Dodge33
Well-Known Member
My brother and I left at 11pm for Carlisle, last Monday night and everything was great even through all of Ohio, then we stopped in Eastern Ohio at a service plaza, and parked the rig from 3:45am till 6:20am for some rest. Then we started out again about 6:30am (we were on I-76 and then on I-80 into PA) and this is where it get's somewhat interesting. After crossing the PA state line, and an hour later, I am going down a steep hill with a nice curve leading to the left, and had switched into the fast lane because of a cop had a person pulled over on the right, and as we were going by, I had noticed the cop hurrying back to his car, (mind you, I was only driving 55-60 mph) and as I continued on, I noticed he was hot on my trail, so I'm thinking WTF is going on, and he followed me for 15 miles, before he
red & blue lighted me, so I went up the next hill, maybe a 100 yards, and pulled over. He came part way up to me, and I stuck my head out the window, and asked "whats the issue" and he replied, Drivers license, insurance and registration? So I ask again, whats the problem, and he say's, faulty equipment, and we are going to do a federal inspection on the vehicle and the trailer. Mind you....... by this time, I'm POed, and we are waiting for him to return, and as I'm looking back in my rear view mirror, here come's the FED Motor Carrier, he comes to the vehicle, and ask me to come to the rear of the trailer. He then proceeds to question me, about everything ( even tried to railroad me a few times, and give him an answer he was looking for!) He checked all the lights, emergency lights, turn signals, hitch, torsion equalizer bars, etc, etc. He claimed my hauler and trailer were over the maximum weight, but I mentioned him to scale me, and it went right over his head. So...... after 2.5 hours on the shoulder of the road, he came to our hauler, and cited us for being overweight, hauler & trailer, a small crack in the windshield, for being over the PA max weight of 10K, no breakaway switch on the trailer, and for no inspections (once you hit the PA state lines) and said we were a commercial vehicle, and for not having a log book. The FMC said they are looking very closely at all trailers, open, enclosed, or what have you, for any volations, faulty equipment, overweight, etc. so be very carful out there.
So, after a great Carlisle show we had, now I have already called the PA courts, and have well over 500.00 of fines to be paid to them, and also sales tax due in the near future. Also,
when we got to Carlisle, we did talk to some people from the state of PA, and they did tell us, that the State of Pennsylvania is basically broke, and they are looking for anything illegal, to make a buck on. IMO, it just is not fair, with all the other problems in this world that need to be addressed! With all this, my brother and I are really considering, not ever going back to Carlisle again, as myself and him just do not need to deal with this kind of matter, after my 23YO son passed away from cancer, and both of us are still dealing with the grieving. I hope I have shed a little light on hauling parts on an open trailer, as they did not like it anyway. I was born here in the USA, and thought this was a free country, guess not, feels more like communism. Take care everybody! Dodge33
red & blue lighted me, so I went up the next hill, maybe a 100 yards, and pulled over. He came part way up to me, and I stuck my head out the window, and asked "whats the issue" and he replied, Drivers license, insurance and registration? So I ask again, whats the problem, and he say's, faulty equipment, and we are going to do a federal inspection on the vehicle and the trailer. Mind you....... by this time, I'm POed, and we are waiting for him to return, and as I'm looking back in my rear view mirror, here come's the FED Motor Carrier, he comes to the vehicle, and ask me to come to the rear of the trailer. He then proceeds to question me, about everything ( even tried to railroad me a few times, and give him an answer he was looking for!) He checked all the lights, emergency lights, turn signals, hitch, torsion equalizer bars, etc, etc. He claimed my hauler and trailer were over the maximum weight, but I mentioned him to scale me, and it went right over his head. So...... after 2.5 hours on the shoulder of the road, he came to our hauler, and cited us for being overweight, hauler & trailer, a small crack in the windshield, for being over the PA max weight of 10K, no breakaway switch on the trailer, and for no inspections (once you hit the PA state lines) and said we were a commercial vehicle, and for not having a log book. The FMC said they are looking very closely at all trailers, open, enclosed, or what have you, for any volations, faulty equipment, overweight, etc. so be very carful out there.
So, after a great Carlisle show we had, now I have already called the PA courts, and have well over 500.00 of fines to be paid to them, and also sales tax due in the near future. Also,
when we got to Carlisle, we did talk to some people from the state of PA, and they did tell us, that the State of Pennsylvania is basically broke, and they are looking for anything illegal, to make a buck on. IMO, it just is not fair, with all the other problems in this world that need to be addressed! With all this, my brother and I are really considering, not ever going back to Carlisle again, as myself and him just do not need to deal with this kind of matter, after my 23YO son passed away from cancer, and both of us are still dealing with the grieving. I hope I have shed a little light on hauling parts on an open trailer, as they did not like it anyway. I was born here in the USA, and thought this was a free country, guess not, feels more like communism. Take care everybody! Dodge33
