It depends on the carrier . A lot of times DOT will run the truck's DOT number and check their record before pulling a truck over . I run a hazmat tanker and on the average only get checked once every six months . Once last year was in Ontario.

 

yea at the weigh station but here the trooper pulls you over even before he can get your dot number. I have passed em on a divided highway and seen them trun around, have had'em come up from behind and sitting in the middle of the interste at night and pull me over so its not by pulling the number here

 

Last week I was bobtailing westbound on I-64 in IN and a trooper started to pass me then backed off and followed me when I got off on 231 south . He wanted to know why a truck from Florida was bobtailing . The corporate office of the carrier the truck is leased to is in Florida . When he looked at my license and medical card and saw I was 30 miles from home he let me go .

 

nothing like a good old dot eyeballing. everytime i pass one i try not to look in the mirrors just so they dont bother me

 

Dave, That is my other part time job. I work for a fireworks company as a part time driver and technition. I have never been stopped in a placarded vehicle for any reason......................Yet.

 

Maybe that is why I got passed by a State Trooper for another truck Tuesday coming off the James River Bridge. I don't have DOT numbers on this dump truck. It is owned by the company, we only haul for ourselves and we don't do work for the state or go out of state. There isn't even weights listed on the sides. The owner has another truck that he drives and it is not DOT either. His is a KW W900 OTR. He also uses it to move company equipment from job to job. He was pulled Tuesday and everything checked out clean. When I was stopped on my second day on the job the officer never even asked for my license. They kicked the tires and let me go after I answered all the questions.

 

we have to have dot numbers even hauling for ourselves,because it is for profit which makes it commercial

 

Virginia hasn't done that yet. All we need is a CDL with the correct endorsements. Now, if I haul someone else's product DOT would get into the picture big time. But seeing as we only haul for ourselves we are exempt. I've read Texas is real strict on what they consider commercial.

 

yes they are got my first ticket hauling a back hoe to a job i was doing, trooper said if the job was for making money then it was commercial. yea even the big cities are getting their own dot cops they are a real pita

 

The big cities here are also hauling their own scales around. One regulatory agency is enough. I really feel that the only reason municipalities get their own scales is so they get more money using the pretense of safety.

Next week I am supposed to be hauling about 6000 pounds of 1.3G explosives (fireworks) to western Florida. I will most likely be the primary driver and the boss the relief. He is going to rent a 24 foot Ryder van for the trip. It will be a nice couple of days. He is a really cool guy to work with.

 

Can you say HAZMAT???

 

Yep, I think I did. It is all black powder which is a low yield explosive. If you follow the procedures and don't get into a hurry it is as safe as a first generation Dodge on vacation. I'll just need to remember to go across all the scales on I-95 on the way to Florida. I've been doing this for all most a year now and love it. The company I work for has been in business for over twenty five years and so far hasn't had a single workman's compensation claim. My boss is a stickler for safety and I am glad he is.

 

Yup , I can say it and I do it . In 3 years I have only had 2 level one inspections , one in Ontario at a scale and one in Ohio when the DOT was randomly pulling trucks into rest areas . I have had 2 level 3's . One at a scale in IL and one by MI DOT randomly checking trucks leaving customs at Port Huron .
Here is an explanation of the inspection levels .
" Under the current safety inspection process, vehicle and driver
inspections are delineated by different ``levels''. The North American
Standard Driver/Vehicle Inspection or ``Level 1'' inspection involves
all driver documentation and a complete vehicle inspection. The time
taken for a Level 1 inspection is typically about 30-40 minutes, so
improving the speed with which inspections are performed would be a
benefit to carriers in terms of their operational efficiency.
There are 5 additional inspection levels. A Level 2 inspection,
called a ``Walkaround Driver/Vehicle Inspection,'' is the same as a
Level 1, except there is no checking under the vehicle. A Level 3
inspection, called a ``Driver Only Inspection,'' involves only a review
of driver documentation and carrier credentials. A Level 4 inspection,
called a ``Special Study,'' can involve any aspect of the inspection
process and is usually done for data-gathering purposes. A Level 5
inspection, called a ``Vehicle Only Inspection,'' includes only the
vehicle portion of a Level 1 inspection (conducted without a driver
present). Finally, a Level 6 inspection, called ``Enhanced Radioactive
Inspection,'' is the most comprehensive inspection of all due to the
hazardous material in the cargo."
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-16163.htm
A level 1 in Canada is usually little more thorough including checking for speed limiters in Quebec and Ontario and will take over an hour .
When you pass a level 1 inspection a sticker is placed on the truck and trailer indicating the year quarter the inspection was done . This decreases the odds of another level 1 being done that quarter but is not a guarantee it will not happen .

 

yea the big cities here, houston,dallas, austin ,and san antonio all have their own dot cops, all out to get more bucks from the trucking companies