Trucker's opinions on hitchhikers, or people needing rides.

When I first started driving, worked for a guy that owned 3 trucks. He got a ticket for unauthorized passenger in one of his own trucks he was driving. After that happened, he carried blank passenger authorization forms with him and could fill one out if he had a passenger.
This isn't a BS "heard it at the coffee counter" tale either.

 

Aftershock the story had tickle me but I definitely believe you. Im just surprised he cut you some slack. I was pulling 1 ofy hazmat tankers 2 years ago in the scale house in Maryland and they pull me around back and they said it's "somewhat" legal with them but I was about 300 pounds over on my drives I think. He said your ok with us but itay not be ok with Virginia. I check my fifth wheel and somebody had it pull all the way to the front. I call TM & said "Adam anybody been driving this truck when I was away for a few days cause I never messed with the 5th wheel the whole year I was there". He said no Maurice why. I explained and he said no only you been driving it. I said cause my weight never been this far uneven.


Chinatown WELS company use to tell me if DOT stop you with a passenger in your truck they'll make the passenger get out of the truck & still give you the ticket. I had a small tough time believing that

 

The authorization letter for the passenger is suppose to be at the company office, it does not have to be in the truck. The dot will call your company if they have an idea that a passenger is unauthorized, and if the company does not give authorization, they do put the passenger out, right there. You can not even give them a ride of 1/2 mile to the truckstop or a bus station or anything.
The only time I have had a problem with the dot on this, I owned the truck, my authority, so even with no letter at the office, they could not put my passenger out, they started out claimng they could, but it just doesn't work like that.

I have hauled basically an unauthorized passenger many of a mile, through many scales, even been through dot inspections with them, I have only been questioned twice about it, and both times it started out as something entirely different, they used the passenger thing to fall back on.

 

Interesting starmac. I always wonder how that procedure goes. I think a old friend of mine got busted with his family in his truck all they did was put him OOS

 

Some years ago, a truck driver told me that picking up a female hitchhiker also runs the serious risk of false sexual assault and rape charges.
It's NOT worth the risk; some risks can land one in a federal or state penitentiary for a lot of years.

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

 

wouldn't never think like that. It shows you can't be nice to everyone. Even when you try to help them get to there destination.

 

I have given a few women rides, the last one turned out to be nuttier than a bed bug. Supposedly her man had accidently left her at the old Mt eagle truck stop, so I told her we could probably catch up to him. We had not gone far when I started suspecting it was no accident, I ask her what company he was with, she didn't know, I ask what kind of truck we were chasing, she thought it might be a pete, but was pretty sure it was brown. lol I had already told her to try and get him on the radio, she was pretty reluctant to do so. I finally ask her just how long she had had this guy, one day. Ok. I truied being ice and told her to get on the radio and find another ride, as I was turning off in Atlanta but would be dropping her off at the next truck stop, and she told me she had decided to just stay with me. lol I told her she was getting out at the next truckstop, so if she wanted to use the radio she had better get started. lol

 

That's a dream.

All I can offer is a couple of 24/7 Food Distributions in the NE with a living dining floor with outside sales in addition to company staff meals. Trailer was being taken care of and so on. No worries.

 

Not worth my job. My company tells me I can't have an unauthorized passenger, so I just keep driving. Can't help but wonder what leads a person to stand on the side of the interstate holding a sign that says "[insert whatever my destination coincidentally happens to be here] or bust" though

 

Go to Canada, everybody hitchhikes. I have seen young girls and I mean school age girls hitch hike and do some traveling. I passed two of them on highway 16 out by kitwanga and passed them again before I got to prince george, probably 150 miles from where I seen them the first time, and I doubt they were over 16.