To Scale or NOT To Scale..That is the question?.

If in doubt scale it. Peace of mind is worth $9 to me. It is a bad feeling pulling into a scale house with doubt in you mind if your load is legal.

 

Ditto that!

 

While this is an interesting poll in it's own right, it's not really what the debate was about.

There are a million cat scales out there for all kinds of freight. Our debate was specific to hoppers (and probably dumps) who are PAID by weight. That being the case, we are ALWAYS scaled, loaded at a scale if not on top of it. Weighed at the receiving end as well. Also we are equipped with load guages that can give indication if something is awry. Lastly you can view the entirety of the load and know if it looks right or not.

So at that point the question is really if it makes sense to spend the $9 for what amounts to a 5th opinion when all others are FREE. Admittedly it is the only way to get specifically the axle weights, but we always know the gross and the layout of the load.

This isn't about running heavy or going around scales either. I don't typically. In 5 months I've delivered 100 loads and been over 500 state scales. Under gross even 1k over on an axle gets a green light every time. The exception is Virgina who simply takes advantage. Actually it's just the one scale in Roanoke on I-81. 3 out of 3 times I was pulled over was that scale and ticketed twice. This problem is easy enough to solve.

So which is better. It's not a question for me, I've already had the answer. At 250 to 300 loads a year x $9 a scale, or $2500, it's just not worth it. Money aside, the lost time shoveling and reweighing, the blood sweat tears grief and filth of it isn't worth it. There simply is no payoff. I don't even own a shovel and he's spent 2 to 5 hours each on 5 out of 7 loads by his own records worrying about something that never occured to me to worry about in the first place and it's been just fine.

You get a fine either way. Either DOT writes one or two a year, or the cashier at pilot writes you a self-imposed one every day.

I've offered to cover his first over-axle ticket to save some worry (anywhere but VA lol). It will be while!


My total in fines for this half year is $145. Both times I left the shipper over gross as well, so it was iffy to begin with. I also learned which scale to avoid.

Even running at 79k would be much more preferable to that amount of work and expense.

 

When I was runnin a van, with tandems and was getting paid back for scales, I scaled all the time, when I switched to spread flat, never scaled.

 

Here is my opinion. It is my job as a professional driver to make sure I have a legal load. If it cost $9 so be it.
I understand that I pull a dry van and there are different challenges with hopper bottoms. I would still do my best to insure that I am pulling a legal load.
I asked my Dad (who also happens to be my boss) How much money have we spent on CAT Scales ? He told me we spent $700.00 dollars in 2008 on scales. That is running three trucks. We have had NO over-weight tickets.
I see this as part of the job. Taking short cuts and not doing the job correctly only cost you in the long run.

 

My reasoning has a little something to do with a load I did not scale and MD got me for 3400 over on the drives (FYI MD doesn't give you an opportunity to try and adjust, what you are when you roll in is your ticket). Anyway..... I paid the $125 fine the very next day. On my MVR I had a "Non Pointable Violation" (that overweight ticket). Everywhere I applied to drive at in the 3yrs til that fell off wanted and explanation as to what that was. I did not get denied a job because of it, but I would've rather it not been there. I did hold a MD license at the time, not sure if they could only report it because of that.

 

Well on a van or reefer with tandems yes. Hopper not a chance. Spread axle not a chance.

 

Always scale as it will save your butt in the long run.

KH

 

I have weighed and found that the scale was way off compared to the scalemaster weights shown while I was on the scale later at the weigh station.

You might want to read the back of a scale ticket and then decide on the opinion you have given.

 

i pulled a cow trailer for five years & the only times we ever scaled it was when we thought we might be close enough to legal so we could cross the scales.when they tell you they have 50k to put on there is no use worrying about scaling it. with the trailer clean & 1/2 tank of fuel i could scale 46k & be legal,a very rare occurence. oh well you know what they say "there ain't no feelin like cow mobiling".