to lack of authorization to ride.

 

It's very important, and seldom noted in trucking the difference between what's legal, what's company proceedure, and what's company or employee preference.

I can't count the number of times in various trucking forums someone attempts to answer some queastion about the regulations with "my company does X" or "my trainer said Y". What anyone's company or trainer demands or allows is not equal to what the regulations allow or prohibit. Not one driver in this industry will dispute there are a lot of dirty companies and trainers that would allow anything if that is what is needed to get things done. And there are some hard-### companies and trainers that are stricter and more demanding than the regulations.

If you don't know if something is a company, trainer, or legal requirement don't assume it's one or the other. It's foolish and dangerous. I still run into drivers using bad habits today because that's how their first company trained them. I understand having to make your company happy or your trainer happy, but don't equate their preference to the law. If your trainer demands you get out of the truck and hop on one foot before backing, he's got a right to demand it. That doesn't make it the law or sensible. If your company demands you get out of the truck and walk all the way around it before backing that may be sensible but it's not the law.

 

The carrier must know and give permission.

Be safe.

 

in michigan it's legal as long as everyone in the back is over 16. hell, we had 6 people in a truck at my driving school....everything was ripped out of the sleeper and 4 seats were mountd on the bunk, but no seatbelts.

but seriously, its even legal in michigan to ride in the open bed of a pickup truck..as long as you are over 16....and ive done it on i-94 before i was 16 no problem! LOL.