Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog

…..I was pulling a beam trailer with an excavator on it.  I was in Louisiana and was within ten miles of my final destination.  As is my policy I was traveling in the far right hand lane slower than most traffic.  In Louisiana the  max speed for “permitted loads” is 55.  I was probably doing 53.  I passed a highway patrol who was sitting on the shoulder.

Next thing I know there are “twinklie’s ” in my rear view mirror.  Yup.  The Highway Patrol wanted me to pull over.  There after a comedy routine ensued.  I was reminded of the Jokes regarding Budreaux and Thibideaux, the Cajuns from the Bijou.  This guy was definitely Cajun.He was probably Thibideaux.   First he wanted to see  my driver’s license, logbook,medical card, insurance, IFTA and single state registration.  When I pointed out that Single State Registration had been superseded by something else he got mildly hostile, as if it was MY fault.

Next he did a walk-around.  “Examining” my load securement, looking at the trailer, checking this and that.  After about an hour or so total he told me that I could go.

“Okay” I said.  “Don’t I get an Attaboy?”

He looked mildly puzzled, kind of like a bullfrog that had swallowed a bumblebee, and said “Attaboy!”

“Nope” I said, “That’s not what I mean.  I want a piece of paper”.

“What paper” he said.

“We just completed a Level II roadside” I said “I’d like a piece of paper to that effect.”

He looked mildly upset and grumbled something and then wandered off to his Patrol Car.  Some minutes later another Patrol Car showed up and the second character in the comedy routine showed up.  Beaudraux I’d call him.  He was smothering a laugh when he walked up to the tractor  and said something to the effect.

“So you want a piece of paper huh?”

“Yup.” I said.  ” I want a steak dinner.

He got a puzzled look on his face ” What?”

“Any time I pass a DOT inspection my company will buy me a steak dinner” I said  ” so I need a piece of paper to prove it”.

He started to chuckle. The said, machine gun fashion.

“Ok, Right Turn signal, Left Turn signal, Headlights, High Beam, Low Beam, Brakes , Horn, You passed, come on back to the car and bring  all your papers”.

So we did.

I got my piece of paper and a while later a gift certificate from my company for $20 at WalMart (Ok…I lied about the Steak Diner).

………I was pulling an RGN in West Texas.  I was toodleing along about fifty miles an hour west of Abilene.  Traffic was light, it was hot, and I had my window down because, as usual, my air conditioning was on the fritz. I was in no rush to get where I was going so I was conserving fuel.

Naturally I get pulled over by a Texas DPS.  He was bored.  We did the “roadside” thing.  He couldn’t find anything wrong.

“You think you’re pretty smart  don’t you?” he asked me.

I was thinking that “smart” is a relative term and it depended mostly on who the competition was but kept my mouth firmly shut.

Then I said.  “Well I try to follow the rules”.

“Come on back to the car with me, ” he said” bring all your papers.

So we did.  When I got all settled inside the cop car he proceded to haul out a HUGE book of federal motor carrier regulations and began to thumb through it.  Muttering to himself.  Finally he found what he wanted and with a grunt said” Here, smart guy…gotcha”.

It seems that if any part of a load exceeds 3 inches from the side of the trailer it is being carried on it needs a flag.  My load, at one point , was 3 1/2 inches (yes, he measured).

So he’d won.

He let me go without a ticket.  I’d only spent about two hours, no I didn’t argue for the “piece of paper”.

……while pulling an RGN into Ohio.

I got pulled over by a “County Mountie”.

The afternoon before, about two, I’d pulled into New Paris Ohio to spend the night. Ohio is unique among all the states in that they don’t allow permitted loads to exit from the enumerated route other than rest areas or weigh stations.  TruckStops are “out of route”.

If you need fuel,run out of Daylight, have a “personal emergency”, have a flat tire, need to eat?  Tough.  Drop the load at a rest area or weigh station and bobtail to a truckstop.  If it’s not specifically listed on the permit it’s “out of route”.  Hefty ticket for being out of route.

Knowing this I’d fueled up the night before and was prepared to drive nonstop across Ohio.  The cop, knowing this, had other things in mind.

So, we went through the whole rigamarole, again.

Nothing was wrong, but he’d “taught me a lesson”.

……..while pulling an RGN in Arizona.. in Tennessee, In New York, In Nebraska.

I’ve had similar incidents occur just about everywhere at one time or another.

Being a cop must be pretty boring.  They must not have much to do.  Otherwise why are they harassing truckers? Particularly oversize?