Stopped by the DOT man 2 blocks from the yard.

I got a saturday phone call from my DM, can you make that delivery Monday by 4 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. ???

shore enough... no problem...

Got to the company a few minutes early and couldn't leave (waiting on my 34 restart to be official)

did my run to eddyville and was almost back to the yard...

saw the dot tailing me, and thought, 2 more blocks and I'm home free....

(ON COME THE LIGHTS) dang it....

turned off the radio as I was pulling over, set the emergency flashers, got off as far as I could, set the air brakes, rolled down the window, and shut the truck off.

dot: "morning, how's your day going?"

me: "doing fantastic, about two blocks from the yard and I'm off for the rest of the day."

dot: "Well good for you, this shouldn't take too long, I just need you to open your door and show me your log book, bol, hazmat bills, license, registration, medical certificate, and then we'll do a quick inspection..."

me: "No problem officer. gott'em all right here in the door pouch."

Guy looked at my daily log (which was current) had to move my bol to see it, asked about my previous weeks worth (opened the clasp and they were paperclipped togather on top of my hazmat bills)

Asked me to pull the registration out of the company folder, (did that) asked to see the hazmat authorization form, (asked him to help me find it since I wasn't real sure what it was he wanted) it was three pages in.

dot: "looks real good, been to eddyville, let me jump up on the board here and you pump the brakes down til the light and buzzer comes on. (beep-beep) Good, I'm going to walk around pointing left or right, let's check your signals and lights (all worked). OK, great, lets go back to the cruiser and we'll fill out some paperwork.

Get into the guys car, (packed full off stuff)

me: "So is this just an inspection or why'd you pull me over I'm pretty sure I wasn't speeding or anything."

dot: "nah... you might have been over 1 or 2 but I pulled you over for an inspection. Looks like you have everything in good shape..."

(lots of typing on his computer as he checks my driver's lic and med certificates)

me: "So you from around here, waterloo area?"

dot: "nope I'm from up north on the boarder"

me: "how do you like being a dot guy? I mean I know they keep you busy and all that, but is it a good job? are you happy?

dot: "yeah, I love it... pays good, stay busy, not too busy, (ect ect) Say, do you get paid for me pulling you over ???"

me: "I dunno??? lol I never been pulled over before... seems I remember reading that we do get paid for dot's but only if we've done our trip inspections and don't get wrote up for anything"

dot: "welp, congratulations, they owe you some money... Have a nice day off... (shakes my hand) be careful pulling back on the road, some of these guys are blind idiots out here..."

waves and off I go...


nice guy... took about 30 minutes and my dm says I get paid 50 bucks as he remembers... (yet to be seen but that would be sweet)


now for my take on the situation...

All of my papers were in 100% order. I don't use a ruler and am a sloppy handwriter... but the logs were well kept and everything was in one place and basically at my finger-tips. I didn't have to root in the cellar to find anything.

when the guy smiled and asked how I was, I gave him a genuine smile back and said I'm fantastic.

Meaning: I got nothing to hide and I'm not the least bit perturbed, hurried, ticked off, or sweaty palmed. After all, I don't care what he finds, it ain't my truck and this ain't gonna ruin my day regardless.

my truck and trailer aren't total pieces... but they are well used and this guy could have made mountains out of mole hills on any one of a number of stupid little things... his inspection was fair, he didn't crawl under the truck, just a reasonable walk around look see and nothing was glaringly wrong.

and...

I still think a good attitude and selling yourself in that first ten seconds is 90% of the battle.

Getting a job, getting pulled over, getting groceries... its all the same...

If you're at ease, that puts the other guy at ease and a happier outcome is much more likely for both.