Is my boyfriend lying about Dot procedures that are preventing him from coming home?
Posted by MealPerfect6558@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 111 comments
My boyfriend says he is driving from Cali to Arizona on a car hauling trip and claims he and the driver of the truck got pulled over by DoT. He claims that the driver didn’t pass an air breaks test and that he would have to wait 14 hours until he can take test again? And even after the 14 hours he will only get two tries and then they will be taken off the road. Is he lying?
I tried googling some info about it and according to Google my boyfriend, who also has his CDL could take test and if he passes can drive the truck just as long as the truck is safe and operational. I know this is some relationship drama but my boyfriend has been taking long trips like this and something always goes wrong. My intuition is telling me that he isn’t being truthful.
BananaSpirited7259@reddit
100%, he's correct and most likely found an hour of service violation a few air leaks and just because they're assholes they're going to make him wait a while. Not to mention repair times and estimates on whatever air leak was found. Welcome to the logistical game! Had a long haul trucker myself getting fucked by dot is never a pleasant experience your boyfriend's lucky that he's not going to get the fucking dot ticket
American74@reddit
Some states can set a pass fail standard higher than the federal government. Whether the state in question is one or not, I don’t know. If passes his knowledge test, skills test AND his medical exam, THEN he can drive the truck. His stating that he has to pass the air brakes test w/ the other 2 exams seems fishy.
Un3v3n-Pigeon@reddit
First off you sound like a fucking nightmare and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’ll say whatever to stay out on the road. If they are running teams they don’t want to fuck up his sleep/work cycle. So he may have to wait the 14 hrs until his shift begins or that’s what he was told by dot and if dot won’t let him until 14hrs then that’s what it is simple as that.
theFoamBorn@reddit
Failing an air loss rate test is out of service. I can't speak for every state, but standard procedures tells me the rest of that story is bullshit.
RuneScape420Homie@reddit
He’s lying
Aggressive-Oil173@reddit
Break up with him. Being with you sounds miserable
Firm-Word-8360@reddit
That’s unnecessarily mean. Break up is good enough
MealPerfect6558@reddit (OP)
Best advice of the night…lol
Melodic_Barber8796@reddit
The brake violation part is believable. The "14-hour wait and two tries" part sounds questionable. I'd ask for more details before drawing conclusions.
spyder7723@reddit
She is conflating this. If you held a gun to my head and forced me to try and goes what is going on, I would guess either her bf or the other side are testing to get their cdl, they don't already have it.
MealPerfect6558@reddit (OP)
No not true…we actually were gonna get our CDL’s together. I went through the whole process with him. Mind you he has driving experience and I don’t. I decided not to do all the work to get mine. I know the air breaks test is something you take on the driving test but not after. So that’s why I’m here. But the CDL came to the house in the mail!!! He has it.
thelegitpotato@reddit
You are mistaken that you won't ever have to do it again, there are 3 levels to inspections when pulled into one by DoT, the most extensive one basically includes doing every in-cab check you had to do for your test which is why you have to know how to do them to get the CDL. They test important safety features is the truck and that's what DoT is doing when they do the inspection. (In theory at least)
However as others have said this 14 hour cool down on taking the test again seems fishy even just from a logistics point, will there be a DoT officer there in 14 hours? What happens if they pull a daycab over who cannot legally take SB time? Also when doing the test they typically walk you through it step by step and are looking to see if the equipment fails not the driver so unless they found a fault and are allowing repair at the weigh station how did they fail and how does DoT expect them to pass in 14 hours?
DirkVonDirk@reddit
In 7 years of driving, I’ve never been asked to demonstrate any portion of the cdl test. I’ve done brake tests in inspection bays, where the officer tells is telling me step by step “dump your brakes” etc but I’ve never even heard of being “re-tested” during an inspection.
To your point about the forced shut down, they can do it. Happened to me in Iowa years back over an hours violation. Got a forced shut down, I don’t remember for how long, I wanna say 10 hours but part of me thinks it might’ve been 24. As far as day cab, I’m day cab now. What would happen is I would either get a hotel or my company would do a “rescue”. Where they send another driver in the company pickup truck, they drive the truck and trailer back and I would drive the pickup.
FisherofLibs@reddit
Yeah but this is a general knowledge on air brakes written test she is describing but on the road? Doesn’t exist to my knowledge
thelegitpotato@reddit
That's interesting info about the forced shutdown, I've been driving 7 years as well, got in just before the pandemic made drivier training difficult and was only once pulled in for an inspection, it was in Missouri, it was a full inspection with DoT getting under the truck and everything and for the brakes portion they basically walked me through the same procedure I had to do during the testing when I got my CDL in Texas, this was about 2-3 years ino me driving though and I didn't receive an oos or forced shutdown this time, this is the experience I based my previous comment on.
DirkVonDirk@reddit
Yeah, I think we’re saying the same thing. They tested your air brakes. Maybe just a misunderstanding. Cause if they’re walking you through it, that’s different than you performing from memory the sequence of the air brakes test from the cdl test. 1 inspection in 7 years!? Lucky! lol. I’ve had a couple dozen. I’ve only been dinged 3 times. One for the hours violation, one for my company not having a “kyu #” displayed on the truck (pretty sure this one was just nonsense, but Eddyville, KY weigh station was running down our whole fleet for this, so we ended up putting them on) and one for a small ding in the windshield that was “starting to spider web” at that same Edddyville weigh station. Pretty sure they just had a hate boner for our company for some reason. Cause I go by there all the time with my current company, and don’t get inspected. Generally, passing an inspection is at least a positive for the company. And reflects on the fleets safety score. It really does nothing for the driver personally. We should get a clean inspection bonus
thelegitpotato@reddit
I'm a company driver and we have pretty good CSA scores lol, the benefits of prepass I guess. I have had smaller inspections, brakes, lights and HOS during a blitz once ow twice but only the one full inspection at a weigh station.
My company has both a clean inspection bonus and we get entered into an annual raffle if we get a clean inspection. I agree, I never meant we were being retested from memory so I'm sorry if that confused anybody.
needmoreroastbeef@reddit
Ive had to do an airbrake test when pulled into the scale before. But you pass or get put oos. The 14 hour part sounds off. And remember, if your spidey sense is tingling, its probably for a reason
KilljoyTheTrucker@reddit
The only thing I can come up with is an oos with the cop wanting to retest him after his 10 is up, but they won't be back at the scale house for 14 hours.
But the fail only puts a driver oos, so if there's 2 drivers, idk why you'd be stuck.
FluffyMcFluffs@reddit
That's what I was thinking however what I was seeing was he was just a passenger not a co driver. He mentions not being on other guys insurance.
KilljoyTheTrucker@reddit
That's like a 5 minute phone call to fix at a small outfit. You can get temporary coverage for him pretty easy.
Though failing a brake test still doesn't really make sense I guess either. Sounds like OP and dude are both pretty fresh out of a CDL mill and likely have no actual idea on what's happening.
I wonder if it's not the equipment that failed and dude doesn't want to pay after hours service call money (I don't blame him at all lol), and he's waiting for business hours to get rroadside out to fix it, or parts delivery. The limited "attempts" is probably more of a get it fixed before we impound it for sitting too long at the scale house lot.
Skaterkidd_k@reddit
Sadly anxiety and doubt could be confused for spidey senses leading to a rash decision
Organic-Sun-3244@reddit
They don't have it.. this is crazy.. she doesn't know they have to pass the CDL/DOT/FMCSA mandatory requirements in order to be able to drive in the first place..
Confident-Ear-9388@reddit
Respect the guy code
Hxncheaux@reddit
Just go met him in Vegas.
FisherofLibs@reddit
Too be honest this whole thing is confusing so I’m gonna start from the beginning going step by step.
Your boyfriend and this other guy are driving a car hauler(team driving) without licenses on a paid trip. That’s illegal unless they are like hot shotting in a pickup. I saw you said his CDL came in the mail but it’s required to be on him at all times as well as his medical dot certification. So still illegal.
Let’s assume he has his CDL and it wasn’t illegal for him to drive without the license on him. He has less than a year of experience why is he training another driver.
A roadside air brakes test has nothing to do with the drivers it’s about the condition of the vehicle. If he was put OOS (out of service) he can’t take over and redo the test to drive. Only fixing the vehicle can do that.
If it’s the written test which why your boyfriend is taking someone to take the test while team driving on a load with a permitted trainee I don’t know that’s a terrible idea but anyways if that’s the case no your boyfriend cannot take the test for them. The air brakes test is a written portion but even if it wasn’t your boyfriend can’t test for the other guy.
14 hours is possible for oos for a multitude of reasons. Availability of mechanics, companies unable to be reached, dot specific requirements etc. is it likely? Not really but it depends on the company your bf works for.
If you can’t trust him why are you guys together? I’m married on the road and drove 3 years with my wife at home and she never once questioned me and I didn’t her. Now she rides with me as my passenger.
You can very easily have him proof himself if it’s a OOS as him or his team driver will have a OOS paper with the company information dot number name of driver potential fine and the reason they were put out of service. If it’s really just a test you need to just trust him. If you’re unable to do so then you shouldn’t be together. But the reality is most truckers do not the time or energy to cheat on their partners on the road. Life is way too busy for that out here.
Twisty12223@reddit
If you're at the point you're posting this shit on reddit just break up. Not healthy for either of you. Unless you just like drama.
masher005@reddit
She’s not asking for relationship advice… She’s going to the truckers sub Reddit to better understand trucking to make an informed decision.
Pur3k0912@reddit
His point is if there is so much distrust then the relationship is already broken.
Jermaphobe456@reddit
But reddit always has the answers!!! /s
t0ke-400@reddit
😂
fartspatula@reddit
He’s definitely lying if he says he passed middle school reading and writing /s .. on a serious note, I did have a buddy put OOS (out of service) for not having his air brake endorsement. It ended up being BS, he did have it but California DMV removed it somehow, so he had to go back home and resolve it. Not sure if this is the same issue, but I have heard of something similar.
driver004@reddit
That’s some wacky tabaccy. Does California have a specific endorsement for air brakes? Unless I’m totally misremembering my state doesn’t have a endorsement, they just issue a restriction on your license if you don’t have air brakes, kinda like the automatic restriction
Big_Daddy_Trucking89@reddit
Yea we don’t get retested for our cdl on the road. You can be put out of service for safety violations/mechanical failure until it’s fixed but you’re not taking an air brake test at a dot stop like you’re getting your cdl 😂 he doin something sneaky
Riyeko@reddit
You can most certainly take an air brake test or be instructed to do so my highway patrol during a dot stop.
driver004@reddit
Unless your meaning testing the function of your brakes, how do you figure? I’ve literally never heard of being issued some remedial written test
driver004@reddit
Oi! Driver! Arizona DOT, how do you chain up in Wyoming?
Organic-Sun-3244@reddit
This whole text he sent you is laughably stupid. Big difference in can leave and can't leave..if he can leave he is free to go. If he can't leave he has to stay where he is. His friend can't (can not) drive a tractor trailer or nothing with air brakes with passing the basic skills test under state rules. There is more I want to say but I doubt very seriously you will comprehend (understand) what my self and others here are telling you. Get your education pass basic. Move on with your life.
Redeuce1952@reddit
Why don’t you just call him instead of texting. He’s on a 14 hour break. Duh.
fredbear1964@reddit
You should ask his other girlfriend or side piece this question !
Organic-Sun-3244@reddit
Young lady... at damn near 63 years old and a current CDL holder, and retired cop, you are in trouble. First you need to learn more about DOT/FMCSA rules on commercial driving. What type of vehicle is he driving?? What kind of truck What type of trailer? Now Passing a DOT test...if he is on the truck with his partner, they both should already be qualified to drive on the interstate. Learn the rules...Learn the rules ....reading is fundamental in life. If you are having these issues because either you dont understand whats going on, or dont like him being gone, your relationship is already in jeopardy. Please re-read your post because I am sure I'm not the only one looking at this as a WHAT Situation???
East_Indication_7816@reddit
what a BS like some story created by someone high on weed or something. Is your boyfriend suffering from psychosis and with an imaginary person ?
MealPerfect6558@reddit (OP)
lol he does smoke a lot
navlgazer9@reddit
Well he won’t have his CDL too long then .
How did he pass the drug test ? It stays on your blood for weeks .
Some companies do hair tests and that is detectable for nearly a year after smoking .
WHODUNNITT303@reddit
Yep my company hair and urine test randomly, I’ve gotten 2 tests within a 90 day span before
East_Indication_7816@reddit
Been driving for a year, I have yet to see someone, including me to be pulled over by DOT. 5% you can get inspected at weigh stations but 90% of the time those weigh stations are closed. So really being inspected is rare. And nobody takes tests once you already got your CDL
greedybanker3@reddit
yes that is true.
Bigbadsmurf@reddit
The kind of girlfriends that adds stress exactly when its least needed.
Instead of support at a low moment. She puts on more shit on him.
Hell nau. I'd drop that on a dime.
MealPerfect6558@reddit (OP)
Haven’t said anything to him yet…so he’s not stressed. That’s the whole point t of asking for a second opinion…to not look like a dumb azz. And also you don’t know my whole relationship. He lies sometimes…just want to see if this is one them…lol
awhq@reddit
I'm not a trucker but if you already knows he lies to you and your suspicious when he gives you a story like this, you need to move on.
Liars don't stop lying.
When someone lies to you, it shows they don't respect you and don't care about your feelings. They only care that they can do and get what THEY want.
So whether he's lying this time or not, I'd seriously think about ending this relationship. No one needs this drama in their lives.
ares_cdl@reddit
He doesn't want to come home. From your post I can understand why
Wrong-Possibility-95@reddit
You don’t have his location? You are a rare breed
navlgazer9@reddit
Some of these chicks would lose their mind being married to a trucker in the old days .
No cell phones etc
When I started driving I called home on Wednesday and Sunday between 7 and 8 PM
Acrobatic_Ocelot_461@reddit
Always made sure I was at a truck stop between 7 and 8.
navlgazer9@reddit
And getting a “non subscriber calling card “from AT&T was a giant pain in the neck
I didn’t have a house I lived in the truck and had no family with a landline I could use to get a card attached to their landline
Only family can had was a uncle who was a game warden but he lived in a house owned by the state game and fish department so he didn’t could not add me to his landline
L0quence@reddit
lol they don’t build em like they used to
Sufficient_Wall5192@reddit
My wife uses mine location to see which jail or hospital I may be at. Other than that she never checks up on me.
navlgazer9@reddit
Yeah . I travel solo to a lot of job sites and most days I never know which site I’m going to until that morning , and sometimes hit different sites in a day . If I croak from A heart attack at least she can find the body .
We got no secrets , I know the passcode to her phone and she knows mine .
Existing_Inside5200@reddit
I'm a woman and wouldn't ask for location from a significant other. Me and my kids are on Life360 but that's only because I'm a female OTR solo driver and they wanted to make sure I wasn't getting murdered... But If I don't trust you enough to where I feel you need a tracker, I already have my gut telling me what I need to do... Sharing locations like that is dumb as hell
navlgazer9@reddit
I have my location visible to my family and I just do local work. Home every night .
Cracka56@reddit
You didn’t have to tell us you’re a women btw, it’s obvious when you think tracking is only based on trustworthiness(or lack of) .
Rare_Indication_3811@reddit
What are you talking about? From this side “I have my gut telling me” you look for attention too hard. Like there is not enough women looking for their husband, or people overall missing significant other on trucker websites already. You dont believe guy cant get murdered on the road? Wake up
Brilliant-Machine-22@reddit
I always know my husband was doing whatever he needed to do to get home to me every time. Out of all the things he might lie about... getting home was never the real issue. If you are worried he doesnt want to come home then you can either just get used to that (some truckers love to stay on the road) or move on. The stress of a battle you can't win is too much to live in day in and day out forever. Men do exactly what they want to do.
remembenohorny@reddit
He's full of shit, this story is made up by someone who just recently got their CDL.
He's acting as though the driver is getting another CDL test. This doesn't happen at weigh stations. If he got put out of service for fault brakes or an air leak it would be believable, but that's not what he said in the text
Might as well dump him now.
Electrical_Boat_8823@reddit
I’ve only been driving 3 years, and I have only had level 2&3 inspections. I have not done an air brakes test for an officer since I took my CDL exam. Also a “14 hr cooldown” sounds like complete BS
AnxiousReference8966@reddit
They’re at the tiddy bar
SauceOfPudding@reddit
[ Removed by Reddit ]
Honch777@reddit
It's probably you.
MealPerfect6558@reddit (OP)
Hahaha…yeah I posted this to see how crazy I actually am
Jasonunlimited@reddit
Don’t listen to crap like that, you’re not crazy. Lying isn’t acceptable no matter his reasons. I think it’s nice of you that you’re trying to give him a fair shake by double checking but it is a red flag that you had to in the first place.
ParticularArrival111@reddit
This post hurts my brain.
unftp-0@reddit
I thought I was the only one
Fair-Recognition8245@reddit
What do you mean? “They can go until he get a pass”
garr0510@reddit
I haven't been driving for terribly long 4 years I've been pulled in by one weigh station. And don't remember a air brake test. They check the truck over sure lights horn fuel caps etc. And if your missing something or something is wrong they will give you documentation on what needs to be fixed. So there's that. no paperwork probably no test. I would also think that 10hrs is the reset not 14. As that is how much time I have to be off duty before I get a fresh 14hrs of drive time. Now if they got pulled in and the air line was noticeably leaking and the inspector heard it maybe. But there still should still be documentation just like if you were to get pulled over by a regular police officer and got a citation
FightingFlaresandNF2@reddit
Umm scales will shut you down and put you OoS until said violation is fixed! So time isn’t it. The only time they say you are OoS for 10 hours when your log book isn’t current. In 2008 I got poped in Florida on A1 . There was 6 trucks in front of me & 5 behind me. We were going through AG station and the weigh station was closed cause they both were together in the middle! This officer comes from other side and jumps out cruiser in front of truck to pull to side. She was wicked and bad attitude. Told me to shut the f up I had nothing to say. I would’ve sworn her husband cheated on her with a white girl or maybe I looked like a woman her husband cheated on her. She was angry. All I was trying to be honest that my log book was 5 days behind but I spent 3 days in Lakeland Fl and 1 day in Jacksonville and I was heading to Albany GA!
garr0510@reddit
Yeah I use digital logs so no problem there company driver touch freight. They gave me a piece of paper for missing a fuel cap luckily it was empty on that side and let me go after the rest of the rigamorow all I know is I have to be logged off for 10hrs after I work a shift.
FightingFlaresandNF2@reddit
When paper log books were a thing I never was one to keep multiple books because as a true blonde I get confused easily. Also if I was ever knocked unconscious and then had to go to court I rather the DA say she had no log book instead hand 3 log books to the jury and say you figure out which one is correct. Yes I was popped 5 times!
JOliverScott@reddit
Something doesn't add up - either he isn't explaining well the situation or maybe he is b.s.-ing to hide something else. Drivers don't just get halfway down the road and then suddenly don't have their air brake endorsement and you can't just test for it at the weigh station, the driver would be taken out of service and have to find a non-CMV way home to go to the license branch and test for it, THEN probably have to go back through ALL the CDL tests because they'd have to demonstrate proficiency in the air brake inspection, operation, etc. now if it's the vehicle that is having some air brake issue that is causing it to fail an inspection, again that's not something you can just 'try again tomorrow' - the vehicle would be put out of service and it would be illegal to be operated until the defect is repaired. This would necessitate a tow or an onsite service repair, both of which are expensive, and once it's been repaired and certified then they may be expected to report back to the weigh station officials to confirm before being allowed to proceed on.
redguy4545@reddit
He may be cheating on u with the driver.
Tapcofucked@reddit
Reminds me of the time I parked the truck and took my student to a whorehouse in Los Algodones MX. You park at the casino on the US side and walk across the border into LA. A few hours go by, we are chillin, having some tacos and beers when his phone starts BLOWING up.😂. Student had shared is location 24/7 with his wife who was back home with two little kids. She wasn’t amused at all even after I spoke to her and assured her that her husband was being a good boy. She calls corporate the next day demanding my head. Corporate laughed at her.
firemarshalbill316@reddit
What kind of question is this?
If there is any doubt there is no doubt. Nothing anyone here says for or against is going to help you. You've already made up your mind by asking on social media.
Execute your plan and move on.
And make sure it isn't your BS he's not wanting to come home to. Always self check to make sure you are doing the right thing first.
DANO8503@reddit
Best answer here.
KingNebyula@reddit
Girl leave that man alone, you’re too much
navlgazer9@reddit
Of all the stuff to lie about , this is weird .
Had a flat tire
Had to wait to get loaded
Etc
vlkzig@reddit
The only break test he's doing is testing a break from your relationship.
Electronic_Cod7202@reddit
It's believable if it's all that stuff and permits...
DriftingOnWater@reddit
Vegas baby!!!
CakewalkNOLA@reddit
Snitch
synsolo86@reddit
LMFAOOOO
DriftingOnWater@reddit
🤣🤣🤣
Eh anyone with a "low IQ" can figure it out. But most likely it's not Vegas.
TRUMPTRAINFOLIFE@reddit
If you have to ask this on Reddit you should probably consider why you are with him. Trust is the foundation of a good relationship and you evidently have none.
Gonzotrucker1@reddit
They are probably playing a game of cornhole, and don’t want the game to end.
aczoz@reddit
No. He's cheating on you.
General-Grievance@reddit
Idk I'm gonna need someone to translate whatever that was into English before I go any further.
Revival-Waters@reddit
Hes lieing.
xDoomKitty@reddit
Id be more concerned with him not being on the guys insurance. Is he just a helper that rides around with the guy or what?
MealPerfect6558@reddit (OP)
He just met the guy a few days ago. He said he’s helping him with hauling cars from Mexicali to Arizona. I doubt if he is on his insurance. According to him, I think he’s just helping him load and unload cars. My boyfriend does have his CDL though. Just thought maybe as a licensed driver he too could “pass the air breaks test”, but idk, maybe he couldn’t do that if he wasn’t on the insurance. But the waiting 14 hour thing seems very strange to me.
xDoomKitty@reddit
Welp, either 2 things. He's lying or not understanding whats going on. Considering he's a newbie, id lean towards the second one. Just ask him to explain it like adults do when they dont understand things.
Molly8174@reddit
Just break up with him. Once you get to the point of making Reddit posts trying to get answers the relationship is way past over. You both deserve better.
everythangspeachie@reddit
Idk what the fuck you guys are talking about, we don’t get brake tested by DOT
Lefoy87@reddit
Sounds like he's the only one who knows because it kind of makes sense but not really.
you fail inspection and get it fixed before you roll. The repairs could take awhile and hit or miss if it's roadworthy i guess. That could be a wait.
The way you worded it sounds like they're taking a csl test.
They could have gotten a repair and have to wait for the appropriate officer to release them off an out of service order because of their location and circumstances.
All in all it sounds like a misunderstanding and or miscommunication.
Time will tell all sweetheart. Don't stress just let it be. Life is short so enjoy your time.
MealPerfect6558@reddit (OP)
Thank you! Not a misunderstanding. He actually texted me this. Im quoting…he wrote “they have to wait 14 hours and then he gets two more tries”.
Lefoy87@reddit
Just let it be. He'll probably explain it later on. You'll know them if he's telling a lie.
Lefoy87@reddit
That sounds more like a CDL test not dot inspection.
Vegetable_Plant2214@reddit
Yeah hes lying. And he obviously thinks you are really dumb because it isnt even a good lie
Free-Juggernaut-9372@reddit
They should have paperwork from DOT. If they were stopped and placed out if service pending a test, they should have citations or inspection reports.
MealPerfect6558@reddit (OP)
Good to know
CapitanPino@reddit
Lol
kane_eightee@reddit
He’s lying.
If you fail a DOT inspection for equipment purposes, you’re only OOS (out of service) until it’s fixed. If you’re OOS for a logbook violation, THAT’S when they can shut you down for a full ten hours.
Your bf either has a shitty “trainer” (in quotes bc they done train shit) or he’s lying to you.
Kruten10@reddit
🤣🤣
Break_Street@reddit
bruh