Side Marker Lights

**cheri1122** · 09-02-2010, 12:33 PM

My little green book got misplaced because I haven't been in this truck long enough to have figured out the best usage of limited space, and am frequently rearranging things. But I must say, after a dozen DOT inspections over the years, no one has ever asked to see it.
Permits: the first of each year, I go through the book, highlighting expiration dates, and recording them on an index card [which is on the first pg] for quick reference, and that works for me - because Safety has been known to get behind in sending them, once in awhile.

**greg334** · 09-02-2010, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by layoutshooter

CSA 2010 should NOT be a problem to a good truck or drivers. It is, however, very open to abuse. The very idea that it has retroactive points bothers me, a lot. I don't believe that is proper, at least not in my book.

The retro points isn't really the issue, the issue is the mechanism that is not there for the driver to fight the points gained by the abuse. This is an issue for more than the drivers, the carries are at risk when you have a disgruntled inspector targeting their trucks. BUT the carrier can pull some crap with logs and inspection reports.

Many feel that the CSA 2010 will be the vacuum that will gut the driver's pool, which I don't think it will. I think a lot of drivers won't want to deal with another hassle and leave as the economy gets better but this will not be a large amount that will help the industry as a whole.

The large carriers want to see the CSA 2010 as it stands, they make a BFD out of it because they know it will not address the issues of a revolving door style hiring practices or the crap training that goes on within the industry. They won't change tactics anytime soon because CSA 2010 does not address mitigating the problems before they are problems.

**layoutshooter** · 09-02-2010, 12:49 PM

I just have a great distrust when things are made retroactive.

I am also concerned with much of the medical stuff that is being thrown about. Like the sleep apnea, neck sizes etc. The science involved is VERY suspect and not to be trusted. Far too many parties with conflicts of interest involved. NO REAL evidence to back things up. No way to dispute it if you are hit with it. Too much big money in the picture to believe what is going on.

**guido4475** · 09-02-2010, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by greg334

Guido, YES it is a requirement.

FedEx used to send them free on request. Panther may and so on - they are $2 a piece in quantity and ever carrier should hand the out for free. I think there is a stack of them at every training center at my carrier.

Permits are another thing, the carrier should be pm top of things with permits but it does not hurt to keep a list of those which will expire.

I think the panic over the CSA 2010 is a panic, as it has been describe to me, everyone will have some thing on their record, only the very careful and very lucky will avoid any points.

FedEx will with no doubt use it to clean house as they seem to have that habit at times, other carriers may mitigate their borderline contractors the same way but for those who have a limited amount of points and a good track record of correcting issues, it won't be a big deal.

AND phil, you redeemed yourself with the Terry issue already.

Layout, Trucklite makes them, LED Headlight

They are not cheap, a set for a round lighted truck will run about $500. They have been making them for the military for a bit now, I have two sets sitting in my shop to be put on a pickup to try them out.

I got a lesson on how lights are DOT 'approved', pretty interesting, and simple.

Not having the unused or harly requested green dot reg book is like having a ton of tools in the garage.I may only use a particular tool once, but it is worth it when it is used. Not having the green book and taking for granted it will never be asked for is when it will happen.Along with a remeberable ticket.

Just like the good book says we are supposed to have in our vehicle one of every bulb type used in our vehicle, along with fuses, etc. How many do not have that in their truck?I often see drivers getting raped at a truckstop for a headlight that they could of bought at wal-mart while at home last time to have in the truck, instead they pay sometimes 3 times as much in a truckstop for soemthing they should of had to begin with.

In a way, I cannot wait until the csa kicks in.From what I have seen recently, accidents and all, in the parking lots as well as on the road, I sure hope it cleans the industry of drivers who cannot figure out how to pay attention to details and their surroundings from hitting things, whether they be stationary or moving. Way too much carelessness out here now and days.And, unfortunately, it is only getting worse.

**ATeam** · 09-02-2010, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by layoutshooter

CSA 2010 should NOT be a problem to a good truck or drivers. It is, however, very open to abuse. The very idea that it has retroactive points bothers me, a lot. I don't believe that is proper, at least not in my book.

The retroactivity bothers me too. If you drive through an uncontrolled intersection on Monday, they erect a stop sign on Wednesday, and give you a ticket on Friday for the violation you are said to have committed on Monday, is that fair?

If they changed the rules of NFL football and then went back through past games to re-score the plays under the new rules, and then pronounced new winners and losers, is that fair?

If you get a warning ticket for speeding in 2009, disagree that you were speeding, but don't fight it because there is nothing to fight (it was a warning ticket with no points attached), and then in 2010 they change the rules to say the warning ticket carries CSA points and they charge the points to you in a way that counts today, is that fair?

If you were driving a company truck in 2009 and got cited for an equipment violation (say turn signal lamp), and the company did not hold it against you, and the company paid the fine, and you did not worry about it because the violation does not add points to your driver's license, and you did not bother to fix it on the spot because to you at the time the violation was inconsequential and it is the company's union mechanic's job to fix it;...and then in 2010, they change the rules to make that prior violation count against you in CSA points that are so consequential that you can lose your job if you get too many, is that fair?

Driver behavior is changing now because the rules and the consequences for different kinds of violations have changed. But it is just plain wrong, and it is a form of government oppression and regulatory abuse, to change the rules retroactively.

There is nothing fair or right about assigning violation points to a driver under new rules when the points were earned under old rules. I don't know of any now but would not be surprised to see a law suit rise to challenge the practice.

There are drivers out there today that may lose their jobs with the next tail light that burns out on them while driving; not because they are bad drivers, but because new rules were retroactively applied to old violations like warning tickets.

These poor souls should not lose their jobs. They should be given the chance to modify their behavior and run under the new rules from this point forward. It is unfair and wrong to put them under new rules that penalize them today for their behavior from this point backward.

**greg334** · 09-02-2010, 04:45 PM