Out of service :-(

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS EX-PAT BRITISH TRUCKERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Today was a BAD day :angry:

I had two drops in NJ just across the Hudson from NYC and driving north up US 17 homeward bound I ran into a very long line of standing traffic and after 45 minutes found my trailer being searched “For a possible bomb” as the cop pointed out, “We are stopping all trucks.
“Wouldn’t it be wiser to search all the trucks heading into NYC ?” I asked, the cop scowled, I mean do you think the terrorists have delivered a bomb and are now leaving ?” I asked, three other cops found it amusing, but not the nasty one.
Three hours later having switched trailers in Feura Bush NY and heading up I-87 for home I noticed the ‘Truck check’ lights flashing at Clifton Park rest area and pulled in, expecting to drive right through as usual, not this time :exclamation:
I was ushered into an insection bay and the DOT guy said “I’m gonna give you an F1 inspection”
“OH :exclamation: good, … I’m an F1 fan” we both laughed. Both Cop and I got on very well, him explaining various rules to help the ‘poor immigrant’ almost done he asked to see my warning triangles and fire extinguisher as a last check “then we’ll be done” he said, “you do have some problems on the trailer though, so I’m putting it out of service”
"Whay here and now :question: "
“Yes, here and now, you can drop it and leave it for mechanics to fix and take your tractor away”
'The ******* (fatherless person) I thought.
“Don’t look so sad” he said, “I could give you a ticket but I’m letting you off” He said as he put a large red ‘OUT OF SERVICE’ sticker on the trailer. I sat there for 3 hours waiting for a mechanic to arrive with his assistant who supposedly serviced it last week. Once fixed and back at the yard I discover the tandems are siezed at the back of this 53 ft trailer and as I have to carry on with it to Manchester NH tomorrow this means i will have to leave an hour earlier and go back down I-87 to the mass pike and an extra 70 miles to avoid Vermont where a gap of no more than 43 ft is permitted from king pin to front axle of the trailer.

LIFE ■■■■■ :angry:

2

The news gets worse, Pat:

NH allows a maximum of 41’ from the kingpin to the last axle.

NY allows a maximum of 43’ from the kingpin to the last axle.

Sorry.

3

NH don’t seem to bother for some reason, and according to my route 4 permit the trailer needs a 43 foot gap from king pin to center of leading trailer axle, overall vehicle legnth should be no more tha 72 ft, so I just bring the fith wheel forward, so long as the load is not too heavy I can do this. I passed through Woodstock and right past that ‘overkeen’ cop who stops every 53 ft trailer, he has a CB and comented that my wheels were OK, he knew I had a permit because it must be on his data base.

4

Just take it over to the ■■■■■ over there at the TA in Fultonville and let them beat on the slider pins a while.

5

3 letters usualy keep me out of the TA at Fultonville … D O T. It seems whenever I am nearing there someone on the CB tells me they are in there, not that I am not legal at the time, because on a toll road like the thruway I am always legal, I just can’t be doing with the hassle.
When I lived in the UK if a cop or MOT geyser asked me for my tacho, or to do an inspection when I was at a truck stop I would tell him to come back when my break was over, I find they don’t like that here. Truckstops etc should bea sanctuary where they can’t approach you because you are off duty.
I have twice had my log checked here and neither cop signed my log to say he had delayed me, also on this last run in with them I asked “What if I was 45 minutes from base, with 45 minutes left on my log to get there and you pull me in for 30 minutes ? what happens then ?”
The reply ;- “You spend a night here”
“But there are no facilties and you would be the reason I was delayed, don’t you extend those hours by whatever time you delay me ?”
“NO !, you spend the time off here”

No wonder we go to such legnths to avoid the DOT :exclamation:

6

I have now been stopped by DOT at the same spot, by the same cop 4 times in as many weeks :laughing: we are on first name terms :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Last Thursday I was stopped on route 146 in Rhode Island at a truck check, The cop said “Single state registration please ?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about” I said. “I have an envelope full of documents so I will look through it” I fumbled around for a minute or so<
“Gimme the damm packet” said the cop, he searched through and found what he wanted.
I sais “They take a poor imigrant, stick him in a truck and say there’s your truck, here’s some documents and send you on your way”
He handed the envelope back and said "Get the hell out of here before I find something wrong " he was grinning though :laughing:

7

I’ve not had the displeasure of meeting the DOT thus far… Maybe they just look at my wreck of a motor in passing and think to themselves “too much like hard work finding all the defects on that heap” and leave me alone? Or maybe it’s just because I spend half my time in a field or on dirt roads?