Just a Citation or Out of Service?

TeamCaffee

Administrator
Staff member
Owner/Operator
Terry O'Connell has another very interesting article over on Team Run Smart.

Answers a lot of questions about what is REALLY considered an out of service sticker at a scale.

Team Run Smart
 

zorry

Veteran Expediter
30+19+5 = hell, he's older than me !

Interesting article. I'm sure I'll be reading it to another driver later today.
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Answers a lot of questions about what is REALLY considered an out of service sticker at a scale.

I don't understand where the confusion would lie. What's not to understand about an out of service sticker?

When a scale cop puts a truck or driver out of service, a prominent sticker is placed on the truck. If the truck or driver is not placed out of service, no OOS sticker is placed on the truck.

That's how it works, right? (I have never been placed out of service so do not know from personal experience.)
 
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zorry

Veteran Expediter
Although we all try to be perfect everyday, occaisionally life happens.
I may choose to finish a delivery on time, knowing I may be risking a citation,but I would delay the same load knowing I was risking an OOS.
Would never compromise safety. I can fix that one light after I satisfy the customer.
If an OOS is possible,I better delay the frt a short while rather than risking a longer delay.
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
You can be put out of service without the "Out of Service Sticker" on the windshield.
Case in point, we had a DOT inspection in KY and the inspection revealed a loose connection screw on one of the brake chambers. Would have been tough to identify with a pre-trip unless someone else was applying the brkes.
Driver was instructed that he was OOS but had the option to call a service truck or reach under and tighten it himself. Made the repair and off we went but no sticker was used.
Officer said if truck was stopped again without the defect repaired, he was off to jail or something to that effect.
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Thank You Phil

I thought the article would interest drivers.

Yes, it is an interesting article, now that I have read it. The confusion comes from your post. You talk about what is "REALLY considered an out of service sticker at a scale." As far as I know, there is only one kind of out of service sticker. There is nothing in the article that differentiates about a real sticker or one of a different kind.

Again, I have never been put out of service so I know little about this. How many kinds of out of service stickers are there? If there is more than one, how do we know the difference?

I understand that there are different kinds of violations, some of which may result in you being put out of service and some of which may not, but are there different kinds of stickers too?

Clarification please.
 

zorry

Veteran Expediter
It talks about 20% bad brakes putting you OOS.
When I drove a fleet truck I kept the lift axle down all the time.
Ca got me on a weird technicality brake issue.
Lift axle up. 25% bad brakes= OOS
Lift axle down. Less than 20% bad brakes earned me a fix-it-ticket.
2 days later show proof of repair,ticket destroyed,CVSA sticker issued.
 

usafk9

Veteran Expediter
I don't understand where the confusion would lie. What's not to understand about an out of service sticker?

When a scale cop puts a truck or driver out of service, a prominent sticker is placed on the truck. If the truck or driver is not placed out of service, no OOS sticker is placed on the truck.

That's how it works, right? (I have never been placed out of service so do not know from personal experience.)



In theory, yes, it is. In practice, um.....not so much.

Sometimes, the law enforcement, um, 'professional' will state on an inspection report that a sticker was issued, despite there not being one issued, and direct you to meander to the nearest rest area to rectify the CLEARLY OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD that resulted in placement out-of-service, but with only a warning (no citation) on the inspection report.

Kinda nullifies the whole spirit of the whole ou-of-service thing, if ya ask me.

Caps added because I haven't yet located the sarcasm font.
 
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