My First DOT Truck Inspection

Wyoming Sunset

After DC we headed to Dallas to return the Dallas Opera to its home in a warehouse located next to the state fairgrounds. We did not know the state fair was going on until we arrived there on Thursday evening just as the fair was closing for the evening.  Luckily the traffic wasn’t too bad and we were able to get safely parked on the service road beside the warehouse.  I was surprised to learn that the state fair goes on for over three weeks, but after all everything is bigger in Texas, right?

Beautiful Day in Utah after 2 Days of Rain

Our next stop was Wichita to pick up a Lion King advance trailer.  An advance trailer has items on it that go into the theatre; usually hangings of some type, before the rest of the show trailers arrive.  This trailer needed to go to San Francisco.  Our route for getting there was I-80 west which meant traveling through Wyoming, Utah and Northern California.  I was worried that the fact that I forgot my winter coat this trip was finally going to catch up with me, but was lucky that we only encountered rain and cold temperatures at the begining, then sunshine for the duration of the trip.

 

As we entered California we came upon a weigh station. As we approached it the Prepass monitor that we have in the truck that stores information about the truck and Vince displayed a red light rather than green. Green allows us to bypass the weigh station.  After we got in line, Vince noticed that the line for the weigh station had grown so long that trucks were lined up on the berm well up and down a hill.  Apparently no one was getting the bypass signal that afternoon.

While we waited in line I really didn’t have any concerns about not being bypassed.  It happens off and on and is usually no big deal.  But on this day as we passed the speaker for the non-scale section of the weigh station, a gentleman stated “Clark Transfer proceed to door three”.  That statement told me this was going to be no usual day in the weigh station. We were about to be inspected. 

Since I have never been in the truck when Vince has been inspected I did not know what to expect.  As we rounded the curve to enter the garage door I leaned down to put on my shoes since I expected I would have to get out of the truck.  While leaning down I put my hand on my seat belt clip and Vince in a very serious tone said “do not take off your seat belt”.  I explained I was leaning down to get my shoes but even though I knew this was serious, after hearing his tone I really understood the seriousness of the inspection.  Results of an inspection can be a pass where you go happily on your way with a sticker on the windshield, or fine(s) if there are log book violations, paperwork out of whack, maintenance issues such as something like a burned out tail light to something more serious like brakes etc, or a driver can be put out of service which means he or she has to pull over in the weigh station and sit there until things are fixed or their hours are back in place.

As we pulled in Vince asked me to pull the book that has the permits, his medical card and the forms that allow me to be in the truck, etc, out of the side pocket in my door.  He then grabbed his wallet and log book.  I sat in the truck trying to read my book and act like everything was ok, but I was so nervous that nothing I read stuck.  I could hear the inspector asking Vince questions and everything seemed to be going ok.  The inspector then handed Vince back the books and said he would be keeping his license until the end of the inspection.  So I knew we weren’t done yet and that this was going to be a bigger inspection than just paperwork.  The inspector instructed Vince to turn on his turn signals and press on the brakes. 

Next he stated he would be crawling under the cab and would be giving Vince instructions as he worked his way back from the cab to the end of the trailer. Once he got back to the trailer he got up and headed to his computer by the cab of our truck.  He then gave Vince his license.  Vince looked over at me and stated we were getting a sticker. I think it was only when he stated that, that I finally started breathing normally again.  Joe the inspector then removed our old sticker from when Vince passed the last time and replaced it with the new one.  He then put the door up to the garage and told Vince he could pull up and get his paper work from the office. 

After Vince returned with the paperwork I asked him if he was nervous. He shared that he always gets nervous even though he knows that nothing should be wrong.  But he stated you just never know for sure.  So I made it through my first DOT inspection and honestly it would be okay if it would be years before I have to experience another one.

San Francisco

After dropping the trailer in San Francisco we headed over to Ripon, CA for the week.  We are due back in San Fran next Tuesday to put an advance trailer of Lion King into the theatre.  Fortunately the truck stops in Ripon are in walking distance of several restaurants, a grocery store, an almond orchard and a beautiful neighborhood.  So we get our walking exercise in beautiful scenery while having a variety of places to eat food that fuel our need to walk.



Almond Orchard, Ripon, CA -  Amazingly straight tree lines throughout the orchard