DOT Question / Problem

[BobWolf]

Just as my luck goes one of my tired rear springs popped a leaf yesterday when I picked up a local job maby 500 lbs the truck wasnt leaning or showing any signs of a problem and was safe enough to drive to a shop. So, the plan was drop the skid, and drive literaly accross the street, down one block, and get the spring fixed sounds easy enough, right? WRONG! Not even 1/4 mile to my delivery I get pulled over for a DOT and of corse out comes the creeper. Yep he found the broken spring wrote me up for that, and a required license plate lamp for good measure. Took me O.O.S. and after boot licking, and yes bordering on pathetic begging its less than 1/4 mile to the spring shop and it will cost me 250 - 300 bucks for a wrecker even for that short of a distance. We who have driven long enough we have all done it if your new you will one day sucumb to that standard. He did let me drive it to the spring shop the officer did follow me to the shop and officialy grounded me. Got it fixed, of corse not just a new leaf, I needed both sides, $ 1300.00. Thats after last weeks investment for the front end work, king pins, might as well put new brake shoes and tie rod ends for good measure were not a problem yet but had a little wear showing so on they go, allingment, and luckily used rubber round black and legaladded up just under $2,000 pluss the springs.

Yeah, the cop said"looks like you had allot of work done recently" Not sure if he heard me say it drained my bank account.
Did get the freight delivered had to pay for a local drop 50 bucks

The 65 million dollar question is what am I looking at for CSA points on my saety record for a broken spring and a license plate lamp out and being pulled O.O.S.? and how long will I be the DOT mans favorite hobby

 

[BobWolf]

Yes I know, had I been out of town or not as close to the shop as I was I would have been screwed. Im not going to whine besides,
lately I have had a good ammount of local and regional work and was home over the weekend. So, I do count my blessings.

 

[paullud]

If the light was cited under 393.23 it is 2pts x 3 for a total of 6. If the spring was cited under 393.207(c) it would be 7pts x 3 for a total of 21. I believe you also got 2pts x 3 for a total of 6 for being declared OOS. The points aren't that bad but I would be much more cautious now.

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[BobWolf]

Thanks for the answer. I didnt realize they tripple the points
I kinda figured Ill be playing show and tell a few times for at least the next twelve months.
I out grew that after first grade.

 

[paullud]

They triple the points because they are reduced by a third each year.

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[BobWolf]

Yeah, Betwene the green monster/reg book, the CSA 2010, and just common traffic regs where we travel I think interpeting the Bible is easier.

 

[EASYTRADER]

CSA, uses a "scrable" like scoring system.

Just like scrable the points don't mean much. So relax.

 

[BigCat]

CSA, uses a "scrable" like scoring system.

Just like scrable the points don't mean much. So relax.

Actually the points mean having a job or not. Too many points and your getting shutdown by fmcsa.




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[ATeam]

They triple the points because they are reduced by a third each year.

It seems to me that the three year multiplier has it exactly backwards.

It works this way. Say you are cited for a violation worth five CSA points. The multiplier tripples that number on your record in the first year to make it 15. One year later, the multiplier is double for 10 points. The third year there is multiplier is one, giving you 5 points. At the end of the third year following the violation, the five points drop to zero. On a table it looks like this:

Year 1: 5 x 3 = 15
Year 2: 5 x 2 = 10
Year 3: 5 x 1 = 5
Year 4: Zero points on your record from that violation cited three years ago.

Now look at how the courts and justice system works. Steal a car, get probation. Steal another car, get probation again or maybe a little bit of time. Steal a car yet again and get a sentance stiffer than the ones before. Repeated crimes have bigger penalties.

With CSA, the approach is different. A first offense has the harshest penalty.

Good drivers with good records get no credit whatsoever for at least trying to be violation free or managing to keep their violations to a minimum.

Say someone begins with a perfect record (zero CSA points). Then say he or she gets dinged in May for a five point violation and eight months later for a two point violation. The multiplier treats that driver harshly, raising the total to 21 points.

Now say a driver with a terrible record begins with 50 points and gets similarly cited to add 21 points to his or her record for a total of 71.

Both drivers are treated the same when it comes to their violations, even though the second driver is a "repeat offender."

Would it not be more fair and more effective to reverse the application of the penalties such that if you have low points to start with, a few more are added on for subsequent violations. And if you have a lot of points to start with, the multiplier kicks in to add even more?

 

[BigCat]

But Phil we are talking about a violation you get one time for 15 points that reduce over years time. You are talking about a repeat car thief who hasn't learned.






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[moose]

O.K now i have a question, regarding the OP.
what IF he was to mark on his log book, that :"a safety defect that might effect the safe operation of the vehicle" have being found, and wright what it is.
wouldn't he be allowed to drive the truck to the nearest service facility ?

 

[BobWolf]

I dont see why its not simply just the 11 pionts for the three years. Of corse that would make sense and us guys that have been driving for years, that follow the rules, who all have that O.O.S. inspection then a couple more down the road for minor things points multiplied because we cant seem to avoid the shake downs and ether end up not being to work or just say forget this.
I think we should get creddits for the passing inspections say 30 for each clean.
I dont like it but I guess it is what it is

Thanks again for the input.

 

[BobWolf]

O.K now i have a question, regarding the OP.
what IF he was to mark on his log book, that :"a safety defect that might effect the safe operation of the vehicle" have being found, and wright what it is.
wouldn't he be allowed to drive the truck to the nearest service facility ?

It makes sense to me if the defect dosent make it unsafe to do so
like the frame scraping the ground, or a fuel, oil, coolant hemmorage, blown tires comming appart.

 

[ATeam]

But Phil we are talking about a violation you get one time for 15 points that reduce over years time. You are talking about a repeat car thief who hasn't learned.

I'm not comparing a repeat car thief to a CSA truck driver. I used the car thief example to illustrate that our justice system assigns lighter penalties to first time offenders and heavier penalties to repeat offenders.

I then went on to contrast two truck drivers, one that starts with zero points and one that starts with 50, and suggested that it might be more fair and effective to penalize the higher-point, "repeat offender" driver with higher penalties instead of treating both drivers the same.

 

[BigCat]

It makes sense to me if the defect dosent make it unsafe to do so
like the frame scraping the ground, or a fuel, oil, coolant hemmorage, blown tires comming appart.

I'd say a broken spring qualifies it as unsafe.




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[BobWolf]

The morrons who dont care and dont take care of business or thier equipment will add up quick enough because they dont learn.
It would have been nice if the new drives, end work, and steer tires were mentioned in the DOT report. .

 

[BigCat]

DOT doesn't commend you for running safe because that's what is expected. How many times have you ever heard DOT say "good job you passed the level 1"? Probably never because for one they expect you to pass and 2 a clean inspection provides them with nothing.

It is what it is so we gotta abide or get out and many people would rather be run out by dot.




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[BobWolf]

DOT doesn't commend you for running safe because that's what is expected. How many times have you ever heard DOT say "good job you passed the level 1"? Probably never because for one they expect you to pass and 2 a clean inspection provides them with nothing.

It is what it is so we gotta abide or get out and many people would rather be run out by dot.




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If your running an obviously dangerous truck and have no intention of having it repaired then OK bad driver when you tell the cop other than hearing the spring pop there is no indication of a defect no leaning, or pulling etc. And your going to the shop and he knows exactly where your going and you wrote off the next 2 days worth of work OK follw me there. Its getting to the point where commen sense dosent exist.

 

[BigCat]

I agree bob. There is little intelligence being demonstrated by dot but in the same breath if you have a defect good driver or bad driver they carry the same weight. Unfortunately we can change that but it will weed out the bad drivers in the industry.




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[BobWolf]

True That it is what it is and they do pull some scarry trucks off the road.
Hopefuly this is the only show and tell for a while.
I apreciate the info I got Thanks again.

Im moving on maby I can agitate somone on annother post LOL

Bob Wolf