Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog

RoadRage, er.  I mean RoadCheck 2009.

The worst economic downturn in recent memory.  Millions of jobs have been lost and millions more are in jeopardy.  Truckers nationwide are sitting more than they’re rolling.  The bills, however, continue.  One trucking company after another is either laying off drivers, laying off office personnel or closing their doors permanently.  Things are bleak.  Drivers, their families and everyone in general are pretty much stressed out.

Therefore it’s a perfectly appropriate time to increase the stress and  add to the aggravation by having a nationwide, 72 straight hour “stop the trucks and inspect them” extravaganza.

Right?

Riiiiight.

I have fond memories of previous RoadChecks.

The time in Childress Texas when I was hauling an escort load that was long, wide, tall and heavy and I came upon an inspection station that was open.

“All trucks next left”.

What that meant was all northbound trucks were to make a U-turn across the highway, across heavy traffic,  and go back to the weigh station, participate in the joyful activities, then leave the weigh station headed south, make another U-turn across the highway, across heavy traffic,  and head back north.  Lots of fun for normal trucks.  Especially fun when it’s so crowded with parked trucks that it’s difficult to WALK much less drive, and the four-wheelers were NOT cooperative.

Even more  joyful when you’re over a hundred foot long.

The time that I was carrying a piece that I was NOT comfortable with.  I didn’t like it at all.  I used all my chains AND all my straps in securing it. It looked like something a spider had had it’s way with it while lashed to my trailer.  It wasn’t strapped so much as wrapped, I had so many straps on it, bellywrapped most of them. My motto is “There is no such thing as overkill, there is only reload and resume fire.”  Had I MORE straps, more chains or even more bungie cords I would have used them.  I did NOT like that load.  I had it oversecured by a factor of at least five.

I pulled into the inspection station and was pulled over.  It was my lucky day.  I got inspected.  One of my straps had a small nick on one edge.  I knew that.  I figured that any additional securement was for the good, nick or no nick it still helped hold the load on the trailer.

The inspection officer didn’t see it my way.  I was offered a choice.  Since I had  much, MUCH more than  the minimum  required  number of securement devices I could remove the  offending strap  and still have more than  adequate tied down.

Or get a ticket.

So I decreased the security of the load to make him happy and  went on my merry way.

The time that I was inspected while empty.  My rig has more than the standard number of axles.  To improve on fuel economy some of them lift while running empty.  The rear “flip axle” on the trailer and the “lift axle” on my tractor.  When empty I’m only five axle.  The inspecting officer noticed that the airbags on my lift axle were empty.  Surely this was a violation.  I had a hell of a time explaining to him that when the axle wasn’t being used it didn’t need air. (duh).

The time that, well you get the picture.

Late last week I put my rig through the inspection bay at company headquarters.  I happily put a shiny new annual federal DOT sticker on the old truck and “put er in the wind”.  Fourteen hundred or so deadhead miles and I’m home in an undisclosed location in Texas.  My truck and trailer are in an equally undisclosed location far from prying eyes.

I’m staying here until after RoadRage.

Ya’ll be careful now.