P.J

824.00 for two offenses in 2 years?

That's a far cry from the $5,000 first offense everyone talks about here.

P.J

Good thread Shovelhead! I see that one of the offenders even got cited for something we all like to argue about from time to time (got a $60.00 fine)

FAIL TO DISPLAY DOT # ON POWER UNIT

CD in NM

Every state does their own DIP program, it is usually handled by the state police rather than any local authority.

Here in NM they have temp weigh stops setup, they move them around to different locations. If you are flagged in, you WILL get a safety check and a dip.

The $5K fine is the set amount/first offense for commercial vehicles-those for hire & hot shotters. The fine is $1K set amount/first offense for non-commercial vehicles.

If you are towing a load and you have violations regarding your trailers safety-lighting/weight/tie downs, etc - they just red tag you right on the spot, no going anywhere until you have resolved the problems.

All fines must be paid on the spot as well.

In my area we have many people who are towing loads of stuff that are truly safety issues for themselves and others. Loads not properly secured, too much gross weight for trailers-you can see it via the bow/axis of the tires, bald tires, you name it in really poor condition. Truthfully, I am glad to see the safety checks - gets the morons off the road.

I have been stopped in one once, they dipped my tank, checked my truck and trailer for safety, weighed it, all went without a problem. I carry my fuel receipts and also keep a fuel/maintenance log book. They DID ask what kind of recoeds I keep, but there is no real law to enforce for non-commercial recordkeeping. Because I have a 1-ton, I am in the gray area that would require a log book if I was hauling commercial. They also told me that I WAS required by law to carry a fire extinguisher and first aid kit. Furthermore, they told me that FUTURE DOT laws coming into play Jan 1st would require a log book for ALL diesels in my weight class regardless of non-commercial vrs commercial. As usual, they will not fine to the max for the first year, but after a law is on the books as active and everyone has the opportunity to understand it and be compliant, then the max fine WOULD be imposed.

I do not run red off-road fuel, I would run it if it was some kind of emergency and the ULSD was unavailable, but then so would everyone else. I would rather be legal going down the road, it is not worth the risk of being caught and also having it going against my driving record - affects things like insurance costs. I do not think it is very good on the HPCR either, I know a few who run it all the time (or ran it) until they ran into repair costs for injectors. It does void the 100K Cummins warranty on the engine and fuel system, read the fine print, stated very clearly.

CD

infidel

It all depends on the state. Here in Montana where I live it's a flat $100 for the first offence, 2nd is $1000 and a felony.

coparam4x4

So what your saying is, ANYBODY with a 1 ton diesel that uses their truck as a grocery getter or soccer mom picking up kids will to have a log book?

erics76

A person in one of my classes got dipped and fined when I was at college in Lubbock in the mid 90's. He was at a horse auction that apparently they liked to frequent. I've never seen any dippers around the livestock auctions in central Texas, but I'm sure as high as diesel is they are checking more than they used to be. I believe in Texas the fine is the greater of $1000 or $10/gallon of dyed fuel in your tank. Anybody heard if that is correct?

annabelle

I was stopped, checked and told the same about the log book. I was also told I needed a FE, first aid kit, and safety triangles. I was told it was a good thing I had ST tire on my trailer and had my chains crossed. They did not dip the tank. I was pulled over by a random DOT officer cruising in his car on I-10. I have a friend who was busted for using off road diesel in his truck about 10 years ago. Cost him $10,400 bucks. (turned in by the station where he filled up his truck and a tractor).

BigIron70

I never thought of it before but when I check for high pressure leaks on diesels I dump red dye in fuel tanks. It shows up really well with black lite for those hard to find leaks.

VWPAT

If you ever get the chance, or get stopped for a fuel check, they are supposed to give you a yellow slip of paper from our friends at the IRS. It states any violation or refusal to allow a fuel check will Begin with a 1000.00 fine. It is then up to the officer & his chain of command to come up with some idea of how much red fuel you have run, on hand in tanks, etc. They will penalize you according to the volume assessed. I have run it and still do today, and I don't feel guilty about it all. Afterall, It is our govt who is taking our money and giving it right back to big oil or some welfare recipient. I have never been checked in my truck, but I have been caught 3 times in my Big truck. I was able to walk away all 3 times with a warning and no paperwork, which was the most important part about it. What is the difference in running red fuel and running homemade bio, that NO taxes are paid on? On another note, all the red fuel, at least here in GA & FL is ulsd. It was different to start with, but all diesel is supposed to conform to the ULSD specs, now.

psd tuner

ill be honest i had to use red...that hurricane there wasnt no fuel to be had for a week. my truck needed diesel and i had to go about 50 miles from where i live. i put about 10 gal in it and a way i went. now i am runnin bio diesel now that we got electricity to fill up my truck with the stuff i want. and yeah i have seen at rodeos where they dip the tank on every diesel pick up. i really hope that bio will get rid of the red!

Desert Dually

put about ½ quart of used motor oil in your tank, and it will dye the entire tank brownish-black. That wont help if you get checked and they send in the test swab for lab analysis, but on the other hand, if you're on the side of the road with a DPS or DOT occifer rattling your cage, it might just be believable that you are running WVO which darkens the fuel. It certainly won't look red

psd tuner

well i changed my fuel filter today and that stuff looked the same color as veggie oil....it had a different smell. b50 really smells bad, i really like plain #2

Desert Dually

heck yeah! Gimme plain old #2 over bio or any bio blend anyday!!!!