Building Up Dumper for Chips: What are must have features?

[pdqdl]

TN is one of the worst states for DOT, you get pulled over

Ho, ho, ho! That seems rather unlikely.

Take a tour through California, I'm sure they haven't gotten any nicer since I was driving OTR.

Back in the early 80's, they had well lit garages that they pulled trucks into. They had fluorescent lights under thick glass that you parked on, and the little guy on his roller could wheel around and find everything.

My dad got issued a ticket in California for not having a clean truck. Yep. If it had too much road grime, you were unworthy of driving in California.

 

[ZinTrees]

Take a tour through California,

ive lived there multiple times, been to 43 of the 48 lower states and lived in a bunch of those
cali SUCKED for DOT, but TN is bad too, just a few minutes down the road they have DOT checkpoints, basically 10-15 DOT officers on the side of the road with scales stopping every pickup with a trailer
also, they dont quit looking till they write a ticket, basically no luck with a "get outta jail free card" here lol

 

[pdqdl]

also, they dont quit looking till they write a ticket, basically no luck with a "get outta jail free card" here lol

Yes indeed. Same way here. They called my pickup truck (different driver) out of service, "park it here" one time because the red light on the dash didn't come on when the parking brake was set.

ARE YOU KIDDING? !@#$%​

All I had to do was flip the little switch under the dash a few times and the light started coming on again. $200.00 gone to support public safety. No benefit to anyone.

 

[ZinTrees]

Yes indeed. Same way here. They called my pickup truck (different driver) out of service, "park it here" one time because the red light on the dash didn't come on when the parking brake was set.

ARE YOU KIDDING? !@#$%​

All I had to do was flip the little switch under the dash a few times and the light started coming on again. $200.00 gone to support public safety. No benefit to anyone.

It's never about safety, it's 200% about money, and anything is legal if you give them enough

 

[pdqdl]

I wouldn't quite go that far. In the final analysis, there are a lot of junkers on the road, and pounding on the unsafe vehicles is one way to get them off the road.

Remember how I mentioned my familiarity with the DOT inspectors? Kansas City used to have a lot of federal money to support their DOT inspection trucks, and they loved to hang out in my area. So much so that every morning we sent a car out to patrol the streets leaving our shop. About 5 years ago, the KC Police DOT units had apparently gotten so unpopular with all their BS traffic stops that the Mo. Highway patrol called them in for "special training".

Just one red light away from my shop, the crisp-looking Highway Patrol officers were making the KCPD goons do DOT stops the right way. They were teaching them to watch for acceptable reasons to stop a vehicle, how to handle minor infractions, and pretty much embarassed them in the same spot for a whole week.
Given how much the local DOT goons had been tormenting the public for the previous 10 years, I think that the location they selected wasn't an accident. I even stopped (in my personal car) and flagged down the HP officer. He didn't exactly explain why they were "training" the KCPD units, but he smiled very pleasantly when I told him how much they needed to be regulated against all the profiteering.

Curiously, our DOT inspections since then have been infrequent and not quite so profit-oriented.

 

[GoodFellers]

A lot of trucks stops have scales also

But if I am over on the scales at the truck stop, I'll get ticketed right? might not even be able to leave?

 

[TheJollyLogger]

But if I am over on the scales at the truck stop, I'll get ticketed right? might not even be able to leave?

No, they are privately owned. Truckers generally weigh themselves before they hit the highway to avoid getting ticketed.

 

[GoodFellers]

No, they are privately owned. Truckers generally weigh themselves before they hit the highway to avoid getting ticketed.

Okay nice good to know. Every station I pass in my area is full of state troopers and I always see trucks a few miles past the station pulled over. I'm definitely reading up on laws and being proactive about things I need to get in line for my rig, but 400 page CDL permit manual is going to take me some time to get through. Only thing I have to hide is my ignorance but still would be a pain/time sink and an additional cost if I get ticketed.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Yeah, it is a pain