Roadside & Legal · Driver Training VideoConduct During a Traffic Stop

A traffic stop in a commercial vehicle is not the same as a traffic stop in a car. You are bigger, you are watched more closely, and what happens can end up on your record and your company's safety scores for years.

The moment you see lights behind you, signal early and look for a safe place to stop — a shoulder wide enough for both vehicles, away from a curve or an on-ramp. Do not slam on the brakes and do not stop in a travel lane if you can avoid it. Turn on your hazard lights.

Once you're stopped, stay in the cab unless you're told to get out. Roll the window down, turn off the radio, and keep your hands on the wheel where they can be seen.

Have your documents ready before they ask: CDL, medical certificate, registration, and proof of insurance. If you're operating under an ELD, know how to pull up your record of duty status on request — fumbling with the device makes a clean logbook look like a hidden one.

This may be a traffic stop only, or it may turn into a roadside inspection. Either way, answer questions directly and stick to facts: your name, your logs, your cargo. Don't argue the ticket on the shoulder — that conversation belongs in front of a judge, not in front of a badge.

If the officer places your truck out of service for a mechanical issue or a hours-of-service violation, that is not a suggestion — it is a legal order, and driving past it is a separate offense on top of the original one.

Your company standard: every stop gets called in to safety as soon as you're moving again — citation or not. Don't refuse to sign a citation — in most states it's only a promise to appear, not an admission — but ask about anything you don't understand.

Treat every stop the same: safe pull-over, hands visible, documents ready, straight answers, and a call to safety when it's done. Do that consistently and a traffic stop stays exactly what it should be — a few minutes of your day, not a mark on your career.