Nearly All Truck Drivers Follow Rules Of The Road

Truck drivers don't want Thursday’s incident to give the industry a bad reputation.

South Dakota's four permanent weigh stations are located along the busiest entrances to the state, along the interstate system.
Motor Carrier Enforcement and Highway Patrol Troopers check up on trucks along other highways, and they're checking on much more than just how much each trucks weighs.

Whenever you get behind the wheel, chances are you're sharing the road with big rigs. And those who drive trucks for a living must follow more rules than the average driver. But with up to 80,000 pounds of responsibility, they appreciate the extra federal and state regulations.

“We can still get our jobs done.  We can still get our deliveries made on time.  We just have to plan ahead, be smart about it and be safe,” truck driver Dave Bruck said.

Like other truck drivers, Bruck must take a few minutes out of his trip to stop at this Interstate 90 weigh station at the South Dakota - Minnesota border. Checking the weight of the truck is just the start. If asked, drivers must also prove they're licensed and insured and show their log books. That's because, depending on the truck, drivers may only be on the road between 11 and 14 hours before taking a ten-hour break. Bruck says it’s up to every driver to make sure they're following the rules of the road.

“You have to make a lot of decisions and they better be the smart ones and the right ones,” Bruck said.

Bruck is hauling Farmland Pork between Denison, Iowa, and Sioux Falls. He's been a part of the industry for six years and says his company enforces safe practices, and so does he because everyone on the road wants to reach their destination safely.

“We're all good drivers.  We're professionals. And if you're not, you better be because we're tested everyday. We are tested everyday,” Bruck said.

Not every truck is checked for licenses and registrations at the weight stations. That's because many who pass through the stations do so many times a week and even multiple times a day. But if a truck or driver hasn't been through the station in a while, they'll get stopped, be questioned and have all their forms checked.