Your first DOT inspection.

My first full on Level 1 was back in the winter of 1997 in Minnesota. It was snowing really bad and I was surprised when the DOT guy at the scale wanted to Level 1 me. The guy looked over everything, crawled through the snow to check my brakes and air lines and all. We go back inside and he says he can't find anything mechanically wrong, but he couldn't give me my CVSA sticker because I had an "obstructed license plate". Snow storm. Minnesota. Plate was covered with snow.

It didn't take me long to learn how crooked Minnesota was. And we all know how crooked they still are.

13 years of driving I think I have had 4 Level 1's and I would say less than a dozen Level 3's.

 

I got nailed at Cottonwood Cali on I-5 once. Everything was good, except for a bit of overweight on trailer tandems. Cost me $80.00. And time to readjust the load.

I've had numerous level ones at the Arizona/Utah port on 1-15. Never had any problems other than the time factor.

Had a level one out at Limon CO on I-70 by a full blown bi er female DOT with an attitude. This was truely the Bi from HELL. But try as she might, she couldn't find anything wrong. She then tried to keep my CLD, by letting it fall out of the paperwork when she handed it back to me. I saw it fall, and saw her cover it with her hand, and called her on it.

That really pissed her off. Then one of the DOT guys working beside her said "oh, she is always doing that." He appeared to be serious...

 

Come on, i know someone has a great story about Banning CA scales....

 

our rating is fine, I'm thinking it's my prepass as most of my co-workers are not having any problems.

 

My first Level 1 was at the Castaic Scales and got shut down. I was with SNI at the time and I told them what I suspected the problem was. The mechanic said it was fine. The Company got the ticket and a hefty road service bill. If I get a Lvl 1 it usually at Castiac. I have had several lvl 2's and 3's. I even at times wished to be pulled in for a Lvl 1 just to break the boredom of driving.

 

1st was right outside Schnectady, NY. Just swapped a load and was heading to the turnpike. Made 1 corner and there was Mr. Bear to pull me over. This big guy, all dressed in orange, from heat to toe, came up to my truck. Couldn't help it, started laughing as he came around the corner. Would have looked like a big ole polar bear cept for his color. First thing I asked was why they couldn't find any place less exposed to do these inspections. He just grinned at me and had me there for about 30 mins. He was really cool about everything too. When I swapped the tlr, I had forgot to update the logs and causght it as I was giving them to him. He let me fix it right there.
Have had 6 or 7 my 1st yr, mostly low level

 

I've had 9 level 1's at the banning scales, and more than a few level 3's (current cvsa sticker usually gets you out of a level 1). Longest has been 45min (and 800 bucks in tickets issued to the company). Shortest time, believe it or not, 12 min (3 bears combing the truck and trailer).

 

My first time i got a level 1, i was hauling potatoes for a local company and they had the truck and trailer in the shop to put new brakes on the trailer. I wanted to check the brakes before i left with it and they said no the mechanic already did that now get going. So i left, went and got loaded, headed back and came thru the wb scale out of boise idaho, wouldnt you know it i got pulled in and a check done, the guy came out from under the trailer handed me a wrench and said get under there and readjust the right middle axle brake its out a bit. I said wouldnt you know it it just came out of the shop this morning and they wouldnt let me check them, the dot guy laughed at that. I went under adjusted the brake came out give hime his wrench and said ok you can check it, he said nope get going, give me my paper work and i left.

 

My first and only level 1 so far (been driving almost 2 years now) is the most ironic I think!! I started out driving for Roehl after taking CDL course at a local community college in Spindale, NC.

I drove the big red truck all up and down the country, north and south, from Miami to Toronto and all in between as a "newb" for like 8 or so months before getting my local job here in NC. Not once during that time was I ever pulled to the side, looked at in a funny way, or anything at all the scales I crossed during my short stint OTR.

This is what's hilarious to me. One day a few months ago I was going down US 74-A in Spindale, NC and a state trooper pulled out in front of me and started pointing for me to follow him into an empty Kmart parking lot (defunct store that was empty and for sale). When I turned into the lot behind him there were several trucks and troopers there and the light went off in my head!!! Rutt Row Raggy!!

I got my FIRST level one 1 1/2 years after graduating truck driving school RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from the college I got my CDL at!!! I'm standing there during the inspection watching the very trucks I trained in pull out of the college with students in them. I was laughing so hard I was in tears. I had the trooper laughing too, he thought that was so ironic running all those miles OTR and get my first inspection here!

I told him "Look! There goes that black Freightliner I took my CDL test in! You should go inspect that one! I'm not too sure about that truck when I was doing the pre-trip part of the exam last year!" He was rolling. I passed and was proud of my little yellow "9" stickers I got on my truck and trailer.

A week later I was down that way again and decided to pull into the back of the college where the truck training range is and visit with some of my instructors for a few minutes, told them the story and they were laughing too. It was just too ironic. I probably only did about 80k miles or so OTR with Roehl, but to get inspected for the first time here just seemed so unlikely.