Question:
I've been "pulled around back" for inspections many times. I've always left with a "clean slate". No tickets, fines or anything that could hurt my driving career.
Thursday afternoon, the law of averages finally caught up with me again. I got pulled around back for a Level 1 inspection at the n/b scalehouse on Cajon Pass coming out of Los Angeles.
***NOTE:*** A Level 1 inspection (for those of you that don't know), is:

• A check of your CDL, Medical Card & log book.
  
• A check of your vehicle registration & permits.
  
• A walk around inspection of your truck. This also includes the officer crawling under your truck to check the brake chamber rod travel, look for loose bolts, look for anything out of the ordinary.

While checking the lights on my truck, a cab clearance light burned out. The officer caught it. He also found 3 spring centering bolts that were just barely loose. Nothing bad enough to put my truck Out Of Service, but something that needs attention when I get back home.
Now, while I was inside getting my copies of the inspection, there was a driver in there getting a ticket for being "over hours" on his logbook. He had 71.5 hours. At midnight, he picked up 2 hours. But since he was over so far, he actually only picked up 1/2 hour.
The officer told him, "At midnight (your home terminal time), you can come in and get you license, logbook and your ticket. You have 1/2 hour to make it up to the truckstop at the top of the hill. We will check on you to see if you stay there long enough to pick up enough hours so you can get on your way."
The cost of his logbook violation,
$1,200........that's ONE THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS!
Kinda spendy huh? Think of how long you'd have to work to make up that loss of cash!
How would you feed your family for the next month or 2?
IT AIN'T WORTH THE RISK!!!
Link to the original post.
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"Got the bird dog on...
Dodgin' the scales...
80 miles an hour and a step outta jail..." From "Rollin' Home, Pirates of the Mississippi)
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"I've always been different with one foot over the line.
Winding up somewhere, one step ahead or behind.
It ain't been so easy, but I guess I shouldn't complain.
I've always been crazy, but it's kept me from going insane." (from Waylon Jennings)
[This message was edited by Hoss on October 10, 2003 at 3:37.]

Answer:
Just tonight I heard a driver on the CB whinning because he got hit with a $5000 log book fine. Yep thats right I said five thousand dollars. He got nailed for falsifying his log books and for being out of hours.
I will always be a mutter trucker at heart.
Answer:
And there isn't one company that will back you up, or pay the fine. It's all on the driver. If dispach asks or tells you to take that hot load when you're out of hours and you do it and get busted, they will deny everything and YOU will be hung out to dry.

Answer:
The only time that I run over hours is to benefit myself, not the company. And there is not a driver that has driven for any time, that has not done exactly what I am talking about. But, I will admit, even doing this is taking a big risk.
Just a grouchy old man.
"The average dog is a nicer person than the average person"-Andy Rooney

Answer:
And there isn't one company that will back you up, or pay the fine. It's all on the driver. If dispach asks or tells you to take that hot load when you're out of hours and you do it and get busted, they will deny everything and YOU will be hung out to dry.
Yep, and I believe you can be fined up to 6 months after the violation, plus all the other violations, if the DOT officer audits your company and happens to audit your logs and find any. Check in the safety forums to find out for sure how long you can be held liable for log violations.
___________________________
Humans are amazing creatures. "With all the things you can train them to do, I've been considering getting one."-Stoney Jay Gould
__________________________
This post coming to you live, from Jesus Land !!!

Answer:
I wouldn't call it whinning when you have a $5000 fine. I call it valid complaining.
Besides the fines and all the other things you will receive sooner or later when you let things go. You are also very dangerous while you are running down the road. There is very good reasons for level 1 inspections. Trucks are big and heavy and tend to kill when control is lost. But if like Hoss you take care of your vehicle. Inspections become routine. A little time consuming but not much else. On the other hand they will teach you to do your job or quit if you just let things go.
"There is just something about fresh winter snow and a river. The day is bright even if it is cloudy, the water is friendly even if it is cold and the fish are there even if they are not biting."

Answer:
"The only time that I run over hours is to benefit myself, not the company. And there is not a driver that has driven for any time, that has not done exactly what I am talking about. But, I will admit, even doing this is taking a big risk."
It amazes me some times. Most all drivers know the risk. I have no doubt that those that have hung around TN for very long know them beyond a doubt. But we still do it. We know it is not worth it. We also know the consequences of being caught and/or of having an accident. But we either do it or have done it. I personally am tired of pushing the law of averages and taking the chance.
Hopefully newbies will not start off wrong as most do. For many the day has come and for many it is coming that you will be very sorry for taking the risk. It really isn't worth it.
"There is just something about fresh winter snow and a river. The day is bright even if it is cloudy, the water is friendly even if it is cold and the fish are there even if they are not biting."

Answer:
Maybe if they require companies to electronically submit all dispatch information, and availability of driver hours information (and be rest assured.... although when a driver gets fined they claim they have no knowledge.... they DO keep up with it) to a DOT designated server. And of course this information must include all qualcom messages to the driver, plus... if the driver so chooses to record proof by voice, and to provide a copy... all telephone conversations between the dispatcher and the driver.
And have it so that dispatching records get audited just as well a logbooks do. And IF a dispatcher is found to have assinged a load to a driver with no hours, or insufficient hours,... here is a thought... the DISPATHCER gets fined as well.

Answer:
And with that, I'll go back to throwing snowballs at the flocks of flying pigs over there in hell.
___________________________
Humans are amazing creatures. "With all the things you can train them to do, I've been considering getting one."-StoneyJay Gould
__________________________
This post coming to you live, from Jesus Land !!!

Answer:

And have it so that dispatching records get audited just as well a logbooks do. And IF a dispatcher is found to have assinged a load to a driver with no hours, or insufficient hours,... here is a thought... the DISPATHCER gets fined as well.
To fine the dispatcher!? That's a great idea, but, if that were to happen, the company just might "step up" to defend the dispatcher or even go the other way and fire the dispatcher....as a show of "faith", and dumping it all back on the driver. Tho, that concept could curb driving over hours, but, that won't happen! The DOT would loose too much money in fines, and that's what it's all about, MONEY; SAFETY COMES SECOND!

Answer:
I agree with you all that believes running over your hours and running on "empty" is a dangerous attempt to get the job done well. It's not an attempt to get the job done well, it's satisfying your company. Is your company really worth risking your CDL, high ticket prices and LIVES over? I recently seen a double swerve, correct and swerve again for about 10 miles down the road. I radio'd him and so did a few other drivers before he woke up and found himself on a two lane and "not in HIS lane." I am not the kind of person to tell others what is wrong with the situation, but if you don't get your 8 hrs in, it's certainly not anyones fault except yours. You as a driver have responsibilities to get the job done and done well, yet safe and in 1 piece. If you can't handle the night driving, find a way around it. If you are offered a "HOT" load and you know you don't have the hours or strength to carry on then don't take it. I've seen a few tractor trailer incidents this month and most of them were preventable. Some of them I don't know how or if they even walked out of it alive. I don't think being a trucker is worth turning into a "super trucker." I get my job done and done well. I am never to tired to carry on because I make sure I'm refreshed to carry on 10 hrs of driving.
Happy Happy Halloween....
Peace and Goodwill

Answer:
Pete drivers beware, what Hoss is speaking of are the bolts that run horizontal to the ground that stick out of the front of the springs attached to the rear axles.
The bolts are part of the suspension and can be used used to place a vehicle OOS if the washer can be spun by finger pressure. The nuts and washers can be easily reached while standing next to the rear duals. There are a total of 4 nuts with one on each side of each drive axle.
I'm sure Hoss can tell you it's probably not a simple matter of putting a wrench on the nut and turning the nut a turn or two. To tighten the nut may take an impact wrench and perhaps a welding torch to help heat things up a little to loosen the nut enough to turn the nut.
John Q.
"If men were angels...No government would be necessary."
51st Federalist Papers"If men were angels...No government would be necessary."
51st Federalist Papers
"Nichols' Fourth Law says, "Avoid any action with an unacceptable outcome"