And we are back, sort of.

Great news! Brake parts came in early, and got out of the shop almost 2 weeks earlier than predicted. I got a couple of good runs, and then… DOT Roadside inspection!

I wasn’t really worried about it because when the brakes got repaired, I had an Annual DOT inspection for the tractor.

Now that sounds a little confusing, so I’ll break in down (pun intended).

Every year all commercial vehicles must get an DOT inspection by a certified mechanic. They check everything such as: brakes, tires, horns (yes, we have 2 horns), wiper blades and fluid. I’ll post one of the sheets on the Toolbox Page.

A Roadside inspection is done by a DOT police officer. There are three levels of inspections. I’ll also post the levels on the Toolbox page also. This can range from just checking your license, insurance, registration (known as a Cab Card), to, pulling you into a mechanic bay and looking at every inch of the truck and trailer.

The DOT Roadside Inspection can have some serious issues, and they have the ability to put the tractor, trailer, or the driver out of service. Mechanical issues like tread depth on the tires, brake pads, and air line (pressure) have to be corrected BEFORE the equipment can be moved. Simple things like tiers, air hoses can be done roadside. For more serious problems, the equipment will have to be towed to a repair shop.

A driver can also be put out of service as well. Every driver must carry a valid CDL (Commercial Drivers License), an a current medical card. All drivers must have a DOT Physical from a certified DOT doctor. Most medical cards are valid for 2 years, but may be valid for shorter periods, all the way down to a month.

The reasons a medical card could only be valid for a shorter time may be based on medical conditions (high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol) or certain medications. Sleep Apnea is also monitored via a CPap device, and the doctor will check the history. The current perimeters to be compliant are: a minimum of 4 hours per night 70% of the time. The data from the CPap can be checked on your phone on an APP. This data can and most likely reported to your insurance company or the regulatory department of the company you drive for. Most carriers that monitor CPap devices can also put out a driver OOS until they are compliant. Most often this would only be one night with the mask on for 4 hours.

I had a level 2, just checking some of the basics. Everything was good on the tractor, the trailer had 2 minor issues, not enough to put it Out Of Service (OOS). One of the tires had a flat spot (not enough tread), and an ABS sensor.

So just getting these fixed at the truck shop. The mechanic must sign off on the repairs, I sign off on the repairs, and send the report off to the DOT.

And we are on our way!