Do you pull over people that drive for a living?

[MaineSqueeze]

Just curious. Have you ever stopped a ups/fed ex/dhl/cable truck/phone truck/taxi/school bus/company vehicle/hotel shuttle van?

If so, Do you write them tickets, or give them warnings? Would it impact your decision to write them a citation if you think they might get in trouble with their employer, or potentially fired?

Im starting my police employment next month, and currently work for a hotel, driving a shuttle van. And tonight, i was driving the van going about 15 over, and passed a cop, The officer made a quick U-turn and sped up on me, got right behind me, but never pulled me over. (The van has the hotel logo all over the back) So i was wondering, do cops usually let people go who are on the road doing their job?

Is more discretion used? I think id tend not to write tickets if it would impact someone career. Unless you got a UPS driver going 45 in a school zone while passing a school bus. Then i'd deffinatly take action. But for speeding, or something else thats minor, Id probably let them go with a warning, if I even stopped them in the first place.

Id love to hear your opinions, or stories.

[Dave5404]

FedEx driver once drove right past me in broad daylight going 47 in a 25, then blew right thru a stop sign. When I finally got him stopped he asked if there was a problem. Then whined after getting two citations.

I try to be understanding with those that drive for a living. (My dad drives a transit bus, and my grandfather was a trucker, and school bus driver.) But the rope is only slightly longer.

[prelives1337]

What about transport trucks at all?

[t150vsuptpr]

Just curious. Have you ever stopped a ups/fed ex/dhl/cable truck/phone truck/taxi/school bus/company vehicle/hotel shuttle van?

If so, Do you write them tickets, or give them warnings? Would it impact your decision to write them a citation if you think they might get in trouble with their employer, or potentially fired?

Im starting my police employment next month, and currently work for a hotel, driving a shuttle van. And tonight, i was driving the van going about 15 over, and passed a cop, The officer made a quick U-turn and sped up on me, got right behind me, but never pulled me over. (The van has the hotel logo all over the back) So i was wondering, do cops usually let people go who are on the road doing their job?

Is more discretion used? I think id tend not to write tickets if it would impact someone career. Unless you got a UPS driver going 45 in a school zone while passing a school bus. Then i'd deffinatly take action. But for speeding, or something else thats minor, Id probably let them go with a warning, if I even stopped them in the first place.

Id love to hear your opinions, or stories.

Every body in today's society relies on those priveledges. If it's important to the Fed Ex, UPS, etc ... driver, then he/she has good reason to pay attention and obey the law. I write tickets to create a credable deterrent to bad driving ...
... it's not revenue collection, it's not taxing the willing only.

If you are going to make decisions based on what effect you think it will have on one's career, how about considering the message you send when you do so .... and the tough times you'll have over the span of 20-30 years making those decisions.

Yeah, I'll write them just as quick as anyone else.

[Mirrain]

I'll take it into consideration just as I would anyone else. Those who drive for a living aren't much different than those who need to drive to work.

However, if that's what a person does for their profession, it would seem to me they have more experience on the road and thus have less excuse of anyone to be found speeding or breaking the law.

I can't say I have a whole lot of sympathy for those who break the law as a "professional driver" and then complain they got caught.

[SRT936]

Well, for starters, the last thing I want to see is a 80,000 lb truck speeding down the road. That's a whole lot of weight to get stopped and anything it hits is dead. Secondly, "professional" drivers put on enough hours and miles that they should know better then to be pushing the limits of the law. If driving is your job, and you depend on your driving privileges for a living, don't put yourself in a position to get cited.

[SgtCHP]

When working, my policy was: if you commit a violation in my presence, be prepared to be stopped - irrespective of your occupation. After I make the stop, I will determine the course of action I will take for that violation.

If you are a "Professional" driver, you will be expected to drive in a professional manner and I will treat you with a professional demeanor.

The fact that you are in a taxi cab or in an 80,000 pound combo of vehicles would not be the determinate factor of which action I would take. The severity of the violation and your demeanor are the main considerations.

[vsp645]

yes i do. and as regularly as they make me.

[Fuzz]

Yes I do..... I have cited UPS, Fedex, transport trucks, dump trucks, city vehicles, you name it. If I am going to cite a regular driver in a car for a violation then by all means I am going to cite the larger, heavier, harder to control, harder to stop vehicle with huge company names plastered on the side. Somehow I think Fedex, UPS, etc would thank me for stopping their drivers because of the bad publicity they receive when their drivers drive recklessly or the fact that the company would be sued if their driver hit someone. I dont start writing until 15 over so if someone in a loaded dumptruck, delivery vehicle, etc thinks their schedule is more important than everybody elses safety then they get a ticket. If you drive for a living you should make sure you dont do anything that would jeopordize that living.

I'm not talking about anyone in particular, but it sure is amazing how many different people expect to be cut a break today. You should give me a break because I....drive for a living, I work for the city/county/state, I have a clean driving record, I know a friend who knows a friend who once met officer so and so, and the list goes on.

[MaineSqueeze]

Great responces guys, thanks.

[PhilipCal]

People that drive for a living.

The answer is yes, or at least, yes I did. I'm retired now. I expected a person who drove for a living to drive like a professional. 47MPH in a 25MPH zone, would virtually guarantee a citation.

[Taylor1430]

Around here, the "Professional" drivers of the big corporate companies seem to do fairly well...I've never had to stop a UPS, FEDEx, or mail truck. These are the guys that seem to value their jobs and stay within the limits of the laws...even stopping at those stop signs in secluded neighborhoods at 2pm when nobody is in sight...much more than I can say for the residents of that neighborhood.

On the other hand, its the taxi drivers, newspaper delivery, auto parts, and especially pizza drivers who fly around like a bat out of hell with total disregard for the law and safety. These will surely get stopped and cited.

[pujolsfan146]

I do if they violate the Illinois Vehicle Code.

[CODE-30]

I always check their driving record. If it's pretty clean, depending on what I pulled them over for, I usually give them a warning. If they have a bad driving record, then I usually write them. I pulled over a truck driver once, don't remember what company he worked for, but he had 7 points on his license and I got him going 8 over and ran a red light. I ended up writing him for both because his record was so bad.

[MOGSOT]

If your a professional driver you need to driver in a professional manner. When I pull someone over for a hazard violation they get a ticket. No if, ands, or buts about it.