Indiana laying off 42 Motor Carrier Inspectors

MSinger · Dec 7, 2009

IndyStar.com | Communities | The Indianapolis Star

Kazper1008 · Dec 7, 2009

Wow! Now the ? is is that a bad thing or a good thing. Im not really sure!

Dakota · Dec 7, 2009

Means less open weigh stations most likely

Kazper1008 · Dec 7, 2009

Well I guess that sounds like a good thing I dont like them ole weigh stations any how.

moose · Dec 8, 2009

This cannot be good ,
all it will do is decrease safety.
it said that state troopers will take over ,
i wonder how many of those have DOT certificate on hand.
i know i will question the authority of any law enforcement agent in that state from this point on .
guess those inspectors did not "made" enough income for the state. you can expect the remaining officers , and in neighboring states to get the massage .
good fined.

greg334 · Dec 8, 2009

What DOT certificate?

moose · Dec 8, 2009

Local law officers do not have the authority to enforce federal laws on interstate HWY .
state troopers must be certified by the federal DOT .
that's include operating a weigh station.

greg334 · Dec 8, 2009

I don't know how that is, I have been told by many LEOs that they don't enforce federal laws, they enforce their state laws.

If the state requires their officers to be certified to enforce their laws, well then the problem is the state.

Turtle · Dec 8, 2009

Keep in mind that most states have adopted the federal DOT rules verbatim into their own state laws. So while they may not have federal authority, the laws are the same.

Slo-Ride · Dec 8, 2009

greg334 said:
What DOT certificate?

Certification of Safety Auditors, Safety Investigators and Driver/Vehicle Inspectors - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Is this one?

SuperDuper · Dec 8, 2009

Kazper1008 said:
Well I guess that sounds like a good thing I dont like them ole weigh stations any how.

Agreed, it sounds good to me too. This thing about questioning an leo's authority could be dicey. You have every right to do so. It's not always a good idea to to anger someone that has the ability to ticket you for minor or made up infractions. I had my door open at a scale recently during a full dot inspection and the guys going through the stuff in my door pocket. It was mostly tools but it still angered me, but I just kept on smiling. I also left with a compliant report. I cursed him for miles after due to his arrogant questioning but still no fines.

dhalltoyo · Dec 8, 2009

Well, I guess they will have their hands full with tractors and straight trucks so those under 10,000 lbs GVWR won't be scaling and logging anytime soon.

It is simply a matter of numbers and revenue.

greg334 · Dec 9, 2009

Slo- thanks for that info.

I asked a Wayne county sheriff last night about this and he said that he doesn't have to be certified to inspect my truck for any reason - including a safety inspection, log inspections and freight paper work.

He said that the laws of the state are above the federal laws within the border of the state of Michigan if the vehicle is registers within the state or if the driver is a resident. The difference comes into play when the truck is used for interstate commerce while under load with in or outbound freight - but nevertheless he can issue violations and still do inspections based on state requirements for safety, health and drug prevention.