Another D.O.T nighmare

[larryanderson]

I like subjects that create interest and different points of view.This one seems to be in agreement with the result being the guy was in the wrong so throw the book at him.I have been to a couple meetings that the Farm Bureau put on and have not gotten an answer and a DOT officer was present.At one point we had to have DOT #s and everything to be in compliance and then it was put on hold .I guess if I need something hauled it will be on weekends or after 5oclock but that doesnt always work either so I will let pros do it probably cheaper.
 

[Ralph Bauer]

On hold or not, but I don't understand the after 5pm or weekend comment. Please elaborate! Thanks.
 

[Lumpie]

Iowa Farm Bureau wants the state to raise fuel taxes. Their theory is that everyone, including out of staters, should pay for the upkeep and building new of roads that will support the larger, heavier farm equipment and trucks that are being used today. For frigs sake! Maybe start taxing farm fuel just a bit, or how about a penny for every bushel of grain that goes across the scales. That corn has to get to town somehow. Man, think of how much road revenue would come in. I do most of my hauling around 6 am on Sunday mornings.
 

[JD PHIL]

The after 5pm or weekends means most D.O.T officers have gone home and dont work weekends that works most of the time. HA HA HA... thats the way old truckers do it.
 

[730d se]

He believes one of those myths that gets guy in deep trouble when hauling.
The DOT guys may go home at 5PM, BUT, there are still law enforcement officers who can write CDL and other violations.
another myth is "use back roads". Who believes that cops have not figured this one many years ago?
 

[Welding man]

I can elaborate on this a little. First let me say I know all states are not the same,but I happen to know a DOT man that told me out of his own mouth that the reason he took a DOT job instead of getting into some other type of law enforcement,because it was a 9:00 to 5:00 job and off weekends. He said he never got called out unless there was a wreck with a loss of life involving a commercial vehicle.
 

[JMS/.MN]

The grain hauled to town in trucks is being moved with on-road diesel (taxed). Fines for using off-road in the truck are astounding. And aren"t road fuel taxes apportioned to states....to cover a trucker going across several states on one tank of fuel? Local roads are paid for by adjoining landowners and township residents.
 

[larryanderson]

Like I have stated opinions are what makes a forum interesting and this turned out to be a good one.One of my experiences after getting the light to go behind the scale with one of my semis that resulted in an inspection of a clean well maintained truck that should not have had much wrong netted a brake on trailer that was out of adjustment problem being I was right behind him when put a wrench on it.I told him I wanted to talk to his supervisor at which time he changed his mind and sent me on my way.They will look for anything as I know of new trucks that have been cited for small exhaust leaks.You say its their job but they can sure make wish you had a different way to make a living.
 

[Meangreen]

2 years ago an Iowa DOT man was at one of our tractro club meetings and he told us the Feds wanted to make it manditory that every vehicle with a GVWR over 10,000 be required to have a DOT number. The problem they found out was that most 3500/350 trucks and large subrban style vehicles had GVWR over 10,000. So that would mean if you were a city slicker trying to look tough by owning a heavduty pickup truck, you would be required to have a DOT number displayed on the side of your vehicle so you could legally drive it to pick up a gallon of milk from the store and drop off the kids at soccer practice.

I know there's a lot of stupid out there in the law books, but at the same time I have seen a few accidents where some one tried to cut corners and it cost life. Example: not too long after I started college a high school girl was traveling between towns following a flatbed semi hauling crushed cars. The cars were not properly chained down and the chains gave and one of the squished cars came off the back and killed her instantly.

It's like one guy in our tractor club said at a show this past weekend, if people would just use common sense and not cut corners we wouldn't need all these regulations and the roads would be safer.
 

[Lumpie]

Lots of grain is still hauled by tractor and gravity flow wagons. Those are what tear roads up.
 

[jddriver]

wrong
 

[d beatty]

JMS/.MN I drove for a commerical carrier and we had a paper that we logged mileage every time we crossed a state line. We had to turn one in even if we stayed in our home state.
 

[larryanderson]

Mileage had to be recorded in each state for the fuel tax as it is different in many states.It has been a while but it seemed like every quarter you sent back a special form paper with each states mileage.We were audited a couple times thru the years as to our log books and out of state mileage and both times they just told us to do a little better and that was it.Every time I received a violation we just usually paid it as we were in the wrong and sometimes they just warned us but that was seldom.
 

[730d se]

Intrastate CDL and Interstate CDL rules are different, including having to declare fuel purchased to verify locations and taxes paid.
It is wad of paperwork that is a pain unless you are a valid business and have an accounting department. Has nothing to do with safety, just $$$$$.
 

[larryanderson]

Looks like the fun is over as we have ran out of opinions but was still a decent topic that inspired people to sound off.Thanks