Fun with deputies

[AMonger]

I was in a truckstop in Lincoln, NE the other day. I had just delivered a long load and was tired. Must have been pretty obvious. I was bleary-eyed and such.

I bump into this deputy inside. He seems like a decent guy. He asks me how I am and I told him how tired I was, that I'd just driven 1200 miles straight through, from Maryland to Lincoln. I look over at him and I can see the gears turning as he's doing the math.

I can see he's just about to tell me we're going out to my truck to have a gander at my logbook, so I tell him I'm in a non-compliant vehicle.

That's another enjoyable thing about a CV.

 

[scottm4211]

Keep fanning the flames. Smart.

 

[Rocketman]

Yep, that's how to get it done right there. I'm thinking that with intelligent conversations like that you could convince the dot to regulate vans all by yourself.

 

[blizzard2014]

Let them regulate the vans. The rates would go up, or the loads will be put on straight trucks with teams in them. It's all good. If logging is required in the van, a lot of the riff raff would go away and things might get better for us out here!

 

[idtrans]

Let them regulate the vans. The rates would go up, or the loads will be put on straight trucks with teams in them. It's all good. If logging is required in the van, a lot of the riff raff would go away and things might get better for us out here!

So very true. I couldn't believe the drivers I was seeing in straights and cv, straights, cubes in laredo other day. I was there for 1 day waiting for my load to clear customs and my god I was in AWE !

Many guys don't seam to understand expediting is 24/7/365 and if your drinking you can't grab a load and make $. Point with that is I saw a group of vanners / a couple straights drinking beers and having a little party at J when I walked my dog. They at least were nice enough to offer me a beer but I kindly declined.

My favorite was the straight parked in back with the big trucks that grabbed a lot lizard boy he had that straight a rockin LOL Then he walks away and walks back with a case of beer. LOL

 

[Brisco]

Let them regulate the vans. The rates would go up, or the loads will be put on straight trucks with teams in them. It's all good. If logging is required in the van, a lot of the riff raff would go away and things might get better for us out here!

Not necessarily........

Might turn out that ALL the companies would adopt the Panther/FDCC game plan that transfers load from one van to another if "logging" was forced upon Vanners.

They've already proven it's more beneficial to them to have 1000 vans on the road when 375 would do the job. If all the smaller companies had FMSCA regulations forced upon them with concerns to their "Van" operations, they'd just follow the bigger guys business plan and hire 400 vans to get the job done when 125 would've probably got the job done without regulations towards the vans.

I agree with others sentiments too....... stupid move on the OP's part. Guess some still just don't Get It.

 

[Doggie Daddy]

I was in a truckstop in Lincoln, NE the other day. I had just delivered a long load and was tired. Must have been pretty obvious. I was bleary-eyed and such.

I bump into this deputy inside. He seems like a decent guy. He asks me how I am and I told him how tired I was, that I'd just driven 1200 miles straight through, from Maryland to Lincoln. I look over at him and I can see the gears turning as he's doing the math.

Isn't this where you are supposed to add that you were driving perfectly safe, and that the other people that were sharing the road with you had absolutely nothing to worry about?

 

[ATeam]

I was in a truckstop in Lincoln, NE the other day. I had just delivered a long load and was tired. Must have been pretty obvious. I was bleary-eyed and such.

I bump into this deputy inside. He seems like a decent guy. He asks me how I am and I told him how tired I was, that I'd just driven 1200 miles straight through, from Maryland to Lincoln. I look over at him and I can see the gears turning as he's doing the math.

I can see he's just about to tell me we're going out to my truck to have a gander at my logbook, so I tell him I'm in a non-compliant vehicle.

That's another enjoyable thing about a CV.

Team driving a straight truck, I never before had occasion to think about how regulating vans might benefit us. Until today; a van was a van, van drivers did not have to log unless carrying HAZMAT, many van drivers chose vans for that reason, and many van drivers were vacation expediters or low producers who presented a small competitive threat to straight trucks.

Live and let live, I thought. Vans do their thing. We do ours. Everyone's happy.

Now I read of a van operator who not only runs beyond safe limits but boasts of it to a deputy, thinking it to be fun. The boast offends some readers who rightfully worry that such behavior helps build the case among law enforcement officers, who policy makers listen to, that vans should be regulated. I further read someone making the case that competitive advantages and price increases may come to straight trucks if vans become more regulated and required to log.

As I said, it has never before entered my mind to think the van/HOS issues through. I can see where professional van drivers could benefit if HOS requirements were imposed. I can see where carriers could raise prices that van freight could get. I can also see a way to keep 1,200 mile straight-through solo runs from happening (or happening less often), thereby making the roads Diane and I drive on more safe.

You are an influential writer, AMonger. The words you posted today and people's responses to them got this influential writer thinking for the first time about vans and HOS regulations.

No opinions or activism coming from me yet. Having only started to think this through, I remain open to all views.

 

[dabluzman1]

Look up "Maggie's Law".
It is only in one state.
But as arrogance is added into the equation,
things may change.
I would vote for it.

 

[paullud]

Look up "Maggie's Law".
It is only in one state.
But as arrogance is added into the equation,
things may change.
I would vote for it.

It seems odd that there weren't laws like this before, I thought at the least DWAI.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[AMonger]

Look up "Maggie's Law".
It is only in one state.
But as arrogance is added into the equation,
things may change.
I would vote for it.

I just looked it up. The article stated that a far back as 1998, in every state except Alabama, the law already allowed prosecution for drivers who caused fatalities because of sleep deprivation.

I don't recall your worldview/political/ideological persuasion, so I don't know how you approach these things. Libertarian (i.e. the only sensible) approach in all circumstances is that you're responsible for damage you cause. You want to shoot off fireworks? Go ahead, but you're liable if you burn down your neighbor's house...

Want to drive from Bangor, ME to San Diego? In a free society, no one can tell you not to, but you're going to pay the price if you kill somebody's Aunt Bessie because you didn't know when to pull over for some shut eye.

 

[AMonger]

C' mon, by now, deputies, troopers, and the DOT already know what the people in the white vans are doing as they run around the country. If the crimson eye of Cerberus turns our way, it will be either because we're killing people on the road or because the hyper-regulators have finally gotten around to us, and if it's the latter, it will/would've happen(ed) sooner or later without my remark to a young deputy in Nebraska who probably didn't give it a second thought 10 minutes later.

Or, a third scenario that I hadn't considered, because of others in the industry who want to kneecap the competition, a la the Ontario speed limiters. But again, like the hyper-regulators, they'd make the attempt sooner or later without my input. It's the nature of statists and bureaucrats to regulate every aspect of life, and the nature of others to want to bring others down instead of raising themselves up.

 

[AMonger]

Gotta know when it's time to stop for a nap, which I did in the Quads. That's the idea, isn't it, get ahead of schedule then stop for a nap if necessary?

Expediter vans are only a portion of the vehicles that are pressing to make time above and beyond that which DOT regs allow. If you want CVs limited like big trucks, that will still leave all sorts of personal vehicles, the Radar Love guys, doing the same. Going to regulate them, too?

 

[scottm4211]

No, the idea is not to be a dick about it but you're the paranoid one about cops so karma will probably run its course

 

[AMonger]

Ok, ok...maybe I shouldn't have said anything. But I find it odd that it's worse to post about it on EO than say something to a deputy who didn't give it a second thought.

As life plays out, the lines between those who love freedom even with a side order of risk (life) and the fearful who would rather be safe than free becomes clearer.

"Officer, I've been driving for 42 years."

"Gee, Mr. Altman, you should really pull over and get some coffee."

 

[scottm4211]

Who said you were wrong to post about it?

 

[60MPH]

Gotta know when it's time to stop for a nap, which I did in the Quads. That's the idea, isn't it, get ahead of schedule then stop for a nap if necessary?

Expediter vans are only a portion of the vehicles that are pressing to make time above and beyond that which DOT regs allow. If you want CVs limited like big trucks, that will still leave all sorts of personal vehicles, the Radar Love guys, doing the same. Going to regulate them, too?

1st post you said you ran 1200 STRAIGHT THRU!!

 

[usafk9]

I know that my wife wishes she had a roll of duct tape to keep my lips together when I'm tired.

I'm thinking you may need to step away from the keyboard for a bit, and finish that nap.

Just a suggestion.

 

[Turtle]

Sorry straight truck doods and doodettes, the only way cargo vans will ever be regulated is if and when they pose an unreasonable risk to the public. And the statistics have to back that up.

On a side note, can a regular run-o-the-mill county deputy sheriff cite you for a DOT violation?

 

[dabluzman1]

I just looked it up. The article stated that a far back as 1998, in every state except Alabama, the law already allowed prosecution for drivers who caused fatalities because of sleep deprivation.

I don't recall your worldview/political/ideological persuasion, so I don't know how you approach these things. Libertarian (i.e. the only sensible) approach in all circumstances is that you're responsible for damage you cause. You want to shoot off fireworks? Go ahead, but you're liable if you burn down your neighbor's house...

Want to drive from Bangor, ME to San Diego? In a free society, no one can tell you not to, but you're going to pay the price if you kill somebody's Aunt Bessie because you didn't know when to pull over for some shut eye.

My "worldview", eheheheh, cute.
My view is of a concerned father and friend.
So where does that place me? (Really dont care.) Oh now where does THAT put me.
Aw, anyway responsible driving is a requirement in society.
My post of : Maggie's Law" shows a law directed at those who drive fatigued.
Hey, why dont you pull the same asinine stunt in New Jersey.
Then maybe we all would see your fun.