Could Ohio lump truckers with traffickers?

An effort underway at the Ohio statehouse to get tough with drug trafficking is drawing a lot of attention. Check that. It is drawing a lot of ire from truck drivers who feel like they are being lumped with traffickers, and losing another personal freedom in the process.

At issue is a bill to target hidden compartments in vehicles, including large trucks and trailers. The legislation is part of an anti-drug trafficking effort outlined by Gov. John Kasich.

Vehicles found to include hidden compartments, with or without drugs, could result in severe consequences for the person behind the wheel, and the owner. Offenders could face up to 18 months in jail and $5,000 fines.

On the list of no-no’s the bill appears to address are safes, lockboxes and other compartments retrofitted to vehicles to protect possessions. At this time, it is important to note that only compartments added after the vehicle leaves the factory are targeted.

That clarification does little to soothe truckers who travel Ohio roads.

The authority given to law enforcement could cause a lot of trouble for truckers who rely on such “hidden compartments” to protect their valuables, such as cash needed to operate their business.

Since I wrote about the bill, I have received numerous emails from professional drivers about concerns such as what would be classified as a compartment, about privacy rights being violated, and about this push representing yet another instance of the government being overzealous in trying to control the trucking industry.

It will be interesting to see how Ohio lawmakers massage the issue in an effort to garner support in the months ahead. There certainly are a lot of concerns that are not going to be eased by simply trying to reassure the public that such action is needed to help the state win the drug war.

In addition to the valid concerns voiced to this point, you must also question the effect such a rule would have in stemming the flow of drugs in and through Ohio. However, there is little question about the hassle and harassment that truckers could soon experience traveling into the state.

Talk about a specialty gig …

One fascination that resonates in the trucking industry is the fascination with unique equipment and unusual loads. It’s one of the first questions asked when OOIDA members visit HQ here in Grain Valley.

Photo courtesy LACMA

“What do you haul?”

Usually the response is something like, “I’ve got a load of mower parts out there,” as they jerk a thumb over their shoulder showing us their truck and trailer. Of course, the ones who have race cars, pigmy goats, Thomas the Tank Engine – pretty much anything unusual or interesting – get quite the response.

But in all the years at truck shows and here at OOIDA’s Land Line Magazine, I can honestly say I’ve never heard of an operation hauling a 340-ton rock.

Yup. A rock. One rock.

Of course, when I stumbled across an article about this enormous rock leaving the quarry, I had to know more. What truck and trailer were actually able to transport this thing? What did it look like? Where was it going? What kind of permits did it need?

Here are a few of those answers: