What Not To Do During A Roadside Inspection

While you try your best to prevent it from happening, every carrier is likely to experience at least one roadside inspection in their career. Whether it be for speeding, unsafe driving, or visible equipment issues, it’s law enforcement’s job to keep the driver, general public, and cargo safe from any potential harm.

There are several different levels of roadside inspections and are typically determined by the severity of the violation. Regardless of the reason for the inspection, it’s important for you and your drivers to know how to conduct yourselves during a roadside inspection.

Below is a list of what you should and should not do when getting pulled over.

1. DO pull to the right side of the roadway as quickly & safely as possible.
2. DON’T block the travel lane. If there isn’t a safe place to stop: slow down and put on your vehicles’ emergency flashers. Look for a place to stop as close as practical and be prepared to explain you were looking for a safe area to pull over.
3. DO turn down your music and turn on the cab light if it’s dark outside.
4. DON’T start chewing a pack of gum, wad of chewing tobacco, light up a cigarette, cigar, pipe, e-cigarette or burn incense. Other drivers have done this as an attempt to cover up the smells of illegal substances.
5. DO act as a professional commercial motor vehicle operator. Even if the inspector is unprofessional, always be the better person. You can question the inspector’s actions away from the scene of the inspection.
6. DON’T rummage around the cab of your vehicle as the inspector is approaching your vehicle.

Whether it’s you or one of your drivers who gets pulled over, it is your responsibility to correct any violation found during an inspection. Depending on the severity of a violation and number of violations your driver and your fleet already has, your business may be subject to a safety audit and even hefty fines.

Get Ahead Of The Audit

At Aladdin, our customers leverage our expertise with DOT’s safety regulations and experience to successfully pass their safety audits.

We also provide assistance with maintaining DOT compliant carrier files, even before you may face an audit! This proactive approach helps you avoid hefty costs and stress associated with collecting your carrier files after you have received a notice of a safety audit.