Ever been stopped by the highway patrol for a safety check

[Dingo3]

 

[Timmycornpicker]

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.

There are many vehicles exempt from the 2-year inspection. https://www.nj.gov/mvc/inspection/exemptinsp.htmNJ Also, MVC inspection stations have nothing to do with things like safety chains, tie-downs, hitches, etc.

 

[Brown Dirt Cowboy]

Several years ago I was coming home from the I-80 Trucker's Jamboree at Walcott, Ia and had already cleared the weigh station at Bloomsdale, Mo four miles later I saw a DOT officer on the ramp. Two miles down the road he had me on the shoulder. He walked up to the front of the truck and motioned for me to get down, he asked me where I was going and I told him, home. He asked me where I had been and I told him, truck show Walcott, Ia. He asked me if that was my stuff on the trailer and I told him yes,, my side X side for getting around the show and my pickup for getting back and forth to the motel. He asked for my driver's license and I gave them to him. He looked at them then looked at the truck, then looked again then the truck again, then handed them back to me and told me to have a good day. Was telling a friend about it a few days later and Mike asked me, Why do you think he pulled you over, and I told him that the officer wanted to get a better look at the truck. My truck is a 1964 Emeryville cabover with historical plates.

 

[Dingo3]

Several years ago I was coming home from the I-80 Trucker's Jamboree at Walcott, Ia and had already cleared the weigh station at Bloomsdale, Mo four miles later I saw a DOT officer on the ramp. Two miles down the road he had me on the shoulder. He walked up to the front of the truck and motioned for me to get down, he asked me where I was going and I told him, home. He asked me where I had been and I told him, truck show Walcott, Ia. He asked me if that was my stuff on the trailer and I told him yes,, my side X side for getting around the show and my pickup for getting back and forth to the motel. He asked for my driver's license and I gave them to him. He looked at them then looked at the truck, then looked again then the truck again, then handed them back to me and told me to have a good day. Was telling a friend about it a few days later and Mike asked me, Why do you think he pulled you over, and I told him that the officer wanted to get a better look at the truck. My truck is a 1964 Emeryville cabover with historical plates.

Sometimes they stop you just make sure what your trailering isn’t stolen.
I have been stopped a few times with my hot rod on the trailer. Trailer and car theft is getting crazy especially around shows and events. I’m glad they do it.

 

[Texasmark]

Sometimes they stop you just make sure what your trailering isn’t stolen.
I have been stopped a few times with my hot rod on the trailer. Trailer and car theft is getting crazy especially around shows and events. I’m glad they do it.

Local used tractor site owner told me one day that there is a guy that comes by all the time wanting to sell him a trailer. First thing the owner does is looks for the ID plate...its always missing he says....seems the guy is on a rotating basis...in jail, out steals more trailers, back in jail out and etc. etc.

 

[Barts Dad]

I worked in an industrial salvage yard as a summer job back in the mid 70’s while going to college. We took a remote job to torch some spindle webs from a paper making machine. My job was to cut through the 12” diameter shafts so the webs could be loaded into a semi trailer. We loaded my torch cart into the back of a service truck, chained it to the rack and I headed out to the site. I got stopped about half way there by a Sheriff's Deputy who wanted to check my torch setup. We got ticketed for not having the protective caps on the oxygen and acetylene tanks. We just loaded the cart up with the gauges and hoses attached. Luckily I had a wrench and caps in the truck so he let me proceed after writing out the citation. I didn’t argue, and the owner took care of the fine. Lesson learned.

 

[Keith True]

It's legal to do roadside safety checks here in N.H. and they do them.Since they did away with inspections the first of the year there are more being done.But,there is a rigid set of rules regarding them.What you can and cannot do mostly.And,as a state trooper put it to us,just because the state police are against doing away with the inspections doesn't mean we can go out and start a rebellious campaign against drivers.He said they're stopping more,but writing very little.Last week there was a bit of a push on the highways going through town to look at small trailers.My friend borrowed my little trailer,and was stopped with it.The trooper walked up to him,held up his hand,and said,I don't need any paperwork,I'm checking tires,lights,safety chains,and registrations.When he got out to look he had seen everything he needed to,and had run the plate number while at the stoplight.He'd already seen the lights and tire tread from behind,and just wanted a look at the chains.

 

[PJH]

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.

I worked road construction. In the sixties I would find pieces of chain along the highways. Every link of the chain was cut. The old truckers told me that they were pieces of safety chain that had been "modified" so the trailer would sever from the pulling vehicle when something went wrong. True or not? I've always doubted the story. Why cut every link - one weakened link would provide the disconnect. I still have a short piece of cut chain in my scrap chain bucket. I've personally never used a chain that I hoped would fail.