ON THE ROAD
15 Authentic Dialogues from the World of Commercial Trucking
Featuring CDL Drivers, CHP Officers, and Truck Stop Personnel
California Highways and Truck Stops
Introduction
The following dialogues represent authentic conversations drawn from the day-to-day working lives of commercial truck drivers holding Class A CDL licenses, California Highway Patrol commercial vehicle enforcement officers, and the support personnel who keep America’s freight moving. Every exchange reflects real terminology, federal and California-specific regulations, industry culture, and the unwritten codes of professionalism that define the trucking community.
Regulatory references throughout these dialogues align with 49 CFR (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations), California Vehicle Code, and California Code of Regulations Title 13, as well as FMCSA Hours of Service rules current as of 2024-2025.
Dialogue 1 — Two Truckers at a Fuel Island
Location: Loves Travel Stop, Barstow, CA — Fuel Island, 11:45 p.m.
Setting: Mike Delgado (Peterbilt 389, refrigerated produce) pulls alongside Dave Kowalczyk (Kenworth W900, dry van) at the diesel pumps. Both have been on the road since early morning.
Mike: Hey, how you doing tonight? You just rolled in off the 15?
Dave: Yeah, yeah — all the way from North Las Vegas, left the yard at noon. Felt like I was moving through mud the whole way. You got CalTrans doing lane closures through Baker, then those idiots in four-wheelers trying to merge at the last second. Thought I was gonna have to put somebody into the center divider.
Mike: Ha. I hear that. Was the inspection station at Primm backed up? I’m heading eastbound here in a couple hours and I’m always checking weight at Barstow scale first.
Dave: Oh, Primm was a mess. I sat there 45 minutes, and that was with PrePass green. They were pulling everybody in for secondary for a while — I think they had a K-9 unit out there too. Drug interdiction thing going on. I got waved through after the full walkaround, but the guy behind me in the drop-frame step-deck got torn apart for two hours.
Mike: No kidding. I’m running refrigerated — strawberries and spring mix out of Salinas. Got a delivery window in Phoenix at 0600. Reefer’s been holding temp — I got it set at 34 degrees on a low-humidity setting, everything’s good — but I can’t afford a two-hour inspection blitz.
Dave: What are you loaded to?
Mike: Running 78,200. Legal across all axles, just tight. Steer’s at 11,400, drives at 33,600, trailer tandem at 33,200. Ran over the CAT scale here before I fueled just to confirm.
Dave: You’re clean then. I wouldn’t sweat Primm as long as your paperwork’s straight. Speaking of which — I heard on Channel 19 coming through Baker that CHP has got a portable scale set up on the eastbound shoulder past the 15/40 interchange. Overweight enforcement, not the main station. Some guys were getting cited out there tonight.
Mike: Appreciate the heads up. I’m legal but I don’t want the stop time. I’ve got maybe four hours left on my 11 before I hit my mandatory 10-hour break, and I want to be past Kingman before I stop.
Dave: Makes sense. You running ELD?
Mike: Yeah, KeepTruckin. You?
Dave: Same. I used paper for sixteen years and I still don’t like ELD, but at least it keeps the carriers off my back about HOS. My old company used to call me every hour asking where I was. Now they just stare at the screen.
Mike: Ha! That’s the truth. Alright, I need to grab a coffee and check my reefer fuel before I get back in it. You heading north or staying on 40?
Dave: I’m gonna grab a bunk here for the night. Got a 10-hour reset coming due anyway and I’ve already done 620 miles today. Running Flagstaff tomorrow morning then swinging south to Tucson.
Mike: Good deal. Get some rest. Keep the shiny side up, brother.
Dave: You too. Watch for deer past Needles — I’ve seen three of ’em in the past month on that stretch.
Dialogue 2 — CHP Level I Inspection at a Weigh Station
Location: CHP Inspection Facility, Lebec, CA — I-5 Southbound, 7:20 a.m.
Setting: Officer Maria Reyes signals driver Rafael Torres — pulling a 53-foot dry van loaded with automotive parts — into the secondary inspection lane. This is a full Level I inspection.
Officer Reyes: Good morning. Go ahead and shut it down and step out for me. I’ll need your CDL, medical examiner’s certificate, registration for the tractor, current registration for the trailer, your ELD or logbook for the last eight days, and your bill of lading.
Torres: Yes, ma’am. Good morning. Here’s everything — CDL is Class A with hazmat and tanker endorsements, medical card is current through March of next year. Registration for the tractor is here, trailer reg is in this sleeve. ELD is a Samsara unit — I’ll pull up the last eight days right now on the driver display.
Officer Reyes: Thank you. I see a tanker endorsement on here. Do you have any liquid loads today?
Torres: No ma’am, dry van today. Automotive parts — stampings and body panels going to a distribution center in Compton. No hazardous materials, no liquids. Bill of lading shows the commodity and the shipper — came out of a plant in Sacramento.
Officer Reyes: Alright. I’m going to review your ELD data. On the display here, I’m showing you’ve been on duty since 5:45 this morning. What time did you start your pre-trip?
Torres: Yes ma’am — I logged on-duty at 5:45, completed my pre-trip inspection at the yard. I went to driving status at 6:10 when I pulled out of the Sacramento terminal. That gives me roughly one hour and ten minutes of driving time so far today.
Officer Reyes: Your records look clean. I’m showing a full 10-hour break ending at 5:45 and your 70-hour clock shows you’ve got… 41 hours available. No violations flagged. Now I’m going to walk around the unit. Step down and follow me to the rear.
Torres: Yes ma’am.
Officer Reyes conducts a systematic walkaround, checking tires, lights, brakes, and coupling devices. Torres accompanies her.
Officer Reyes: Go ahead and key it up — I want to see brake lights and turn signals. Left signal first.
Torres: Left signal on.
Officer Reyes: Good. Right signal.
Torres: Right signal on.
Officer Reyes: Good. Brake lights.
Torres: Brake lights on now.
Officer Reyes: Okay. Kill everything for a sec. I want to look at your brake adjustment on the trailer axles. Pop the glad hands loose on your service line for me — I’m going to check the stroke on your S-cams.
Torres: Sure thing. Let me pull the line. You want me to chock the trailer?
Officer Reyes: Already got it chocked. I need you to release your parking brake — just the trailer brake — while I check the pushrod stroke on the driver’s side rear axle. Step up in the cab and release when I say go.
Torres: Ready when you are.
Officer Reyes: Go.
Torres releases the trailer brake. Officer Reyes measures pushrod stroke with a ruler.
Officer Reyes: Good — you’re within adjustment on that axle. Set it back. I’m seeing some surface rust on the outside of the brake drum on your rear trailer axle but no heat cracking — I’ll note it but it’s not an out-of-service condition. How old are those brake shoes?
Torres: They were replaced at our last PM, which was about 18,000 miles ago. We’re on a 25,000-mile PM cycle at our company.
Officer Reyes: Okay. Your fifth wheel looks good — locking jaws are engaged, no lateral movement I can detect. Kingpin is secure. I’m going to run your USDOT number through the system and then you should be good to go.
Officer Reyes radios dispatch and waits approximately four minutes.
Officer Reyes: Your carrier is satisfactory — no out-of-service orders, insurance is current, operating authority is good. I’m not going to cite anything today. You’re clean. Drive safe — the Grapevine has some wind advisories in effect this morning, so watch for crosswind gusts on the summit.
Torres: Thank you, officer. I appreciate the thorough check. Better to know everything’s right than to find out the hard way. Have a good one.
Dialogue 3 — Trucker at the Fuel Desk
Location: Pilot Flying J, Buttonwillow, CA — Fuel Desk, 2:15 p.m.
Setting: Ray Hutchinson, an owner-operator running under a small fleet authority, needs to resolve a fuel billing issue, get a CAT scale recheck, and potentially redistribute his load before continuing south on I-5.
Ray: Hey there, how you doing? I need fuel on position 7 — it’s gonna be about 180 gallons of diesel and I’ll need DEF too, probably 8 or 9 gallons. But before you open the pump, I got a situation I need to talk through.
Jenny (Attendant): Sure, what’s going on?
Ray: I ran the CAT scale on my way in and came in at 80,400 gross. Legal limit’s 80,000 on the interstate. I’ve got a legal tandem spread — 40 feet — so I’m good on bridge law, but I’m 400 pounds over gross. I need to either shift the load or get back on scale after I dump some of that weight somehow.
Jenny: Well, we’ve got a dock at the back — Bay 3 is open. You’d have to talk to our manager, Dale, about using it. He’s usually pretty accommodating for drivers who need to redistribute. You want me to get him on the radio?
Ray: Yeah, please. Because here’s my dilemma — it’s a palletized load of tile, heavy stuff, and my broker is telling me the shipper said it was 78,500 pounds. So either the shipper miscounted pallets, or somebody miscalculated the weight certificate. I’ve been in this situation before and it’s never fun.
Jenny: I’ve heard that one a few times. Let me get Dale. And you said position 7 for fuel — you got a fleet card?
Ray: Yeah, EFS card. Consolidated account under Hutchinson Transport, DOT number 3847261. PIN is on the card. And can you run my PRO card too for the points? I’m about 200 gallons away from my next tier on fuel rewards.
Jenny: Got it. I’ll pull up the account. EFS cards sometimes take a minute if the server’s slow — Tuesdays are usually fine though. Do you want the DEF handled on the same transaction?
Ray: Please. And I need a receipt that itemizes diesel and DEF separately — my accountant is picky about that for IFTA purposes.
Jenny: I can do that, no problem. I’ll split the transaction so you get two line items. And the CAT scale recheck — if you come in legal after the redistribution, your recheck is $2.00. Initial weigh was $12.50.
Ray: Understood. And hey — real quick — is there a truck wash here? My unit is embarrassing right now after two days through the Central Valley dust.
Jenny: We’ve got a touchless bay around the side. It’s $45 for a full rig with trailer rinse, or $25 for the tractor only. Dale can add it to your ticket if you want.
Ray: Let’s do the full rig. If I’m gonna sit here for an hour while we sort the weight out, might as well look presentable pulling into L.A. You mentioned a manager — is Dale the one who can also tell me if your showers are on a wait?
Jenny: I’ll ask him when I radio. We’ve had six guys check in for showers in the last hour so there might be a short wait — probably 20 minutes, but I’ll check. You want a shower reserved?
Ray: Please, yeah. I’ve been behind the wheel since Stockton. Alright, let me go park at the dock and see what we can do about this weight situation. Thanks for working with me on all this.
Jenny: That’s what we’re here for. I’ll have Dale meet you at Bay 3 in about five minutes.
Dialogue 4 — Two Truckers on CB Radio, Channel 19
Location: I-5 Northbound, Near Coalinga, CA — Moving Traffic, 9:40 p.m.
Setting: Two experienced drivers use CB radio to share road intelligence heading toward the Bay Area. Road handles are used throughout.
Lone Star: Breaker 1-9, this is Lone Star northbound on the 5, just passed the Coalinga cutoff at the 198. Anybody got fresh eyes on the Pacheco Pass or the 152 situation tonight? Come on back.
Desert Fox: Yeah Lone Star, Desert Fox here. I came over the 152 westbound about two hours ago. There was construction flagging at the top of the pass — one lane through, pilot car operation. At that hour it wasn’t bad, maybe a 12-minute wait. But the fog was coming in thick off the reservoir. You got a double or anything wide?
Lone Star: Negative, I’m pulling a 53-foot refer. Running 78,000 legal. Just don’t want to get caught behind a wide load on that grade — she gets squirrelly when I’m loaded heavy and slow-moving.
Desert Fox: You’ll be fine. No wide loads flagged out there tonight last I heard. Watch your speed on the downgrade on the west side though — I passed a parking lot of a truck that had cooked his brakes about six miles down the west face. Looked like he’d been there a while. CHP was on scene, didn’t look like anybody got hurt, but it was a reminder. That grade sneaks up on you if you’re riding the pedal.
Lone Star: Copy that. Good reminder. I always take it down a gear or two before I think I need to. Better to engine brake than to cook the shoes. What about Altamont? Any trouble getting into the Bay tonight?
Desert Fox: I can’t tell you about Altamont tonight specifically, but I can tell you that the 580 out of Tracy has been ugly all week. If you can go 205 to 580 you might save yourself some grief. There was a Sig Alert earlier around the Dublin grade — I don’t know if it’s cleared. You got satellite weather or XM traffic?
Lone Star: Got XM traffic but it’s been garbage this trip — keeps showing me construction that ended two weeks ago. I’ve been riding the CB and calling my dispatcher for live info.
Desert Fox: Ha — that’s about right. XM is better than nothing but don’t stake your appointment time on it. Hey, speaking of — you got a bear working the 33 north of Coalinga? I heard something about a lot lizard sting operation at that Petro up there.
Lone Star: Don’t know anything about that. I stopped at the TA down at the 41 a few hours ago and it was quiet. Just a couple of flatbeds and a team from Werner eating dinner.
Desert Fox: 10-4. Hey, what’s your load? You said reefer.
Lone Star: Refrigerated produce — garlic out of Gilroy, going back the other direction — wait, I’m confused. I’m actually southbound. I mixed myself up.
Desert Fox: Ha! You been driving too long tonight, brother.
Lone Star: Man, you’re not wrong. I’ve been at it since 4 a.m. I need coffee bad. Alright, I’m gonna pit at the next Loves and get myself sorted before I start giving people wrong directions on the CB. Thanks for the info, Desert Fox. You keep it between the ditches.
Desert Fox: Back at you. Be safe out there, Lone Star. Keep the rubber side down. Out.
Dialogue 5 — CHP Traffic Break on the Grapevine
Location: I-5 Northbound, Tejon Pass (“The Grapevine”), CA — Summit Area, 6:15 a.m.
Setting: CHP Officer Brian Daniels performs a traffic break ahead of a debris field. He coordinates with lead truck driver Jim Kowalski, a 28-year veteran owner-operator.
Officer Daniels: Sir, I’m executing a traffic break. I need you to slow your vehicle to 20 miles per hour and stay behind my patrol unit. Do not attempt to pass.
Kowalski: Copy that, officer. Slowing to 20. What are we looking at up there?
Officer Daniels: There’s a retread blowout scattered across both lanes about three-quarters of a mile ahead. We also have a section of steel banding — looks like load securement off a flatbed — lying across the number one lane. Caltrans is two minutes out. I need you to hold position and keep traffic behind you.
Kowalski: Understood. You want me to activate my four-ways and get on the CB to slow down the guys behind me?
Officer Daniels: Please do. And if you can key up Channel 19 and let northbound traffic know there’s a traffic break in progress, that would help. We’ve got about nine trucks and a dozen four-wheelers stacked up behind you.
Kowalski: On it. — Breaker 1-9, this is Northbound 5 at the Grapevine summit, we’ve got a CHP traffic break in progress. Debris in the roadway — retread and steel banding across both lanes. Slow it down now, traffic break is live. Give everybody room.
Several acknowledgments come back over the CB. Kowalski reports to Officer Daniels.
Kowalski: Channel 19 is alerted. I’ve also got my four-ways on. You want me to angle my rig across the lane to create more of a visual block?
Officer Daniels: Negative — stay in your lane. I don’t want you blocking the shoulder in case we need emergency access. Just hold your position and keep the speed down.
Kowalski: 10-4. Hey, just so you know — the wind up here is running about 25 miles an hour out of the northwest. I’ve got an empty refer coming behind me, two back. That guy might have some stability issues at low speed with that crosswind.
Officer Daniels: Good info. I’ll radio back and have someone go check on him. What’s the handle of the rig two back?
Kowalski: Don’t know him personally, but his tractor is white — looks like a Freightliner Cascadia, Swift livery. Yellow trailer.
Officer Daniels: I see him. Looks stable for now. Caltrans is just pulling up to the debris field. Shouldn’t be long.
Caltrans clears the debris in approximately eight minutes. Officer Daniels returns.
Officer Daniels: Alright, sir, we’re clear. You can resume normal speed — but take it easy through the debris area, there may be small fragments still on the shoulder. The steel banding is in the truck — the retread’s been moved.
Kowalski: Much appreciated. That stuff can blow a steer tire like nothing. Good on you guys for getting here fast.
Officer Daniels: That’s the job. Drive safe. Fog advisory is active below the grade toward Gorman — watch your following distance.
Kowalski: Always do. Thank you, officer.
Dialogue 6 — Late Night at the Truck Stop Diner
Location: Iron Skillet Restaurant, Petro Truck Stop, Buttonwillow, CA — 1:50 a.m.
Setting: Elena Vargas (22 years OTR, Western Regional) and Bob Tremblay (18 years, now running California Central Valley corridor) share a corner booth. Both are on reset breaks.
Elena: I’ll tell you, these 2 a.m. coffees are the only thing that feel honest at this time of night. Everything else is just pretending you’re somewhere normal.
Bob: Ha! That’s the most accurate thing anybody’s said to me in weeks. You doing a reset or just grabbing fuel?
Elena: Full 10-hour reset. I’ve been running since 4 yesterday morning — Medford, Oregon all the way to Shafter. Dropped a load of lumber at a framing yard, and now I’m waiting on dispatch to give me a reload out of Bakersfield in the morning.
Bob: What time’s your pickup window?
Elena: 8 to 10. Gives me a little wiggle room. What about you?
Bob: Same kind of deal. I did Fresno to the Port of Long Beach today — dropped a container of machine parts — then deadheaded back up here because dispatch had nothing coming out of the port tonight. I hate repositioning miles. Empty miles don’t pay and they still put wear on the unit.
Elena: Don’t get me started on the Port of Long Beach. I did port work for eight months about three years ago and I aged ten years in that time. The appointment windows, the chassis shortages, the reefer drop situations — it’s a whole different world.
Bob: The chassis situation has been a little better lately, but the appointment system they rolled out — you miss your window by fifteen minutes and they won’t take the container. I sat four hours last spring because the gate agent said I was seven minutes late. Seven minutes.
Elena: Seven minutes. And what do they say when you call the terminal?
Bob: They say ‘call customer service.’ And customer service says ‘call the terminal.’ You’re sitting in a parking lot that costs you $40 a day in detention fees going in circles on hold.
Elena: I had a reefer load of strawberries held up like that. Four hours. The product didn’t spoil because I had good temperature management and I was watching my reefer fuel, but the shipper was calling me every twenty minutes like I could do something about it.
Bob: People think drivers have some magic power to make terminals move. We’re at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to port operations.
Elena: Nineteen years I’ve been doing this and I still get surprised by how little people understand what the job actually involves. They think you drive a truck. They don’t think about the logbook, the HOS, the pre-trips, the weight stations, the cargo securement, the weather routing, the mechanical stuff—
Bob: The mechanical stuff is what gets me now. I used to do all my own minor maintenance — brake adjustments, glad hand seals, light fixes. Now everything’s computerized and if it throws a fault code I’ve got to get to a dealer because the ECM is locked.
Elena: Had a DEF system fault throw me into limp mode outside of Redding last month. Truck derates to 55 miles per hour and won’t go any faster. I’ve got a load of avocados going to Portland and I’m crawling up I-5 at 55 with my hazards on hoping a Peterbilt dealer has a tech available on a Sunday.
Bob: Did they?
Elena: Two hours. That was actually pretty good, I was surprised. The injector in the DEF system had crystallized. They cleaned it out, reset the code, and I was rolling. But those two hours cost me my appointment window in Portland and a dock appointment rescheduling fee.
Bob: That’s the life. You ever think about going regional? I switched about four years ago — husband’s health made OTR impractical. I missed the open road, honestly, but I needed to be home.
Elena: I’ve thought about it. My kids are grown now so that’s not the issue. I think I’d miss the distance. There’s something about crossing a state line at 3 in the morning when it’s dead quiet and the road is all yours. It sounds crazy.
Bob: It doesn’t sound crazy at all. That’s why most of us got into this to begin with.
Dialogue 7 — Hazmat Stop and Inspection
Location: CHP Hazmat Checkpoint, Highway 99 Northbound, Near Fresno, CA — 10:30 a.m.
Setting: Officer Linda Chu stops driver Marco Garza, who is transporting a Class 3 flammable liquid (industrial solvent) in a tanker trailer. This is a targeted hazmat compliance inspection.
Officer Chu: Good morning. I’m Officer Chu with CHP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement. I’m going to be conducting a hazmat inspection. Do you have hazardous materials on board today?
Garza: Good morning, yes ma’am. Placarded load — Class 3 flammable liquid. Industrial solvent, flash point of 73 degrees Fahrenheit. I’ve got my shipping papers right here, along with the SDS for the material, my CDL with hazmat endorsement, and the carrier’s current hazmat registration certificate.
Officer Chu: Thank you. Let me see the CDL first. When’s the last time you had a background check for your hazmat endorsement?
Garza: Every five years per TSA requirement. My endorsement was renewed about 22 months ago. The renewal date is printed on the card right there.
Officer Chu: Good. USDOT number?
Garza: 3094822. It’s posted on both cab doors per 49 CFR requirements.
Officer Chu: I see it. Your carrier name — let me check the operating authority. Hold on. … Okay, your registration is current. Now let’s go over your shipping papers — I need to see proper shipping name, hazard class, ID number, packing group, and the emergency response phone number.
Garza: Right here. Proper shipping name is Flammable Liquids, N.O.S. — the technical name in parentheses is Methyl Ethyl Ketone. Hazard Class 3, ID number UN 1993, Packing Group II. Emergency response number is CHEMTREC — 1-800-424-9300. That’s a 24-hour line.
Officer Chu: Good. CHEMTREC is acceptable. Now, your placards — I’m looking at your front, rear, and both sides. I see flammable placards — orange background, correct class 3 label — but I notice your tanker registration says the capacity is 6,800 gallons. At what percentage is your load today?
Garza: I’m loaded to 5,200 gallons. The remaining capacity is vapor space — we leave headroom for thermal expansion. My loading slip is in the folder here — it shows the gallons loaded, specific gravity, and the certified weight from the loading terminal in Bakersfield.
Officer Chu: Certified weight — that’s a tanker axle weight concern too. What are you running gross?
Garza: 79,400 pounds gross. Steer axle 11,800, drive tandems 33,800, trailer tandem 33,800. I ran the scale at the terminal before departure and I have the weight ticket right here.
Officer Chu: Good documentation habits. Now let me look at your route compliance. A flammable liquid load in California has routing restrictions near tunnels and certain urban areas. Walk me through your planned route.
Garza: Yes, ma’am. I’m running 99 northbound to Highway 46 west, then connecting to 101 northbound to deliver in San Luis Obispo. I’m avoiding the Caldecott Tunnel on 24, the Highway 1 coastal route which has load restrictions, and I’m not entering any restricted urban tunnel corridors. The 99 to 46 to 101 is a clear hazmat-approved route for Class 3 materials in California.
Officer Chu: Correct. And you know that as a hazmat driver you’re required to have emergency response information accessible in the cab — not just the shipping papers, but the ERG guide or equivalent.
Garza: Yes ma’am. Current ERG guide is right here in the door pocket. I also have the SDS laminated and clipped to the visor for quick access if responders need it.
Officer Chu: Good. Last question — are you familiar with the placard removal and re-attachment requirements if you make an intermediate stop and unload part of the cargo?
Garza: I have one delivery stop — the full load goes to one consignee. No partial offloads today. But yes, I understand that if the load drops below the placard threshold, the placards must be removed or changed accordingly.
Officer Chu: Alright, Mr. Garza, everything checks out. Your documentation is excellent, your routing is compliant, and your load securement on the tanker — I’ll do a quick walkround — looks proper. Have a safe trip. Make sure that CHEMTREC number is visible to your co-driver or any responder if you ever have an incident.
Garza: Always. Thank you for the thorough inspection, officer. Better to have everything checked while it’s routine.
Dialogue 8 — Mentorship at the Fuel Island
Location: Flying J, Ontario, CA — Fuel Island, 3:20 p.m.
Setting: Carlos Medina, 26, is four months into his first solo driving job after earning his CDL. He approaches veteran Loretta Washington, 54, who has 23 years of experience and is fueling her Volvo VNL at the adjacent pump.
Carlos: Excuse me — sorry to bother you. I can see you’ve been doing this a while. I’m about to take my first solo load over the Cajon Pass tomorrow morning, fully loaded, and honestly I’m a little nervous. Any advice?
Loretta: Cajon Pass? What are you loaded to?
Carlos: Just under 78,000. It’s a general freight load — mixed pallets, nothing fragile. 53-foot dry van.
Loretta: Okay. And what are you driving?
Carlos: A 2019 Freightliner Cascadia. 18-speed Eaton manual.
Loretta: Manual? Good. At least you’ll have full control. Automatics on that grade make some guys lazy. Alright, first thing — what time are you planning to go through?
Carlos: I was thinking maybe 5 or 6 in the morning to beat the traffic.
Loretta: That’s smart. The Cajon is much better before the four-wheeler commute hits, around 7 or 8. But even at 5 a.m. — check your brakes before you ever touch the descent. I mean a full, real brake check. Not a glance in the mirror. At the summit, find a spot and apply your brakes hard from about 5 miles per hour. You want to feel them grab evenly, you want the pedal to feel solid, and you want to make sure your trailer brakes are engaging proportionally with your tractor brakes.
Carlos: How do I know if the trailer brakes are working right?
Loretta: Get out and put your hand on the brake drums after a hard stop from 5 mph. Every drum should feel warm, not just the tractor drives. If the trailer drums are cold and the tractor drums are hot, your trailer brakes aren’t doing their share and your tractor brakes are going to overheat on the grade. It happens more than you’d think.
Carlos: I didn’t know to do that. That’s not something they covered in my CDL class.
Loretta: A lot of the real stuff isn’t. Here’s the other big one — downshifting. What gear do you plan to use going down?
Carlos: I was going to try to stay in whatever I used going up. Like if I climbed in 7th, stay in 7th going down?
Loretta: No. That’s how people cook their brakes. The rule I was taught and the rule I follow after 23 years: go down one full gear lower than you went up, at minimum. If you climbed in 7th at 35 mph, descend in 6th at 35 mph. Your engine brake — your Jake brake — will do the heavy work holding your speed, and you tap the service brakes only to slow a little if you’re picking up speed. You should not have your foot on the brake pedal constantly. That’s the recipe for brake fade and brake fire.
Carlos: What if I start to feel the brakes fading partway down?
Loretta: You’ll feel it in the pedal — it’ll go softer, spongier, or your stopping distance will increase. If that happens, do not keep riding them. Downshift immediately, use the Jake harder, and if you’re in real trouble, use the runaway truck ramp. There’s no shame in the ramp. The ramp is there because experienced drivers needed it. A ramp stop saves lives. A driver who’s too proud to use the ramp ends up in the news.
Carlos: That honestly scares me a little.
Loretta: Good. It should. Not to paralyze you — but enough respect for the grade that you never get casual. The Cajon isn’t the steepest pass in California but the traffic below it makes the consequences of losing control catastrophic. One more thing — four-wheelers will cut in front of you constantly on the downgrade and then hit their brakes. Leave at least a quarter mile of following distance. People think truckers tailgate — no, they’re just not leaving enough room because they don’t know what a loaded truck needs to stop.
Carlos: Thank you. This is more useful than anything I got from my school.
Loretta: You’ll be fine. You’re asking the right questions, which means you’re thinking the right way. Most guys who get in trouble are the ones who think they know everything after four months. Keep asking. The road will teach you if you let it. And welcome to the trade.
Dialogue 9 — Pre-Trip Inspection, Team Drivers
Location: CR England Terminal, Fontana, CA — Truck Yard, 4:00 a.m.
Setting: Sandra and Frank Okafor are a married team driving for 11 years together. They are conducting a thorough pre-trip inspection on their assigned truck before a 1,200-mile haul.
Frank: I’ll take the engine compartment and tractor lights. You start tires and suspension, then we’ll meet at the trailer fifth wheel and work back together.
Sandra: Deal. Let me grab the flashlight — this one is losing battery. Okay, starting on the driver’s side steer tire. No visible damage, no bubbles, valve stem cap is on. Tread depth looks good — I’m estimating around 8/32 on the tread gauge. Moving to the rear driver’s-side tandem — outer tire looks good, inner dual looks good, no abnormal wear pattern, both caps on.
Frank: Engine compartment — oil is right on the full mark, clean and dark amber, changed 8,000 miles ago according to the tag under the hood. Coolant reservoir is at the proper level, no discoloration. Power steering fluid looks fine. No belt cracks I can see — serpentine and fan belt look good. No coolant stains on the block, no oil pooling underneath. AC hose looks intact.
Sandra: Crossing to the passenger side — steer tire good, valve stem cap on. Tandem outer and inner both look good. Now I’m checking the front axle — no visible cracks in the steering arm, drag link looks straight. Spring hangers look okay. I’m seeing some road grime on the u-bolts but no signs of loosening.
Frank: I’m on lights now. Head lights — low beam… high beam… good. Driving lights — good. Right turn, left turn — good. Let me check the clearance lights across the top of the cab. All seven look good, no dark ones. Marker lights on the fender — all five present and lit.
Sandra: Done with the tractor tires. Moving to the fifth wheel. Locking handle is in the locked position, safety latch is engaged. I’m grabbing the kingpin — no lateral play. The jaws look fully closed around the kingpin shank. Apron is sitting flat on the fifth wheel plate with no visible gap. Looks good.
Frank: Let me check the air lines and electrical. Glad hands — both are coupled, rubber seals are not cracked or torn. Emergency line is on the emergency port, service line on the service port — color coded correctly, red to red. Electrical connector — 7-pin plug is seated and the locking latch is engaged. Light cord is looped properly, won’t drag.
Sandra: Trailer time. Starting at the front left corner and working back. Left side marker lights — all present. No visible damage on the side skirts — one minor dent but nothing structural. Left rear tandem tires — outside looking good, inside looking good. I want to check the brake drum temperature from last night’s run. Still feels ambient, nothing abnormal.
Frank: Trailer brakes — let me do the tug test. Releasing tractor brake — trailer should hold. Yep, trailer’s not moving. Parking brake holds. Now — Sandra, can you key it and hit the brake pedal when I get to the rear?
Sandra: Give me 30 seconds.
Frank walks to the rear of the trailer.
Frank: Ready.
Sandra: Brake lights on — left, right, center high-mount. Okay?
Frank: All three lit. Left signal.
Sandra: Left signal on.
Frank: Right signal.
Sandra: Right signal on.
Frank: Good. Come on back.
Sandra joins Frank at the rear of the trailer.
Sandra: There’s a clearance light on the rear corner that’s flickering. Not out, but not steady.
Frank: Write it up on the DVIR — note it as defect noted, not out of service. We’ll check the socket and if it’s just vibration-related contact we can probably reset it. If it needs a new bulb I’ve got a kit in the toolbox. It won’t put us out of service but we need it on the inspection record.
Sandra: Done. What about the DOT tape on the rear? I noticed it’s peeling on the lower right corner.
Frank: Is it more than 12 inches missing or non-reflective?
Sandra: Maybe 4 inches of peel, but it’s still reflective where it’s lifted.
Frank: Write it up but it’s not a violation unless there’s a substantial section missing. We’re legal. Okay — ELD sync’d?
Sandra: Synced and showing our carrier account. Hours are correct — we’ve both got a full restart. I’m showing 70 hours available on my clock. You?
Frank: Same. Dispatch says we’re clear to roll at 4:30. Paperwork — bill of lading is in the folder, origin and destination confirmed, hazmat section says non-applicable, load weight is 76,000 on the shipper’s certificate. I want to hit the CAT scale at the truck stop on the 10 before we get onto I-40.
Sandra: Agreed. Ready when you are. You want the first shift?
Frank: You take it. I’ll sleep to Blythe and take over from there.
Sandra: Deal. Let’s go.
Dialogue 10 — Overweight Citation at the Weigh Station
Location: CHP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility, Gaviota, CA — US-101 Northbound, 1:15 p.m.
Setting: Officer Victor Montoya stops driver Dennis Patterson, an independent owner-operator, after his steer axle exceeds the California legal limit.
Officer Montoya: Good afternoon. Step out of the cab and meet me at the scale office, please.
Patterson: Afternoon, officer. Is there a problem?
Officer Montoya: Your steer axle came in at 13,400 pounds on the static scale. California Code of Regulations, Section 35550 sets the legal maximum for a single steer axle at 12,000 pounds. You’re 1,400 pounds over. I’m going to write a citation and we’re going to talk about your options to get you legal before you leave this facility.
Patterson: Thirteen thousand four hundred? I had a weight ticket from the shipper in Santa Barbara showing 11,900 on the steer. Something had to shift in transit.
Officer Montoya: That’s possible, especially with dense cargo. What are you hauling?
Patterson: Canned goods — retail grocery, palletized. It’s a mixed load — canned vegetables, canned fruit, glass jars. Heavy product.
Officer Montoya: Dense and it can shift forward if it wasn’t secured well. Does your trailer have load bars or cargo straps on those pallets?
Patterson: Straps on every pallet, and there are load bars front and rear of the load. But the pallets aren’t pinned to each other — if the load bars shifted forward during braking it could move weight to the steer.
Officer Montoya: That would do it. Now, you have a sliding fifth wheel on this unit — I can see it from here. Do you know the position it’s currently in?
Patterson: I set it in the middle-forward position at the shipper. About 18 inches forward of center to balance the steer-to-drive ratio. If I slide it forward more, I’ll add weight to the steer. But if I slide it rearward, I should be able to shift some weight off the steer and onto the drives.
Officer Montoya: Exactly right. Sliding the fifth wheel rearward moves the trailer weight back relative to the drive axles. You’ll need to reduce the steer axle by at minimum 1,400 pounds — 1,600 ideally to give yourself a cushion. How many pin positions does your fifth wheel have and what’s the increment?
Patterson: It’s a Fontaine — I’ve got positions at 2-inch increments, 10 positions total. Each 2-inch slide moves approximately 200 to 250 pounds of weight depending on load distribution.
Officer Montoya: So you’d need to slide back roughly 6 to 8 positions — 12 to 16 inches. That puts you around 1,200 to 2,000 pounds of shift. The upside is that’ll load your drives, and you should be legal on drives given your current numbers. What are the drives reading?
Patterson: Drives were at 31,400 on the weight ticket. California drive tandem limit is 34,000. I’ve got room.
Officer Montoya: You’ve got about 2,600 pounds of headroom on the drives. A 1,400-pound shift from the steer to the drives should work mathematically. Go ahead and do the adjustment — we’ll re-weigh you afterward. If you come back legal across all axles, you get to go. You’ll still have the citation for the initial overweight — the base fine is $135 plus a county surcharge, you’ll get a notice in the mail with the exact amount. But the hold is lifted once you’re legal.
Patterson: Fair enough. Can I pull back to the pad behind the office to do the adjustment?
Officer Montoya: Yes — the scale operator will direct you. Don’t slide further than you need to — if you over-correct and put too much on the drives, you create a new violation. Move back carefully, in small increments, and re-check before you pull back to the scale.
Patterson: Understood. And just so I know for future loads — is there anything I can do at the shipper’s dock to prevent this?
Officer Montoya: Yes. Ask the shipper what the loaded weight is going to be on each axle before you seal the trailer. Most shippers with proper equipment can give you an axle weight estimate. If they can’t, weigh your steer axle before and after loading on a platform scale or portable axle scale if your company has one. The 12,000-pound steer axle limit catches a lot of drivers off guard because it’s lower than some other states.
Patterson: I appreciate you explaining all that. I’ve been driving 14 years and I’ve had this happen twice, both times on dense grocery loads.
Officer Montoya: Dense cargo is the trickiest because small load shifts equal big weight changes. Get it adjusted and we’ll get you back on the road.
Dialogue 11 — Breakdown on the Shoulder
Location: I-10 Westbound Shoulder, Near Palm Springs, CA — 108°F, 2:45 p.m.
Setting: CHP Officer Diane Kim stops to assist driver Louis Bergeron, who has pulled over with a blown steer tire. Another trucker, Tony Nguyen, has stopped on the opposite shoulder to help.
Officer Kim: Sir, are you alright? I’m Officer Kim, CHP. Is anyone injured?
Bergeron: No injuries, thank you. Steer tire blew out westbound. I got it under control and got her onto the shoulder. My heart rate is not under control yet, I’ll be honest with you.
Officer Kim: I understand. You did the right thing — getting it to the shoulder with a steer tire blowout at highway speed is no small thing. Where exactly did it happen?
Bergeron: About a mile back. I felt the pull immediately and I didn’t fight the wheel — just held steady pressure and feathered the throttle. Took maybe 30 seconds to get her to the right. The trailer didn’t push me, so I think everything stayed in line.
Officer Kim: Good technique. Is the tire off the rim?
Bergeron: Completely. She shredded — retread failure on the right steer. There’s rubber scattered back on the roadway, I’m sure.
Officer Kim: I’ll call Caltrans to sweep it. Do you have a service call in?
Bergeron: Calling my road service right now — I’m with Road Squad. But it’s 108 degrees out here and they said 90 minutes minimum. I’ve got water in the cab — I’ll survive. But I’m loaded heavy and on a slight slope — I want to make sure my trailer brakes are fully applied while I wait.
Officer Kim: Let’s confirm that together. I’ll stand by until service arrives. I’d also recommend you get a reflective triangle out at 100 feet, 200 feet, and 300 feet behind the unit — given the heat shimmer and glare today, visibility for approaching drivers is reduced.
Bergeron: On it right now.
Tony Nguyen, driving a Mack Anthem, has pulled into a safe area ahead and jogged back to offer assistance.
Tony: Hey, you okay over here? I saw the blowout from about half a mile back — you handled it well. I pulled ahead on the shoulder. You need anything? I’ve got a full toolkit and I keep a spare steer tire mount in my trailer nose.
Bergeron: Seriously? What size?
Tony: 11R22.5 — what are you running?
Bergeron: Same. 11R22.5. You’re kidding me.
Tony: I’m not. I’ve been stranded out here before without one. Never again. I’ve got a buddy who’s a mobile tire tech — let me call him. He might beat your road service.
Officer Kim: Gentleman, I appreciate the offer, but any tire change on the steer axle on a live freeway shoulder should be done by a professional service with proper equipment — jack stands, torque wrench for the lug pattern, and safety blocking. Are you equipped for that?
Tony: I’ve got a bottle jack and torque wrench. I’ve changed a steer before. But you’re right — out here in this heat, on this slope, with traffic — maybe the pros are the right call.
Officer Kim: I’m going to request a traffic management truck to set up a rolling slow to give you more protection while you wait. And I’ll stay on scene. The heat is the bigger safety issue right now — sir, is your AC working in the cab?
Bergeron: Parked AC works fine, yes. I’ve got provisions. Honestly, my bigger concern is my load — I’m carrying perishable food for a school district in Ontario. It’s refrigerated. Reefer unit is running on shore power from my aux tank.
Officer Kim: How’s the reefer fuel?
Bergeron: About 60%. At this temperature and with the reefer working hard, I’ll go through maybe a quarter tank in 90 minutes. I’ve got time.
Tony: I can go get DEF or reefer fuel if you need a run — there’s a Pilot about 8 miles east.
Bergeron: That’s incredibly kind. Let me monitor for an hour — if the road service is delayed I might take you up on that.
Officer Kim: That’s a generous offer. Sir — your name?
Tony: Tony Nguyen. Out of Riverside.
Officer Kim: Mr. Nguyen, be aware that if you return here, parking on the shoulder will require an emergency flasher setup and full reflective gear. If service arrives and the shoulder clears, don’t block access. But your offer is noted and appreciated.
Tony: Understood. I’ll leave my number with Louis here and head out. But I’m on Channel 19 if you need me.
Bergeron: Tony, seriously — thank you. This is what truckers do for each other. You didn’t have to stop.
Tony: We all end up on the side of the road sooner or later. Catch you on the flip side. Stay cool in there.
Dialogue 12 — Arguing a Log Violation
Location: CHP Area Office, Visalia, CA — 11:00 a.m.
Setting: Driver Paulette Harrison has been placed out of service for a claimed HOS violation based on her ELD data. She is contesting the reading with Officer James Patel, believing it reflects a system error.
Officer Patel: Ms. Harrison, I’ve pulled the ELD data from your Omnitracs unit and it’s showing a 14-hour on-duty window that exceeds the allowable under 49 CFR 395.3. Your on-duty clock started at 5:20 a.m. and you were still operating at 8:45 p.m. That’s 15 hours and 25 minutes.
Paulette: Officer, I understand what the ELD is showing, but there’s an error in the data. I was in a 30-minute break status from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and my ELD did not capture it. I was parked at the shipper’s dock in Tulare and manually logged myself off duty for the break, but when I came back and logged back in, the system merged the status window.
Officer Patel: Do you have documentation to support that — any third-party evidence of the break? Fuel receipts, a security log at the dock, anything time-stamped?
Paulette: Yes. I have a dock entry log from the Tulare facility — the security guard logs every entry and exit. I exited the dock at 11:48 a.m. and re-entered at 12:17 p.m. That’s 29 minutes off the dock. I was in my cab, parked in the driver’s lot. And I have a debit card receipt from the snack machine in the drivers’ lounge at 11:55 a.m. — it’s time-stamped on the bank statement.
Officer Patel: You have that with you?
Paulette: I have the dock log — the security office printed it for me when I realized there might be a discrepancy. The bank statement I can pull up on my phone right now.
Officer Patel: Let me see the dock log.
Officer Patel reviews the document carefully.
Officer Patel: This shows an exit at 11:48 and re-entry at 12:17. That does support your account. How did the ELD merge the status window?
Paulette: When I logged back in, the system prompted me to confirm a status gap. It gave me options to either fill the gap as ‘driving’ or ‘on duty not driving.’ I chose ‘on duty not driving’ because I was technically on duty before the break — I was waiting at the dock. But what I should have done is select ‘off duty’ for that 29-minute window, which is what it actually was. The ELD’s merge prompt defaulted wrong and I didn’t catch it in time.
Officer Patel: This is a recognized system behavior with several ELD platforms — the retroactive status fill doesn’t always offer ‘off duty’ as a clean option if there’s no prior off-duty period close in time. I’ll note the documentation in my report. Here’s where we stand: I can’t remove the out-of-service order today without going through a supervisory review, because the ELD data as recorded does show the violation. However, your supporting documentation is strong. You should contact your carrier’s safety department and have them submit a data correction request to Omnitracs with the dock log and bank receipt as supporting documents.
Paulette: How long does that review take?
Officer Patel: Typically 24 to 72 hours for the carrier to process it with the ELD provider. In the meantime, you’re required to take a 10-hour reset before you resume driving. I know that’s frustrating given the circumstances.
Paulette: I’ve got a delivery due in Fresno at 3 o’clock today.
Officer Patel: I understand. I’d recommend calling your dispatcher now and having them contact the consignee. The out-of-service order is legally binding — I cannot release you to drive. But if your carrier escalates the documentation review with your ELD provider quickly, and the correction is made, your safety record should be clean on the DataQ system. Would you like me to note in my report that you provided corroborating documentation voluntarily?
Paulette: Yes, please. I want everything documented.
Officer Patel: I’ll include the dock log reference and your statement. Keep the originals. And Ms. Harrison — the fact that you had that dock log readily available tells me you know what you’re doing out here. This appears to be a genuine system error, not a compliance issue on your part.
Paulette: Thank you for saying that. I’ve been driving 17 years with a clean record and I take that seriously.
Officer Patel: It shows. Get some rest and get the carrier working on the correction.
Dialogue 13 — Loading Dock Dispute with a Shipper
Location: Cold Storage Distribution Facility, Stockton, CA — Receiving Dock, 7:30 a.m.
Setting: Driver Anna Forsythe has arrived for a scheduled pickup of a refrigerated load. The dock supervisor is claiming the load isn’t ready and is asking her to wait — but Anna’s HOS clock is running.
Dock Supervisor (Phil): Number 47, your trailer is in position. The load isn’t quite ready though — we had a product reconciliation issue last night and some of the pallets are getting relabeled. Probably another hour, maybe 90 minutes.
Anna: Phil, my appointment was 7:00 a.m. I’ve already been waiting 30 minutes. My on-duty clock started at 5:45 when I did my pre-trip. I’ve got an 11-hour driving window and a 14-hour on-duty window. I have a delivery appointment in Sacramento at 2:00 p.m. If I don’t get loaded and rolling by 8:30 at the latest, I’m going to have a very hard time making that window legally.
Phil: I understand that, but we can’t release product that hasn’t cleared QC. You know how it is.
Anna: I do know how it is. I also know that my company’s contract with your facility specifies a two-hour detention rate after the free time expires, which I believe was 7:30. I’m now inside that detention window. I’m not saying that to be difficult — I’m saying it because I need you to understand there’s a financial and logistical consequence to this delay for both of our companies.
Phil: I’ll need to check with our logistics coordinator on the detention situation.
Anna: Please do. While you’re at it, can someone tell me whether the load is going to be fully palletized and shrink-wrapped, or are there loose items? I need to know for my cargo securement setup.
Phil: It’ll be fully palletized — 18 pallets of frozen seafood, wrapped and banded. Net weight is supposed to be about 42,000 pounds product plus pallet weight. Gross load should be around 43,500.
Anna: Okay, that’s workable. I’m pulling a 48-foot refer — I can handle 18 pallets. What’s the commodity temperature requirement?
Phil: It’s frozen — minus 10 Fahrenheit. You’ll need to pre-cool the trailer to minus 10 before we load.
Anna: I pre-cooled overnight. I’ve been running at minus 12 since 10 p.m. last night. Current trailer temp is minus 11.4. I have a temperature printout right here from my Thermo King unit.
Phil: That’s actually perfect. We appreciate when drivers come prepared like that — we’ve had trailers show up at 28 degrees and they wonder why we won’t load.
Anna: I’ve been doing this long enough to know that pre-cooling isn’t optional on frozen product. Now, I want to talk about the timeline again. Is there any way to prioritize my load given the appointment situation? I’m not the only driver affected, I’m sure, but I have a hard delivery constraint.
Phil: Let me radio the floor and see where they are. I know two of your pallets were already cleared through QC last night — it’s the other 16 that are being relabeled.
Anna: If there’s any way to stage what’s ready and load progressively, I’m fine with a partial load-in and wait. That at least gets us started and I can verify the count and condition as each pallet comes in.
Phil: I can ask. That’s actually not a bad idea — the forklift operators can work two lifts simultaneously if I get them started now.
Anna: I’d appreciate that. And one more thing — I’ll need to inspect each pallet for integrity before signing the BOL. If there’s any damaged packaging, I need to note exceptions on the paperwork before I accept the load. With frozen seafood, I’m not signing a clean BOL and then getting a claim filed against me in Sacramento.
Phil: That’s fair. We’ll call you over for inspection as each pallet stages. Let me get on the radio.
Anna: Thank you, Phil. I know this isn’t what either of us wanted this morning. Let’s see if we can get it turned around.
Dialogue 14 — Two Drivers Talking Shop Over Dinner
Location: Black Bear Diner adjacent to Flying J, Redding, CA — 6:45 p.m.
Setting: Veteran driver Gordon “Gordo” Maciel (31 years, flatbed specialist) sits with newer driver Yolanda Pierce (3 years, dry van) over a meal. The conversation covers cargo securement, industry changes, and the business side of trucking.
Gordon: You said you’re thinking about going flatbed? What’s making you consider the switch?
Yolanda: The pay, honestly. I’m making decent money on dry van but I keep hearing flatbed pays 8 to 12 cents more per mile, plus there’s oversized load opportunities. And I’ve always liked working with my hands. The cargo securement side of it seems more interesting than backing into a dock and watching the dock workers load my trailer.
Gordon: Ha. Fair point. I’ll tell you the truth — flatbed is more work, more exposure, and more liability. But I’ve never once thought about going back to a van. You said cargo securement sounds interesting. Do you have any flatbed experience at all?
Yolanda: Zero. I’ve read up on the regs — 49 CFR Part 393 on cargo securement, working load limits, the tie-down requirements based on commodity weight and length. But reading and doing are two different things.
Gordon: They really are. Let me give you a practical picture. Everything on a flatbed is your responsibility. Nobody loads it for you — you’re the one deciding strap count, chain count, dunnage placement, lumber stake positioning, edge protector usage. If a load shifts and damages property or hurts somebody, your name is on that paperwork.
Yolanda: That actually sounds like more autonomy. I like that.
Gordon: It is. But it’s also more pressure. I did a load of structural steel last week — H-beams, 40 feet long, 52,000 pounds of steel. You’re using chains on that, not straps. At minimum 8 chains on a load like that, and you’re checking tension at every stop. Steel can walk on you — it expands and contracts with temperature and it’ll creep on a trailer deck if your chain tension drops.
Yolanda: How often are you stopping to check?
Gordon: First 50 miles after loading, then every 150 miles or after any significant change in driving condition. Heavy rain, mountain grades, hard braking — after any of those events you stop and inspect. The FMCSA requirement is 50 miles and then every 3 hours or 150 miles, whichever comes first. I usually exceed that.
Yolanda: What about tarping? I see flatbeds with tarps and without.
Gordon: Tarping is commodity-specific. Lumber usually needs a full tarp or smoke tarp. Steel usually doesn’t unless it’s got a finish on it that can’t get wet. Machinery — depends on the piece. Agricultural equipment going to a dealer might need a full machine tarp to protect the paint. You learn the commodities over time, but your broker or shipper will usually specify tarp requirements in the load documentation.
Yolanda: What about oversized? I’ve always been curious about that world.
Gordon: Oversize is its own certification. Pilot car operators have to be licensed in California. You need a state permit — a route survey is sometimes required, all utilities and low bridges need to be confirmed. The loads are usually moves that have to happen at night or restricted hours. I’ve done construction cranes, refinery vessels, wind turbine blades — blades are the weirdest because they’re so long and flexible, they literally wave in the wind.
Yolanda: That sounds wild.
Gordon: It is. But you make money. I had a single-trip permit move of a power transformer two years ago — one haul, 14 miles, with a two-day window. I made more on that single move than most of my weekly dry van miles paid back when I started.
Yolanda: Okay, you’ve officially sold me on at least trying flatbed training. What would you recommend as a first step?
Gordon: Find a carrier that runs flatbed training alongside van — Werner, Roehl, and a few others have flatbed divisions that will retrain van drivers. Get your endorsements current, make sure your CDL is clean, and be prepared to spend 4 to 6 weeks learning how to work cargo before you get anywhere near a solo run. The learning curve is real, but it’s worth it.
Dialogue 15 — Night Scale Check and Officer Exchange
Location: Agricultural Inspection and Weigh Station, Truckee, CA — US-40/I-80 Eastbound, 11:50 p.m.
Setting: CHP Officer Renata Sorensen stops driver Paul Yamamoto during a late-night weight and agricultural inspection operation. The load is a mixed retail freight load originating in the Bay Area.
Officer Sorensen: Good evening. License, registration, and medical card, please.
Yamamoto: Evening, officer. Here you go — Class A CDL, current medical card, tractor registration, trailer reg is in this sleeve here.
Officer Sorensen: You came in at 79,600 on the static scale. That’s close but legal. Anything shifting in that trailer that might affect your axle weights if I put you on the dynamic scale?
Yamamoto: Shouldn’t be. It’s palletized dry goods — canned beverages and snack foods going to a distribution center in Reno. Everything’s stretch-wrapped, load-locked front and rear. I did a cargo check when I stopped for fuel in Auburn about an hour ago.
Officer Sorensen: Okay. Before I get to the weight — this is also an agricultural checkpoint. Do you have any fresh fruits, vegetables, plants, or soil in the cab or trailer?
Yamamoto: Negative. Nothing organic in the trailer — it’s all processed packaged goods. In the cab I’ve got my personal food — a sandwich from the truck stop, some snack bars, bottled water. No fresh produce.
Officer Sorensen: Any plants or potted vegetation?
Yamamoto: No ma’am.
Officer Sorensen: Good. We’ve had issues with spotted lanternfly concerns coming out of the Central Valley — CDFA has us asking for a full check on anything organic. Now, I’d like to put you on the dynamic scale — it’ll give us a better axle-by-axle read than the static. Pull forward slowly when I signal you. Keep your foot off the brake until I tell you to stop.
Yamamoto: Copy that.
Yamamoto pulls slowly across the dynamic scale. Officer Sorensen reads the printout.
Officer Sorensen: Steer axle at 11,950. Drives at 33,800. Trailer tandem at 33,850. Gross 79,600. Clean across the board. Good weight distribution — a lot of guys your gross weight end up with steer axle problems.
Yamamoto: I set my fifth wheel position carefully before I left the yard. I’ve been bit by steer axle issues before and I never want that problem again. My company has a policy now — CAT scale before departure on any load over 70,000 gross.
Officer Sorensen: Smart policy. Not enough carriers enforce that. I want to ask about your ELD — can you show me the current status and the past 24 hours?
Yamamoto: Sure. I’ve been on-duty since 2 p.m., driving since 2:30 p.m. That’s nine and a half hours on duty, nine hours driving. I’ve got two hours of driving left on my 11-hour clock and four and a half hours remaining in my 14-hour window. The Reno DC closes for receiving at 4 a.m. — I’ll get there around 1:30, well within my hours.
Officer Sorensen: You’re running it close to the wire but legal. What’s the weather look like over Donner Summit tonight?
Yamamoto: I checked NOAA before I left Auburn. Clear and cold — 26 degrees at the summit, no precip in the forecast. Roads are clear per Caltrans Quick Map. I’ve got chains in the steer compartment just in case, but I don’t expect to need them tonight.
Officer Sorensen: Good habit. Even on clear nights, the summit can get black ice in the shaded zones near the tunnels. Your speed limit through the snow zone is posted at 40 mph in chain control conditions — tonight it’s R2 advisory but not mandatory. Just be aware.
Yamamoto: I know Donner well. I’ve been running this corridor for six years. I take it seriously every time.
Officer Sorensen: Alright, Mr. Yamamoto. Everything checks out. Good paperwork, good weight distribution, good HOS management. Drive safe over the summit.
Yamamoto: Thank you, officer. You stay warm out here — can’t be much fun working this late at this elevation.
Officer Sorensen: It has its moments. Good coffee helps. Have a good night.
— End of Dialogues —
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