Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/536685
CHANGING LANES 18 JULY 2015 // WWW.CHANGINGLANESDIGITAL.COM On The Road 20 seconds to produce it," he said. "If not, my mind starts clicking. I'll look a little more closely at everything else," including the initial check for the fire extinguisher and triangles. 4) Stay alert, attentive, and professional throughout the inspection. This — in addition to No. 3, for that matter — goes for whether it's a roadside stop or a trip through a Level 1 at a weigh station. Put simply, "Take pride in your stuff," in the words of C.V. Barrett, and it will pay dividends. Buchs works with the state of Illinois helping teach safety classes on driving safely around big trucks and other topics. Because of that, "I gained perspective on some inspection-related things," he says. "A year ago September I spent a whole week [with state reps] and had officers help me with my demonstration. On a personal side, and I don't want to sound like an apologist, this was my impression: I was pretty amazed at their personal conviction for safety and for, well, being fair to the truck drivers. Their attitude was a lot different than the perception that you read and hear talk about on the radio." "I don't get inspected a lot" in his 2000 Freightliner Century, says Buchs. "I keep it clean, I dress with a collared shirt, keep eye contact. I make sure they know I know they're there…That second set of eyes sees things that we look at a dozen times and miss."