Reflective tape madness
 

I got written up today for the second time in 2 months due to lack of reflective tape on the rig. The first time it happened in Michigan when the cop didn't like my mudflap hangars. Now I got stopped in South Dakota and the cop surprised me by saying I need "at least 24 feet of reflective tape on each side of the trailer." My trailer came from the plant with all the required tape but after the Conestoga was installed it was no longer visible. So now I have to add tape to the bottom of the frame and the front and the rear sides of my step. I got a 'warning' only (Level 2 'walk-around' inspection) and it carried no points since CSA 2010 is not in effect yet. What I'm wondering is why Cop #1 from Michigan who gave me a warning for having no tape on the mudflap hangars never said a word about the sides of the trailer? I mean, he noticed the absence of 2 feet of reflective tape on the mudflaps but failed to notice the absence of 24 feet of tape on the trailer?! Or did he do it on purpose so I can be stopped again and given another ticket?

I didn't think that you needed mud flaps or reflective tape on the mud flaps unless you were bobtailing.. :smokin:

That's what I was thinking.. :smokin:

I got written up for no reflective tape on my mupflaps too and my lawyer got it dismissed because I was not bobtailing, plus my mudflaps have reflective writing on them........ and maybe the reflective tape on the trailer isn't a USDOT thing, maybe it was just required in THAT state?

393.11 thru 393.13 covers reflective devices. Doesn't matter if you're bobtailing or not. I would really like to see a ticket that was dis-missed for required equipment.

Tracer....sometimes cops miss things, he was giving you a break or he might have figured the trailer was ok. There was another guy here that got busted for tape on the trailer a while back. I think he was hauling the Big Dog motorcycles.

No, there was a reference to the Federal Safety Regulations ... the green book? After that incident I started paying close attention to other RollTights and Conestogas on the road and some of them do have reflective tape at the bottom of the frame. As for the reflective tape on the mudflap hangars I too think it's a b/s requirement. I drove my truck from April 2007 to July 2010 without them PULLING A TRAILER and no one got hurt. It was only in July 2010 that a far-sighted Michigan DOT cop stopped me 3 miles from IN border on I-69 and decided I had a violation.

Well, the law is the law, and it doesn't really matter, if you think it's stupid. (A lot of times it is). BTW Warning, or not, it's going to be on your CSA record....

He is correct, It will be on there...... and I know the EXACT cop in Michigan you are talking about. I drove out of the Wal-Mart in Coldwater for a few years and had several run in's with the officer. There used to be a female bear too that worked that area from the 10mm to the state line. They love picking on the Canadian trucks :)

That's where you're mistaken. CSA is not in effect yet. I asked the officer if maybe I should opt for the $175 fine instead of the warning, and he said I wasn't getting any points. It's still just a warning. I bought the tape, installed it and emailed a copy of the receipt to Landstar and that's that.