Trucker/Cop Alliance?

January 5, 2007 12:53 PM

Do truckers ever get paid a bonus for reporting bad drivers to the police?

Either from the company or from the state patrols? My friend made this claim, and I've googled around looking for information with little success. Thanks!

posted by Roach to law & government (6 comments total)

Seems bogus to me. What would stop Shady Trucking Company A from instructing its drivers to report all of the drivers of Trucking Company B?
posted by b1tr0t at 12:55 PM on January 5, 2007

I read a fascinating book about life on the road (Phillip Wilson's "Driver: Six Weeks in an Eighteen Wheeler") and this was never mentioned, though bad drivers were discussed a lot. I bet it's bogus.

But I did hear Jimmy Hoffa Jr, president of the Teamsters Union, pledge that his drivers would be America's eyes and ears as far as reporting suspicious terrorist-like situations they spotted, since they were so spread out on so many roads across the nation. Not bad drivers, though.
posted by GaelFC at 1:23 PM on January 5, 2007

I just called a friend, who I remembered used to drive trucks for years, but hadn't driven them for 11 years. He told me that there ARE programs like this in place, but the $$$ always wend straight to the corporate office of his trucking company from the state patrol. He likened it to the "Neighborhood Watch" program.

Also, he said they would only get payed if the stop resulted in a citation being issued.
posted by Roach at 2:12 PM on January 5, 2007

I doubt there's anything like that but Homeland Security has a new Highway Watch program that truck drivers can join after they watch a video
posted by apdato at 4:33 PM on January 5, 2007

From DHS:

Are Highway Watch® professionals paid extra? Are there any financial incentives to join the program?

Highway Watch® participants are self-motivated and do not seek compensation for participation. They participate because they want to do their part to keep America safe.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:27 PM on January 5, 2007

Yes, if they're tow truck drivers.

While driving around with a tow truck driver while getting my car towed for a mechanical failure, he was not at all shy about the head-whipping-around full scan mode to search for any towable infraction that he/his company could inform the cops the about so he could be right there and get the tow job.

If your stickers are out of date, I'd watch those guys at least as much as I'd watch the cops.
posted by NortonDC at 10:38 PM on January 5, 2007