Most companies use 32k or 34k (freight weight) for the "scale needed" level.

Originally Posted by A Wise Guy

Do you have a smart phone? Yup, there's an app for that. Truckster is now a buy it app but worth it, cat scales has an app, pilot and TA also.

Free apps...

-DAT (best one)
-CATScale
-myPilot
-Trucker Tools
-TruckSmart (TA/Petro)
-Love's


To the OP - After a few loads or couple weeks, you should be able to look at your paperwork (weight) and know where to set your pin (+/-1). You still want to scale asap but 95% of the time you should be there, might be heavier on the drives or the trailer, but legal.

Today, I had a load set it to 10 I think it was, went over two weight stations and was fine. About 80 miles down the road I saw a CAT and this was the closest I ever came to being illegal after just guessing - 11940, 32240, 33980 but still legal.


Some places don't have CAT scales anywhere to be seen for miles, but there's always full scales somewhere at a station or yard... Drove by a grain yard the other day, pulled in and asked if I could weigh real quick, they said go for it.

If there's noone around, get on the CB and ask. You may not think so or may not want to ask, but you'll be surprised, truckers will actually help you out. The other day, two different guys came out of their trucks and helped back me into a real tight spot...


So ask, be patient and you'll probably learn a thing or two from the "old" timers...


Ok, enough of my rumbling here, good night Dallas!

There are some serious fines for these violations,

and it IS YOUR job to know the regulations/rules/laws !!!!

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tru...%2C+bridge+law

The school may not have explained the importance of axle weights or you may have simply missed it due to information overload.

Here is a basic tutorial for those unsure about axle weights.

The general guidelines for weight distribution are as follows;

12000 lbs steer axle
34000 lbs drive axles
34000 lbd trl axles.

ANY load over 40,000 lbs should be scaled asap.

If there is no scale close by you can "eyeball" the load. This means you look at the way the freight is loaded in the trailer. If it is uniform from front to back then line up the back of the rear trailer axle with the back of the last pallet on the trailer. If the trailer tandem has mudflaps attached to the assembly then simply use the mudflaps as a guide (line up the mudflaps with the rear of the freight).

Now in the event you have a 53' trl be aware there are other regs called "bridge laws" that give specific distances between the king pin and the center of the rear tandem to be legal. These laws vary from state to state but normally 41' is the farthest distance you can legally have when pulling a 53' trailer.

I believe California is the only state that has a stricter bridge law for 53's which is 40'

The above information can be verified by going to the National Weight and Size Provisions section of your Rand McNally Deluxe Motor Carriers Atlas (No trucker should be without this tool).


As you continue driving through the various states in this country you will soon realize that states will allow heavier weights on a tandem axle. The 12000, 34000, 34000 formulae gets moved around a bit. You still cannot exceed 80,0000 (exception; some states permit a 400 lb APU exemption which could exceed the 80k limit) as a rule.

The following states allow higher weight limits on a tandem;

Alaska 38k
Colorado 40k
Connecticut 36k
Florida 44k
Georgia 40,680
Idaho 37,800
Louisiana 37k
Maine 38k
Missouri 36k
New Hampshire 36k
New Mexico 34,320
New York 36k
North Carolina 38k
Rhode Island 44k
South Carolina 39,600
Vermont 36k
Wyoming 36k

Adjusting weights are relatively simple; Slide the axles away from the freight to remove weight, Slide the axle further under the freight to gain weight.