Shutdown by DOT

Any law enforcement officer can search any vehicle at any time! Yes, they need a reason, but if the leo has made up his mind that he wants to come into your truck or car, then he's comin' in. How hard does he/she have to think to make up a reason for probable cause? The only safe place to keep things that you don't want looked at is in either your briefcase or in your suitcase, both of which SHOULD BE IN YOUR SLEEPER AND CLOSED. Anything on the dash, on the seat, etc. is fair game. Always, always keep you logs neat and current to the last change of duty and if you've had to make any "corrections" after the fact, get rid of the old log sheets immediately! Throw them in a trash can or burn 'em or eat them, just don't keep potentially incriminating evidence in your truck. NEVER! God bless loose leafs...
rx

 

I assume you didn't seal the Trip Pac. Otherwise he should have not been able to look at it's contents. A good lawyer could argue this for lots of $$$. That envelope could have been stuffed with your private medical records, and are just that, private requiring a warrant/court order.

Regardless, I would take this as a lessoned learned. And apply it in the future

As a rule, I move ALL paperwork that may incriminate me out of the cab area. Arizona is really good at asking for papewrwork, and I always tell them the same thing, I dropped it off at the last truckstop.

On the other hand, what documents gave you away? A time/date stamp on the BOL ? You would have been required to show your BOL at his asking, regardless of it's location.

An unsealed Trip Pac is not protected.

 

I don't believe trip pak is subject to US mail rules. However, I would suggest keeping such items in locked briefcases and not in the drivers compartment.

 

Pick your battles carefully. For a long time tickets have been used as taxes. Diesel cops are ussually good but you have 10%s in any job. In 20 years Ive had all kinds tickets etc that are written with no points and you pay to go. I did have to go to court to fight a ticket in Indiana for a police scanner. Cost me time to go back and fight it but I didn't want a misdemeaner on my record. After talking to the DA he dropped the case. It involved funny business by the DOT and a state trooper captain. But I have also had cops cut me slack at other times. Even had a California state trooper let me off for driving in the far left lane. I was honest, he knew it, and said don't do it again!

 

What is the big deal on a police scanner....???? What law says you cant have a scanner in a truck.

 

The rules concerning the police scanners are the individual states that you might pass through.

Indiana, Illinois are two of the states I know of without further research.

 

i'm new to this and now with a trainer who says, as long as i headline the current log for the day, i can't get in trouble if asked for paperwork and have'nt loaded/unloaded or went off duty/sleeper after First starting off, I mention this cause I was tought at school to log each change of duty. I'm alittle unconfortable about his methods and really don't want to make waves, I want to get the milage I need fast so I can get my own truck and do things right,I know that every hour driving/on duty will affect time traveling overall and I want to drive as much as possible, but what is right and what is wrong, there is'nt any inbetween it seems