Ever been stopped by the highway patrol for a safety check

[37chief]

I haven't been stopped for a safety check ? I try to keep things in order. It's hard for me. I had a safety chain come unhooked from my pickup. I don't know how that happened. Maybe the spring clip got bent. I was reading about safety chains. It mentioned they can't be rusty. My tractor tie down chains aren't rusty they are just brown. What does your stare say about not galvanized chains? I know California is fairly pickey about stuff like this. Stan

 

[Richard Nixon]

I haven't been stopped for a safety check ? I try to keep things in order. It's hard for me. I had a safety chain come unhooked from my pickup. I don't know how that happened. Maybe the spring clip got bent. I was reading about safety chains. It mentioned they can't be rusty. My tractor tie down chains aren't rusty they are just brown. What does your stare say about not galvanized chains? I know California is fairly pickey about stuff like this. Stan

In New Jersey the state has inspection stations. Inspections are mandatory however new vehicles get 5 years on the road before requiring an inspection and then every 2 years afterward. In my other state of Wisconsin there are no safety check stations and the last time I was stopped for a roadside safety check was about 75 years ago.

 

[Tgrasher]

If I get stopped it better be unloaded, on the way to get a load.

 

[NDIHC]

I remember my parents being stopped for a safety inspection by the HP when I was a little kid in the 70s. It only took about 5 minutes and when everything was found to be fine they put an "OK" sticker on the left front lower corner of the windshield or on the wing vent window. I remember the stickers on both their 1960 Olds and 1972 Impala. They quit doing the inspections in the later 70s or very early 80s. I've only been stopped for a DUI checkpoint. It was about 1am and I had just flown into Bismarck from Chicago. I didn't drink anything on the plane and only had a 7Up that I was still drinking wih me.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

I haven't been stopped for a safety check ? I try to keep things in order. It's hard for me. I had a safety chain come unhooked from my pickup. I don't know how that happened. Maybe the spring clip got bent. I was reading about safety chains. It mentioned they can't be rusty. My tractor tie down chains aren't rusty they are just brown. What does your stare say about not galvanized chains? I know California is fairly pickey about stuff like this. Stan

Two or three times with a heavy truck. Each time sent on my way with a repair order. Each time did the repair myself, filled out the form as such, and sent it in. Never heard any more, except- the one time in a thorough DOT exam the retaining hardware was found slightly loose on one maxi brake chamber. This went on file, available for all to see on the internet, as "inadequate brakes". The inspector was a very decent guy. I suppose that was the closest box he could check.
It has long bothered me that this tandem axle truck has spring brake chambers on only one axle. I finally got that remedied, I think just last year. I don't know why trucks are allowed to be built that way.

 

[SkipperII]

Stopped by the Provincial Police in Abbotsford B.C. Very courteous, and professional. The boss had recently bought the truck (right at the start of that which we cannot mention). The front tires were just marginal, and the officer told me that I needed to get them replaced, ASAP. I explained that they had been trying to get new ones. but no one had any, due to supply problems. She thought for a second and said, Okay, I'll give you thirty days. I have always had positive experiences with the law, in B.C.

 

[john in la]

Go through seat belt check points in my personal vehicle many times.

Doing over 120,000 miles a year in a truck I have been stopped a few times for a safety inspection. Since 90 percent of the time we walked away with no violation they usually didn’t mess with us unless they needed a special inspection to fill their quota.
Last time I got stopped was for no license plate at the scale. I guess the plate fell off. He didn’t write a ticket for the plate because I had the paperwork for the plate.
During his inspection he did find one violation so he wrote me a ticket. Unsecured load in a box trailer that was sealed two days before I picked it up.

I have found most dot cops to be nice. They got a job to do just like I had a job to do.

 

[rrlund]

Not really a safety check, just an Ohio Highway Patrol checkpoint for some reason on US 127. I was 16. The neighbor kid and I had gone to Archbold to pick up mounted corn picker at Yoder and Frey. You could have cut salami with the brim of that guys hat. He looked in at us and said Are you two twins? We told him no. He said just brothers? We said No, just neighbors. He took a hard look at both of us again and said I don't know? There must be a N....r in the wood pile somewhere. He sent us on our way.

I told his kids that story at his mother's funeral a few years ago. We still get a good laugh out of it.

 

[trackrat]

In Texas the state inspections are tough, but the locals are real A Holes they will ticket you for something if they stop you, about the lowest fine is $850 and goes up from there Ellis county hired two inspectors bought 2 trucks and scales, on fines alone they paid for all of that in one two week period. I was told that by one of the inspectors when he retired. I have an old Mack dump truck that I move my equipment with we drove it less than 300 miles all last year if we need to move a tractor we hire it done because of the local inspection officers. IF THE SYSTEM WAS REALY ABOUT SAFTEY I WOULD BE ON BOARD BUT ITS NOT ITS ABOUT MONEY, sorry,I know there are good guys out there but not many around here

 

[scootergmc]

I haven't been stopped for a safety check ? I try to keep things in order. It's hard for me. I had a safety chain come unhooked from my pickup. I don't know how that happened. Maybe the spring clip got bent. I was reading about safety chains. It mentioned they can't be rusty. My tractor tie down chains aren't rusty they are just brown. What does your stare say about not galvanized chains? I know California is fairly pickey about stuff like this. Stan

Never been stopped in all my years in California and our chains are "brown." I would assume it helps to not be commercial and not having to stop at the scales. I have however seen folks held accountable for loose or droopy trailer safety chains.

 

[Tony in SD]

Never other than at a weigh station with a commercial load. But that was me stopping not being pulled over by an HP

 

[PJH]

I haven't been stopped for a safety check ? I try to keep things in order. It's hard for me. I had a safety chain come unhooked from my pickup. I don't know how that happened. Maybe the spring clip got bent. I was reading about safety chains. It mentioned they can't be rusty. My tractor tie down chains aren't rusty they are just brown. What does your stare say about not galvanized chains? I know California is fairly pickey about stuff like this. Stan

April 1980. Ohio. Driving a worn out 1970 Chevy Impala. Was in Ohio to attend my brother's funeral. Roadside stop. Officer approached the driver's window, showed alarmed reaction and dropped his hand to his sidearm. I had both hands on the steering wheel. He had seen my black leather camera case lying beside me on the front seat and had mistaken it for a pistol holster. He quickly realized that my wife and I were not dangerous. His attitude changed from alarmed/defensive to friendly/curious. I told him that I was visiting Ohio to attend my brother's funeral, and he showed immediate empathy. Two of my tires were down to the wear bars. He issued no tickets but advised me to replace the tires as soon as we got back to Illinois. My only regret - I did not take a close-up picture of him peering in the driver's door window at me. I think he would have been happy to oblige a photograph, but I was too nervous to ask.

 

[docmirror]

If it's a law enforcement person, they better have probable cause to stop me. Of course, they can always make up some story; 'he was weaving...'. Or bash out one of my taillights during the stop.

 

[NDIHC]

In this day of dash cams recording everything I don't know how easy it would be for LEO to say you were weaving or bash out a tail light like in a 1950s or 1960s movie. I don't think the random safety checks are legal in ND anymore but the sobriety checkpoints are. And if you try to turn around to avoid going through a sobriety checkpoint you can be sure that you will be chased down. One time I was on my way to work a midnight to 8 shift at a coal mine. Up ahead I could see a bunch of cops and what looked like an accident scene. I figured I'd be held up waiting to get through so I made a u-turn on the divided 4 lane highway to go back and take a different road. I didn't make it a mile before I was pulled over because they figured I was a drunk driver trying to avoid them.

 

[Mrfred54]

Been some 20 years ago. After our daughters baby shower ( our first grand child ) had a little family get together after the shower. I ordered a couple pizzas from our local bar. When I left the bar with two pizzas and never had a drink, state police pull me over not even a quarter mile down the road. Asked him what I did wrong, he says it looks like you were weaving back and forth. I said it looks like I was or was I. Wants to see my licence and insurance and I told him I want his badge number and I'm call 911. He tries to grab my old flip phone. I put the truck in gear and roll up the window and leave. He never did follow me and never heard anymore even though I know he had the plate number from the truck.

 

[sms]

NY DOT can be tough. Was worse some years ago. My friend moved about 80k yards of dirt for a new Burger King right down the road from the station. They were there almost every day inspecting his trucks. He had all the tickets on the wall so he didn't miss his court dates. Some very minor things like mud flaps 1/4 inch to short(he asked is that measured loaded or empty?).
I knew people that got tickets for cab clutter if they had a lunch box. Pick up load of firewood no load cover. A commercial door dealer had a small trailer with interior doors going to a job, made him leave the trailer on the side of the road to buy new straps because his straps were on the outside of the rub rails(they have changed that). I think it just became revenue for the state.

 

[showcrop]

I got stopped for a full front to back, bottom to top inspection because the inspector had just sent his last one on his way. After ten or fifteen minutes or so the inspector started commenting about what great condition my truck was in, and it looked like I was going to get a sticker. Just before he got done he found something small but he still gave me the CVSA sticker. I have a hard time with comments about safety enforcement is all about making money for the states. If you look at your state department of safety, and the dozens of buildings, thousands of vehicles, tens of thousands of employees that they have, that all need to be paid for, and then the court systems to handle processing of summons', it is just plain laughable that a government entity is making money on enforcement. In our state, the system, along with highway construction and maintenance is paid for primarily from gas taxes, and when the taxes aren't bringing in enough money the construction projects get delayed, like one in my town is currently.

 

[miangus]

Once when I worked for the silo company, got sited with a mandatory brake repair. It was a road check lane, and the 1970 1-ton Binder had poor brakes. It had been to the shop twice for the issue and still had a low pedal and no power brake. They finally replaced the brake booster, the master cylinder and rear brake cylinders. Does the guy with the portable scales count? When my family was hauling logs, it was pretty common to get stopped and have the brakes and chains looked over. My grandfather was pretty fussy about chains all grade 70 with two stake to stake and a center wrapper. All binders shut with a 4-foot pipe, re-tightened when you got to the road and checked before you got on a class a road.

 

[moresmoke]

DOT cop should have a go/no go guage for chains. There is a spec for the wire diameter. The same tool is used to disqualify for stretched links. Remember that they have to be able to identify the grade of chain by markings or color. If they can’t you only get the minimum load capacity of cheap chain.

If you are hauling and look like you could be commercial, they can stop you at any time for no reason whatsoever. Remember that commercial use has a whole different set of rules than personal use. Choose your story wisely.

 

[504]

I haul hazmat loads every day 6 days a week. I expect to be stopped every day. The last time I was stopped because I was on a street that is posted No Through Trucks, looked it over and asked where was I going ? 100 feet up the road. Since the C word has gone away they really don’t bother me. They check the DOT number on the door and stop some one else