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How Inspectors Deal With Truck Drivers

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Weigh Stations

One thing that will prevent trucking from feeling like a vacation is the intrusion of weigh stations in your day. Their very existence means that you, as a truck driver, at least have to think about whether or not you are doing things legally.

Weigh stations are operated differently throughout the country, and it will be your responsibility to learn each scales' operating procedure. Usually all of the scales in a single state are similar, but this is not always true.



At some weigh stations you only need to slow down to a certain speed, usually to about 30 miles per hour, and if everything appears to be legal and the scale operator does not want to check your paperwork, you will be signaled right back onto the highway. At other scales, you will pull completely onto a platform scale that will weigh all of your axles at once. Another type of scale similar to this has a shorter platform, and you will be required to stop each axle or group of axles on the scale one at a time.

At most weigh stations, you will be treated courteously if you treat them similarly. If you go in with a chip on your shoulder, you will probably be in for a rough time. However, keep in mind that once in a while you will encounter a scale operator who is going to be difficult to get along with no matter what you do. The best thing to do is stay calm and try your best to satisfy their demands so that you can get back on the road.

Remember that the time you spend in a scale house arguing with the scale personnel is not getting you any farther down the road. Once you finally leave, you are still going to have to cover the same number of miles that you needed to cover when you walked into that scale.

Roadside Inspections

Most of the time, your truck inspections will occur at weigh stations, but once in a while you will be required to stop at rest areas, part-time check stations, or anyplace else the DOT or highway patrol decide to set up an inspection site. Sometimes they will have portable scales to weigh you or they may only be checking your logbook, truck licensing, and/or other paperwork.

You may also be pulled over for an inspection at any time while driving down the road. This will be less likely to occur if you stay close to the speed limit, drive courteously, and keep your truck in good visual shape by making sure that all the lights work and that all required safety equipment, such as reflectors and secure tie-downs on flatbed-type loads, are present.

The Inspection

Whether the inspection occurs at a permanent weigh station or port of entry, or at a temporary or part-time truck-check location, the inspection itself can be quite superficial or very thorough.

If your logbook is up to date, the officer may only look at it briefly and send you on your way. Another short type of inspection will involve one officer checking your logbook, medical card, truck registration, insurance, and fuel permit while another officer walks around your truck checking out the lights, tires, wheels, lug nuts, and other obvious defects, and listening for air leaks.

Once in a while, though, you are going to get to go through a full-blown inspection. This will involve a thorough check of all required paperwork as well as a very thorough check of the truck and trailer, and will take about 30 minutes of your time, if everything goes well. During this inspection, your logbook will probably be checked for the last seven days, and in rare cases, for the last 30 days to determine if you are actually logging the number of miles you are driving and if you are logging a legal speed.

During the inspection of the truck itself, all of the obvious things will be checked as well as the brake adjustment. The officer will go under the truck, either on a creeper or by having you park the truck over a pit. While under the truck, he will be looking for such things as oil or coolant leaks, cracked wheels, air or electrical lines rubbing anything metal or sharp, worn steering, suspension, or brake parts, and anything else that may affect the safety of the truck.

If you make it through the full inspection with no problems, a sticker will be put on the windshield. This sticker will usually keep you from being inspected for another two or three months, but there is no guarantee.

If something minor is found, you may be given a fix-it ticket and allowed to go. Once the company has repaired the defect, they must send a report to the state that issued the ticket. If something serious is found, you may be shut down until the problem is repaired by a certified mechanic. You will probably have to get a service truck to come to the scale in this case. Obviously, this is very expensive and should be avoided by making sure that your equipment is always in good shape.
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