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After Complaints, Sheriff's Crack Down on Commercial Trucking

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After Complaints, Sheriff's Crack Down on Commercial Trucking

GREAT MILLS - 8/12/2009

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On August 10, Sgt. Harold Young, assisted by Dfc. Charles Dodson conducted Commercial Truck Inspection Interdiction on Chancellors Run Road in Great Mills. The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office had received complaints from citizens about uncovered commercial trucks in that area releasing loose gravel which were causing windshields to break.

The Sheriff’s Office also received complaints about the commercial trucks, in the same area, not yielding the right of way to other motor vehicles. As a result of the effort, eight “Level-One” truck inspections were conducted resulting in numerous payable citations.

Level-One truck inspection includes the inspection of the entire commercial vehicle, the inspection of the driver’s credentials and all associated transport documentation to assure compliance with Maryland’s Commercial Motor Vehicle traffic laws.

One commercial vehicle was placed out-of-service for not having working taillights, brake lights, turn signals or flashers. Further inspection of the truck revealed a major air leak in the air brake system, which resulted in the vehicle being towed from the scene.

For further information on commercial vehicle truck laws contact Sgt. Harold Young at (301) 475-4200 ext. 9082.

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phantomfire1 Not Logged In 8/12/2009 at 8:10 AM
Commercial Truck Crackdown
when are you going to crackdown on the hundreds of tractor-trailer trucks coming into the county, hauling tons of garbage, and letting it blow all over the roads. Look at Rt 4 coming from the bridge out of Calvert. These trucks run 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Where is all this garbage going? I thought our St Mary's landfill was full? Anyone seen the new hybrid bugs coming from the outside state garbage?
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That_Guy Not Logged In 8/12/2009 at 9:24 AM
Reply to phantomfire1: Pay Attention...
If you pay a little more attention, you'll notice that those trucks continue THROUGH St. Mary's Co., through Charles Co. to VIRGINA!!! As far as I know all of our trash from SOMD goes to an incenerator somewhere in the King George area.

New hybrid bugs from out of state Garbage? IS VW up to something i don't kow about? Sounds like an interesting concept!
phantomfire1 Not Logged In 8/12/2009 at 10:47 AM
Reply to phantomfire1: Reply to that guy
Pay Attention now; the point was it doesnt really matter where the trash goes, the point was the trash coming off the trucks and onto OUR highways, and yes some of them are not closed up properly. As far as the hybrid bugs, I'll slow down just you, so that you can understand. I am refering to the increase in Asian Hornets number one, and a lot of other nasty insects that are new to the County. Why are the trucks going thru RT 4 and Rt 235 to get to King George County? I'd like to get into the Solomons bridge overstressed problem starting with bearing plates, but i dont want to get to fast for you.
That_Guy Not Logged In 8/12/2009 at 12:16 PM
Reply to phantomfire1: s l o w e r please
hybrid bugs comment..... that was sarcasm, I was being sarcastic, know what that is?

As far as the trucks on Rt 4 and 235, the come from the landfill @ the southern end of Calvert. Apparently they use 235 instead of 234 now to avoid the tiny traffic circle in Captico.

Any more questions?
phantomfire1 Not Logged In 8/12/2009 at 3:01 PM
Reply to phantomfire1: Slower still
Actually I did get your humor and thought it was quite good...Mine was an attempt to bring out more people about the heavy trash trucks, the blue tractor trailers from Connecticut, New Jersey, Maine, Delaware, and New York. I live on RT 4 and I assure you they still roll down to old RT 5 everyday. As you are aware the mailbox's are on the Westside for us who live on the eastside of the street, and the trucks roll through at 50+, the cars are much faster though. Called King George they know nothing about out of state trucks. Plausable deniability....
That_Guy Not Logged In 8/12/2009 at 3:29 PM
Reply to phantomfire1: Speed it back up...
Not sure of the blue trucks you speak of, other than the baby blue trucks that are for our local transfer stations. Just a heads up, some of the trailers are tagged with out state tages mainly Maine, just because tags are so much cheaper therre. I have seen some out of state trucking companis such as Carson and TAC, but as far as I know they haul out of the Calvert Landfill to a site in VA somewhere.
rickmccomas Not Logged In 8/12/2009 at 9:35 AM
truck crackdown
Keep up the good work Harold!!!
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Sweetie_Pie Not Logged In 8/12/2009 at 9:55 AM
Reply to rickmccomas: It is about time....
I dont know how many times one of these trucks has pulled out in front of me. I am surprised there havent been more accidents on this road since the construction started. These trucks pull out in front of you and dont seem to care that you have to slam on your brakes or the people working on this road just walk out in front of you.
s***happens Not Logged In 8/12/2009 at 11:44 AM
A NIGHTMARE
I own a business on chancellors run and it is a complete nightmare!!trucks cutting you off, workers walking out in front of you, not to mention the stop sign attandants paying more attention to the hot girl going by then which way their sign is facing! Not to mention holding traffic up for long periods of time. I sat one day for 12 minutes just to let a truck dump some dirt and there was plenty of room off the road for the driver to pull off!!
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goodoleboy Not Logged In 8/12/2009 at 2:10 PM
Reply to s***happens: Wow.
12 whole minutes??? Really? How did your life go on??
DaDog Not Logged In 8/12/2009 at 2:01 PM
Sgt. Harold Young needs to ...
....pull over a few propane delivery trucks running around the county.

Just sayin that there are a few with unqualified drivers behind the wheel...
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fileboxcobra Not Logged In 8/13/2009 at 12:34 AM
Next is passenger cars
I understand that there was a commercial vehicle compliance problem. What most people don't understand is that pulling these commercial vehicles over at random without probable cause and doing an invasive "level one" inspection is wrong. Just because they found violations doesn't make the act correct. By stopping vehicles for random intense searches the government through the police force has interfered with the flow of normal everyday commerce. If I lodge a complaint about those older vehicles not having correct equipment are you going to pull them over at random next? How long does a "level one" search take? Most people are fine with these random seizures of our rights until it directly affects them. So lets tax the rich at a higher rate, regulate those commercial vehicles out of existence, impose excessive requirements on business and in general stick it to the man. Then lets all stand around and wonder why the cost of groceries, fuel and everything else keeps going up. Pull over vehicles with probable cause only - it's a fundamental right that is good for society.
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mrknowitall Not Logged In 8/13/2009 at 1:29 PM
Reply to fileboxcobra: Here's an idea
Cover up your load, sweep away the excess, and then get on the road. No flying stones, no problems.
mrknowitall Not Logged In 8/13/2009 at 1:31 PM
Reply to fileboxcobra: It's common sense
Would you like to be behind a rig traveling 50 plus mph and have gravel flying at you? Obviously you haven't had this happen to you yet.
mom-of-3 Not Logged In 8/13/2009 at 3:22 PM
Reply to fileboxcobra: I disagree
I don't feel that this is any different than doing a sobriety checkpoint. They stop all drivers to get the impaired off the road. These inspections were done for safety reasons. Rocks flying at your windshield can cause a vehicle to swerve. A truck that is riding around with bad brakes, etc. is a danger to everyone on that road. The truck driver is lucky he didn't kill someone. If these trucks were properly maintained and safe to drive they would not have gotten payable citations.
ThAtSuCkS Not Logged In 8/13/2009 at 12:41 PM
Hey ThatGuy
What do you think you know it all? Why don't you let everyone have their own opinion, you obviously do!!
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That_Guy Not Logged In 8/13/2009 at 2:09 PM
Reply to ThAtSuCkS: Because!
Usually I do it for fun... it's awesome how peeved some people get over something typed onthe internrt by someone they don't even know.

As far as I was concerened, I was an A-hole in my first post but after that I thoght I resorted to a casual conversation. What be your opinion?
mrknowitall Not Logged In 8/13/2009 at 1:28 PM
This is no joke
A friends father was traveling behind a dump truck years ago and a golf ball size rock went right through his windshield inches from his face. And nothing is worse then driving home your new car to find you have tens of little dings all over the hood. Most of these trucks are equipped with a tarp but they rarely use them.
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