BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR

I confess, I was just like Charles (the trainee), when I was first out in the truck with Craig, all excited and giddy, about going through a weigh station. It was really the mystique of it all more than anything else. In my car, passing by and seeing all the trucks lined up like good little soldiers, I wanted to know exactly what goes on there, that us regular people weren't allowed to participate in. Little did I know just how boring and a pain it can be when you drive a truck.So imagine yesterday, after loading at Sara Lee in Tolleson, AZ and heading west, Charles announcing to Craig that he wanted to keep driving until he reached a weigh station that was open for him to drive through. Shouldn't be a problem right? Well they come up to the first one before they even get out of Arizona, and the green light on the PrePass goes off allowing them to pass it by. Crossing into California, they quickly come upon another weigh station but soon realize when they get the green light again, that the weigh station is closed.

But luck was on Charles' side when they came to the weigh station in Banning, CA. The trucks were lining up and right before they closed the scale due to the back up, they managed to get into line and await their turn going across the scales. Slowly inching their way closer to the scale house, it was finally their turn, as Charles drove the required 3 mph across the scale and was hit with the red light. What were the odds, with not even a week of driving under his belt that he would be hit with the red light and a request to head to inspection bay number 1 for a full level one inspection, which is the most thorough of all inspections you can have. Boy, Charles sure knows how to do it right on his first time, even the Officer had to chuckle out loud when Charles handed him his temporary commercial license and didn't even have 8 days worth of logs in his log book. But after a thorough check of all the required paperwork, and a complete inspection of the truck and trailer, they were rewarded with stickers on both the truck and trailer, and a reasonable assurance that they wouldn't be called in for another inspection at least until next year. Yep, be careful what you ask for.......you just might get it!