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Fun last Friday

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,434
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Went into Columbia MO as my CDL is coming due Oct 18 and I have HAZMAT on it, was contemplating dropping the endorsement but WTH.

Got my appt to the ID shop 8:30, left the house 6:40 to be there around 8ish, electric billboards of MoDOT noted bad accident at US63/I-70 jct. about a mile MY side where I was headed, ran the back routes to get there off Bus 70 in West CoMo. Made it by 8:35, figured would get put off but the clerk was ALSO late from traffic so no sweat, fingerprints and checklist then out at 9. Headed to MoSHP license test office a little bit away from there but staffed all day 5 days a week for my written. Had all my paperwork, sat down to the electronic test machine. Was well into the test, question 8 when the screen flashed, figured the agents were watching finished the test missed one then up to the desk.

Three of the four Officers were behind the desk, the eldest (57)said was amazed to watch me as I took that test(30 questions) he had never seen one rolled thru that fast. Kid seated next to him said similar, they both noted took them over an hour each to take the SAME test. Woman officer behind them looked at me asked how the hell I could read that fast, she was five words into a question when I clicked the answer and moved on!! From check in to walk back to the desk 26 minutes. They admitted I was NOT cheating as they WERE watching me, just astonished. Admitted to them was a retired Nuke plant operator had been on plant Fire Brigade, got HAZ Wopper training rehash EVERY six weeks, had become second nature to KNOW what the question is asking before done reading.

Was asked how long I studied, told them printed the Hm requirements off the night before, read thru them three times, answered the insert questions and then read them again just before came in to test, the looks on the faces were priceless.

Now I sit and await the FBI report to renew my CDL license possibly for the last time.
 
Last edited:

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,129
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
As you brought up the CDL stuff figured I go OT a bit and mention what a friend of ours we are helping move out of his house told me about his fun last week.

He drives tractor trailer for a fairly small local trucking outfit, he goes all over the country. Well last week he got stopped in I believe he said it was a DOT inspection and got wrote up for a violation! All they could find wrong is the sticker on the front side of the ICC Bumper was half missing! Guess traiers of a certain age need to have a sticker that proves the bumper meets some standard. The guy writing the ticket apologized at least three times for it saying he had no option as his Sargent or some other boss was with him that day.

Our friend called back to his office to tell them and that office called the trailer company for replacement stickers and was told that at least three other trucking outfits had called just that morning with the same problem! Guess someone must open the rule book in the morning and just flip through pages and randomly pick the ticket of the day to write!

DMiller, glad to hear you are legal again for now!
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,434
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Thanks~~maybe!!
Went thru a DOT inspect about two months ago on Riverview in the Trucking district STL, was stopped by the City DOT inspectors. The 'Kid' as I observed of him was not ready as I handed him the correct papers without pushing for them he then did a basic visual inspect that passed, he also noted would have to weigh the semi, told him OK, had plenty time that morning. He looked funny at me, then I told him had a Certified scale ticket in the cab, fully legal so I had no problem he wasting his time and back dragging the portables out!! He asked for the ticket which I produced, he gave me a verbal warning as the shift knob was leaking audibly but leak rate not over the limits and let me go. Next guy up took the brunt of his frustration, was STILL being inspected 45 minutes later.
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,129
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
MSHA inspectors are the same way. They find something that is a sure thing, then they share that with other inspectors and before you know it, all the contractors have the same ticket.
Yea I remember that too well!
Actually stopped by the quarry yesterday to "donate" some steel scrap to them, not worth the gas money to haul it to the city to get rid of it and don't want to be tripping over it for two years. The first thing I noticed was big rocks and berms up around the fuel pump area and shop with ropes blocking access to many places. Now the fuel pumps are inside a three foot tall concrete walled in containment area so it would take some doing even for a 769D to knock one over! Now I can see more hazard from the restricted access points for the pumps.

Then the drive way between the old shop office and the electrical shop is roped off with only a narrow gap a pickup can fit through, this driveway has to be at the least 30 feet wide but I guess someone felt it was too narrow to safely drive a 773 or 988H through after doing it for around 30 years. When the shop office was put there back then they had a drill rig bore two holes near the corners of the office and drop in a pair of 4 inch drill rods about 12 feet sticking out of the ground and painted them red. Shop and office are on solid bed rock so it would take a good hit to move those drill rods.

Then I noticed that every pickup has a yellow strobe led type light system on the roof going round and round non-stop. Story I was told is at one of the quarries in California some big machine backed over a pickup truck so company thinks the lights are going to prevent accidents.

I'm just wondering about the fun it will be the first bad snow storm while all the crap in the way how they are going to deal with plowing out the place. Then again big bosses are in Huston Texas so they probably don't think about those things we deal with up north.

A few more reasons I'm glad I left when I did!
 
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