Need advice- load is overweight

OK, she was way over on the tandems before adjustments were made.

 

You are allowed 550lbs over on Drives and Gross with a functional APU. I have the Federal Law/Allowance for it in my Permit Book. You will though get Flagged a lot to scale out if you run up to 80,550lbs.

 

Atta girl, we knew you'd make it! Now, on to the next dilemma. Now do that same scenario for 35 years, and tell me how you feel. Good work!

 

I'm not being rude.....but the word is "to" ....not 2!

 

ok grammer police,lol.Just teasen ya.

 

always, always, always...when you pick a load up 40,000 lbs and more...the minute you leave your shipper, split, drop yard, swap or terminal...you head straight to a truck stop with a CAT Scale and you scale that load. PERIOD. no and, if's or but's about it.

12,000 lbs. steer axle
34,000 lbs drive axle (tractor)
34,000 lbs tandem axles (trailer)

if any of your weights exceed that, you first slide your tandems and rescale. then you adjust your fifth wheel amd rescale. if you cant get it legal, you call dispatch and notify them. they will route you back to the shipper and they will either re-load the trailer, or remove some porduct to make it legal.

with a CAT scale ticket if you go through a weigh station and they give you a ticket for being overweight, then CAT scale will go to court on your behalf and contest the ticket or pay your fine.

cover. your. butt!

 

Im my 6 years of driving Ive never once had to slide my fifth wheel... As far as the steers go its not 12,000 its the maximum rate of the tire... if your tire weight ratio ( on the side of the tire ) reads 6250 times that by 2 and you can legally be 12,500 on the steers... My rule of thumb is if Im a little over I would slide the heavy weight to your tandems as most scales are single axle and they look at the steers and then drives and in my experience green light you... Not always but in most cases you would be more safe to be a "little" heavy on the rear... With out a doubt you do on slim circumstances get a scale master on a single axe coop scale that will make you actually sit there for a few seconds and actually check each axle throughly.... Obviously a couple hundred pounds is passable, Im certanly not say your ok being over 1000 LBS.... Over time you learn what scales are open and when they are closed and plan accordenly... If im a little heavy and know scale A closes at 8pm and Im over 800 lbs I will wait a little versus going back to the shipper and sitting for 10 hours waiting for a re work... MOST not ALL scales have a way around em...

 

ok, I disagree here about not needing a CAT scale. why? because the shipper's scales might not be properly calibrated number one. number two, if it isnt calibrated and you pull out with a load thinking you are legal and you go across a weigh station scale and it isnt legal...that shipper is not coming to coming to court on your behalf and they will not say their scales were calibrated and accurate and you are now SOL (poop outta luck).

The difference with CAT Scales is that they WILL go to court for you on your behalf and contest that ticket.

I do however, use shipper and mill scales to see where my weights are and if i need to slide tandems before I get on the roads. then I head to a truck stop and get a CAT Scale done to cover my little fanny.

CAT scales are now $10.00, and $2 for each re-weigh if you have to slide some tandems or a fifth wheel. companies will reimburse you if you are a company driver. not sure on o/o's, lease drivers or contractors.

 

Your missing the fact the shipper didn't load it wrong. She was able to get it legal by sliding tandems. It's all on her.

Also 100 pounds on steers are fine. In order to have the apu exemption you must have the exemption in your permits book. Without the form you can't use the exemption. We actually have the exemption in ours and I can upload a pic for anyone unsure what it looks like or if they even have it.