Flashing lights behind me in AZ

[BigRed32771]

I passed a Highway Patrol car on the shoulder of I-10 east of Tucson yesterday. Pulled over a lane, Check. Speed well under posted, Check. No problem, right?

Wrong. A minute or two later he's right behind me, straddling the stripes, flashers going a mile a minute.

It seems my mud flaps are too high off of the road. Arizona has a state law requiring that flaps reach to 8 inches from the pavement whether stopped or in motion. Officer said they stop a lot of trucks for flaps "sailing" above 8 inches.

Got a warning, two weeks to get the problem corrected and mail in the paper with a signature stating it's been done. Officer explained that it's an honor system, but if you get stopped again later and the records indicate that you had been stopped and warned before and claimed to fix it without doing so... well, let's just say that would be a major problem.

Just a heads up, people. If going to or through AZ, make sure your flaps stay close to the pavement.

 

[greg334]

And that warning is now part of your CSA 2010 score?

 

[transporter]

just to add it isnt just az law about mud flap height. it is just rarely been enforced appearantly any where else

 

[jjoerger]

It's beginning to look like every state is finding one or two specific things to go after.

 

[transporter]

until they change it, yes it will show up on csa2010

 

[kwexpress]

how many tickets has LA. issued for having a device to control your tag axel inside the cab?

there ought to be a sticky thread to warn others of this kind of stuff and what states inforce them.

 

[cheri1122]

As each state's individual requirements are not in the FMCSA book, might be some more drivers racking up high CSA scores, just from rules we don't know about, eh?

 

[Dynamite 1]

unless given a dot inspection form along with the ticket, the ticket/warning just goes against the drivers license not your csa score. tried to post a link but could not get it done, but go to fleetowner .com search for trucks at work blog Q/A. about half way down is the the answer to the dot inspection form and tickets .

 

[Crazynuff]

unless given a dot inspection form along with the ticket, the ticket/warning just goes against the drivers license not your csa score. tried to post a link but could not get it done, but go to fleetowner .com search for trucks at work blog Q/A. about half way down is the the answer to the dot inspection form and tickets .

Just post this link CSA Q&A | Trucks at Work Blog
Thanks for the info . It took some searching . The blog was posted in March .

 

[ATeam]

unless given a dot inspection form along with the ticket, the ticket/warning just goes against the drivers license not your csa score. tried to post a link but could not get it done, but go to fleetowner .com search for trucks at work blog Q/A. about half way down is the the answer to the dot inspection form and tickets .

OK. I read the info and cannot point to information that says otherwise, but it seems counter-intuitive that something like a speeding ticket would not include CSA points. In the interest of clarification, answer me this, please:

Say you happen to drive through a small town and miss the speed limit sign that reduces speed from 55 mph to 45 mph. You drive through at 55 and the town cop pulls you over and writes a citation for 10 mph over the posted speed limit. But "Barney Fife" does not write a vehicle inspection report. He just writes a ticket and sends you on your way.

Let's further assume that you do not fight the ticket but instead admit guilt and pay the fine, which means the violation will appear on your MVR.

Are you saying that violation has zero CSA points assigned to it, on the day of the violation and forever more?

 

[cheri1122]

Per the link, the only info that counts for CSA is roadside inspections and crash reports - but the program has undergone changes and delays, so who knows if that's current, or set in stone?

 

[Dynamite 1]

yes, as far as all the research i have done. another good source is the landline now web site as well as lets truck web site. the landline web site has some really good info. spend some time listening to the xm/sirus trucking radio channel xm 171 sirus 147. they discuss this and it is mentioned on landline radio program quite frequently.
thanks cheri, for some reason i cant get the darn links to take when i try to add them. ill figure it out though.

 

[transporter]

i have listened to landline now. they said warnings will count against you. that you better tell leo to give you a ticket not a warning because a ticket you can fight in court but not a warning. of course you dont need a dot inspection report for it to count against your csa2010. if you get in a wreck and they dont do one for what ever reason it will still show up on your csa

 

[greg334]

SO it is puzzling how a speeding ticket appears within the database?

 

[hwteam]

Well, we received warning on a head light out in Texas in May. And when our CSA score had been pulled it was on there

As long as that little box that says CDL or CMV is checked it is reported.

 

[davekc]

Well, we received warning on a head light out in Texas in May. And when our CSA score had been pulled it was on there

As long as that little box that says CDL or CMV is checked it is reported.

I can't remember where I read it, but I think that is the way the points are activated. Not whether a inspection is performed.

 

[greg334]

I think that maybe they can consider a "roadside inspection" is actually checking the driver's paperwork (level III) to a full truck inspection (Level I).

It does not take a 'truck trooper' or carrier enforcement officer to pull a truck over if they are speeding or driving badly and then ask for proof of insurance and driver's license and then that can be considered a level III in some states.

 

[cheri1122]

A Level 3 inspection includes permits, medical card, BOL [if laden], etc, none of which are checked if the LEO is simply issuing a speeding [or whatever] ticket.
It's the ambiguity that makes it nearly impossible to be informed - the link to the CSA rules clearly states that only inspection and crash data counts, but I'm not believing that. As Phil pointed out, a speeding ticket counts against your CSA score, without any inspection or crash.
The lawsuit is correct: CSA is not ready to roll out, as written.

 

[greg334]

But here is the catch I see, the states can say "we are going to submit all violations of a CDL holder such as speeding and reckless driving to the feds regardless" and it gets into the system. They are the entity that actually controls the process on the front end of thing, it is their point of entry for the information that the feds depend on and the feds can't filter out what, when and how the violation is gotten unless they break down those events. I have not seen it anywhere outside of differing an accident and non-accident (road side inspections) events. The feds can't force the states to do a lot of things, this is not a regulatory requirement to maintain funding or has it been mandated through legislation.

 

[cheri1122]

i have listened to landline now. they said warnings will count against you. that you better tell leo to give you a ticket not a warning because a ticket you can fight in court but not a warning. of course you dont need a dot inspection report for it to count against your csa2010. if you get in a wreck and they dont do one for what ever reason it will still show up on your csa

Zak, I'm pretty sure that in case of a crash, an inspection is always done - I had a very minor fender bender a few months ago, [not DOT reportable], and a trooper did an inspection on my truck, even though he determined it was the other driver's fault.
I can't imaging an inspection wouldn't be done on a CMV involved in a crash, ever.