why do roadside inspections take so long?

it's been effect for a few years now. but you still need it and you WILL get asked for it.

 

Depends on how many tickets the cop has to write!

Seriously, many of the DOT cops have routing software on their computers... if you're on paper logs they take the time to reconstruct your last 7 days to check for logbook accuracy.

 

Lots of local police agencies and sheriff's departments have DOT certified officers and can perform inspections. The El Paso Police Department has some. They drive around in Ford Super duty pickups with EPPD markings.

In New Mexico a regular State Police officer can't perform inspections or audit your log book, only an officer from Commercial Vehicle Enforcement division can do that.

 

I asked kid why once.. the answer.. because I can

.... because they can

 

Missouri uses plain clothed 3rd. party Inspectors...and if a ticket has to be written, they call the Highway Patrol, and you gotta sit there and wait for them to get there, then wait for the Inspector to explain the infraction to the HP, then wait for the HP to write and explain the ticket to you. Long brutal process.

Atleast that was MY experience some years ago...maybe things have changed.

 

how do you know if he's in the right department. my only run in. was in a unmarked vehicle. with no light bar on top. but he had every other light. his car was pretty incospicuous. however you spell that.

pretty crazy that people will actually log the speed limit. pretty tough thing to do in the rocky mountains.

as for routing. unless your logging town changes every 2 hours or whatever. they have no idea what roads you took. pretty easy to figure out on the west. but on the east. you all got a million roads to take. give or take a few that are restricted to trucks.

 

The simple answer to the OP's question is The cop is on duty from 8 to 12 hours a day the longer he drags out your inspection the better it is for him .
He does 4-8 a day his boss is happy and it looks like he really looked you over real good if it was an hour instead 15 minutes.

The longer he holds a driver the more likely the driver is to screw himself with his mouth too.

 

NM commercial vehicle enforcement officers uniforms are slightly different than regular State police. The DOT officers usually wear all black and baseball caps and regular State Police have pin stripes and a regular style police hat.

DOT patch.


State police patch


Arizona is similar. Arizona DOT highway patrol officers have dark blue uniforms and regular HP are tan.


Here in Texas the DOT Texas state troopers usually roll around in the Tahoes and Explorers.