Give Them Nothing Beyond What Is Required.

[Sinister]

One time I was getting inspected in Truckee, CA. At the part where they want to hear the horn I just tapped the city horn.

The CalTrans guy gave me a thumbs up and then moved to turn signals.

I passed the inspection, and got a CVSA sticker the first ever time I had been inspected in California.

Yesterday another WM driver gave me a ride to the yard from the hotel in our shared rental vehicle. I thought this guy was a bit of a robot, but mostly okay from a few small conversations here and there but yesterday sealed the deal, and not only am I fully of that opinion now but I will likely be avoiding this man in the future.

We stop the pickup and I'm piling my stuff in the truck through the passenger door and sleeper door. It isn't much.

When I'm done I notice this guy is walking around my truck as if he's inspecting it. Which I thought was odd, but this guy is odd. He tells stores about his family as if you know who he's talking about.

Then he tells me I "NEED" to get the shop to put new numbers on the front right bumper of the truck.

"Yeah the washbays been beating them up pretty good. This trucks gone next summer anyway. I'm not too concerned."

"No, it needs to be done."

"What? Why?"

"Well, the DOT likes to see the numbers on the bumper."

*blink blink* "That's nice I guess. We'll I'm going to sign in and run upstairs and get paperwork. Thanks for the ride."

In 27 years of driving this is the VERY FIRST place I have ever worked at that numbers all four sides of a truck. It's never been an issue before. Not at that CalTrans inspection and never before anywhere else. The only reason it's done here is for company purposes.

Back in the days of paper logs I heard someone once say they "flag" crossing the California state line so they didn't get a speeding ticket for too fast of an average MPH.

Again, never an issue for me.

I will never understand people who offer more information to enforcement agencies than they are specifically asked for.

They are not your friend.

You are not going to get a gold star for doing extra stuff beyond the requirements.

In fact, imagine the most horrific fatal crash you can. Imagine the audit afterwards.

There are only THREE possible outcomes, and the BEST is simply, "Satisfactory". The fourth category is largely for niche operations.

There is nothing beyond that. There is no "best ass kisser award", no "greatest bumper numbers fleet".

Give them NOTHING they don't specifically ask for.

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[mndriver]

Ya mean that list of a dozen authority registrations 10’ tall isn’t needed….

or the complete zip + 25 mailing address or leased to, operated by, owned by bubba jo Jim bob?

 

[Sinister]

It just always floors me people who go beyond the rules to give themselves more stress to live by.

Moreso at a place like this where we literally have rules for how often you're supposed to shower. Seriously. There's a policy for that. I don't want to know what extreme case made it necessary but its there nonetheless.

How do these people ever relax? Is their entire life so rigid and orderly?

And the question I keep coming back to: can you imagine being in their families?

 

[Electric Chicken]

I don't have my truck number anywhere on my truck. Just XPO and their DOT number.

Nobody has ever cared. I don't go to Cali though.

 

[Sinister]

I don't have my truck number anywhere on my truck. Just XPO and their DOT number.

Nobody has ever cared. I don't go to Cali though.

The point about California was that the city horn is sufficient for the requirements. Everywhere. I used California because they're reputed to have the most rigid inspections.

In fact, if I had to guess I'd say an inspector would rather not have you air horn blatted in their ear during an inspection.

I mean, maybe thats the better ass kisser way.

"I just use the little horn because I care about your hearing Mr. Officer! Do you like my bumper numbers?"

 

[Electric Chicken]

The point about California was that the city horn is sufficient for the requirements. Everywhere. I used California because they're reputed to have the most rigid inspections.

In fact, if I had to guess I'd say an inspector would rather not have you air horn blatted in their ear during an inspection.

I mean, maybe thats the better ass kisser way.

"I just use the little horn because I care about your hearing Mr. Officer! Do you like my bumper numbers?"

Ok. I still don't have unit numbers anywhere on my truck.

 

[Sinister]

Ok. I still don't have unit numbers anywhere on my truck.

Thank you again for your meaningful contributions.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Thank you again for your meaningful contributions.

You're welcome. Still no numbers.

 

[Mike]

Give them NOTHING they don't specifically ask for.

This applies to any sort of enforcement.

To expand on that, know what you are required to provide. Just because they ask for it, or ask for access to it, doesn't mean you have to provide it. Know your rights.

 

[Shreck]

This applies to any sort of enforcement.

To expand on that, know what you are required to provide. Just because they ask for it, or ask for access to it, doesn't mean you have to provide it. Know your rights.

@Mike Such as? What are you required by law to provide during a Dot inspection?

 

[389 Hood]

I'm sure every state has it's own set of guidelines and requirements. Kinda like running nationwide OD. Every state has a ruling on the size, shape and color of your warning beacons.

And TBH, I have no company decals on either door, just the MC and DOT, thanks to the truck washes and the cheap ass vinyl they gave me to put on and I have never had a truck number anywhere on the truck since I got it. I was asked once about it and told the inspector that the hood just got repainted and I was waiting for the paint to cure, but it's unit number is 7. He said okay and never mentioned it again.

 

[Sinister]

At no time in this thread has anyone said truck numbers are required on a truck.

Even the guy I talked to thinks the DOT just "likes" to see them.

The subject of the thread is information you give to enforcement agencies over what you are required to give.

The subject of the thread IS NOT TRUCK NUMBERS.

 

[mndriver]

Doubt most have ever read part 390.21

 

[Electric Chicken]

At no time in this thread has anyone said truck numbers are required on a truck.

Even the guy I talked to thinks the DOT just "likes" to see them.

The subject of the thread is information you give to enforcement agencies over what you are required to give.

The subject of the thread IS NOT TRUCK NUMBERS.

You brought it up.

Having truck numbers displayed is "going above and beyond."

 

[Sinister]

You brought it up.

Having truck numbers displayed is "going above and beyond."

I also said it's done for company purposes.

This is why you get along with precious few people in real life.

 

[Hammer166]

I also said it's done for company purposes.

This is why you get along with precious few people in real life.

The biggest reason for unit numbers is fuel reporting. Because if your fuel ticket doesn't have a unit number on it, it has to have a VIN number on it. Unless you are driving for a mega, unit numbers tend to be much easier to remember than vin numbers

 

[Sinister]

The biggest reason for unit numbers is fuel reporting. Because if your fuel ticket doesn't have a unit number on it, it has to have a VIN number on it. Unless you are driving for a mega, unit numbers tend to be much easier to remember than vin numbers

Company purposes.

I can't believe we are still talking about truck numbers.

 

[Mike]

@Mike Such as? What are you required by law to provide during a Dot inspection?

Pretty much a vehicle for them to inspect, and required permits/registration etc..

Tennessee once tried to hound me about drugs. Asked if I had any, told them no. Then requested to inspect the cab of the truck for drugs, told them no. They were pissed about it, but oh well.

Beyond that, as mentioned, do nothing more than asked, and only what is required.

There are drivers out here that will go to the extent of reminding an officer that they didn’t check something. Or, they will offer up information about something that is a failure, when there is a chance that the officer could forget to check it, or might not plan on going to that level of inspection.

 

[Sinister]

Pretty much a vehicle for them to inspect, and required permits/registration etc..

Tennessee once tried to hound me about drugs. Asked if I had any, told them no. Then requested to inspect the cab of the truck for drugs, told them no. They were pissed about it, but oh well.

Beyond that, as mentioned, do nothing more than asked, and only what is required.

There are drivers out here that will go to the extent of reminding an officer that they didn’t check something. Or, they will offer up information about something that is a failure, when there is a chance that the officer could forget to check it, or might not plan on going to that level of inspection.

The safety lady at my heavy haul company always said we had a driver that volunteered for inspections every time he crossed a scale. He was supposedly that confident.

Aside from being a complete lie this was one of the worst ideas anyone ever had.

 

[mndriver]

Still is valid today