its time the dot make the shippers have scales on their properties

I would be happier if the #### weight they say the load ways was simi accurate. I know how much my truck weighs with a trailer, If I have a decent Idea of the loads real weight then I can see quite easy if i'm going to be overweight.. Moving the tandems and making sure its distributed correctly is my responsibility.

 

As far as I know DOT has no authority to require shippers to have scales.
That being said, I'd like to see more shippers with an on-site scale and I'd like to know it's calibrated properly.
One of our drivers picked up a back haul last week and the shipper had an old axle scale. The yard man came out and did the weighing because it was the old balance beam with the sliding counterweights. On the round weights at the other end of the beam were small rocks...that was their calibration system.
The load actually scaled out within 100 pounds after the driver double checked it on a Cat scale.
You rookies that have never seen anything but electronic digital readout scales missed all the fun.

 

I understand your perspective OP.

But how do you justify a shipper that does mostly LTL having to put in a scale for the 1 or 2 full trucks that roll for holiday season?

To me it is more of an issue that carriers are not paying for the "on duty not driving" time associated with loading.

 

I'm not sure how much that would end up benefiting 'us'
See Cranky Yankees example.

I have been at Ft Collins (Bud) doing a drop & hook that took 2 hours.
Load WAS ready, Btw.

 

Alot these places barely have a enough room to do a 45° back.. Where the scales gonna go?

 

don't confuse the issue with common sense

 

Explain Mr. Common Sense

 

So, you bust on me because I'm a rookie? Well this rookie did two whole days of training, recently, with a nearby company. The trainer did NO PI during that two days, didn't check a single fluid. I was waiting the results of a drug test so no driving the first day.

He had 117,000 pounds total. Doesn't sound like a problem, w/ permits, right? Well, he had permits from city A to city B and another from city B to city C. The only problem was that we was driving from city A to city C. Thus, the load was illegal as it didn't have a proper permit. Luckily I didn't have to drive.

During this time I witness him doing 85 in a 65 multiple times over 80 and 80 in a 55.

Then, when I was finally allowed to drive (my first time in a Super 10) I naturally screwed it up a bit as I had never driven one before. He stated my driving was just fine, it was my shifting that need work (no kidding!, I could have told him that!).

Anyways, his butt hits the passenger seat and out he goes. In all fairness (or at least a little) he was very sick and didn't sleep well the first night out, coughing and waking up in fits all night long. But that was my FIRST time behind the wheel of a real, loaded flatbed. I needed him awake, not snoozing.

Oh, he also NEVER checked his/our securement, not one time, during those two days out after chaining/strapping it after the initial tie down. Not ONCE!! No 50 miles check, no 100 miles check, not 150 mile check or every 3 hours of driving. Nada, zilch, nothing!!

Needless to say, I went home on Tuesday night, thought about it and went back and cleaned out my stuff and left the key on the driver's seat.

Goodbye!!

This was supposed to be their BEST trainer???

I'll pass.

Now I'm looking for another company that believes in doing things the right way. Luckily I was never actually 'hired' so it's not considered 'quitting' a job.

I only want to do things the right way and want nothing to do with a 'culture' of blatantly doing things the incorrect way. I'll pass.

I might be a flippin' rookie, however, I do know the difference between right and wrong. This guy was just plain wrong.