Why Didn’t I Get A Ticket?

I hope the company doesn't make you pay it. Technically it's your responsibility to scale it out, not trying to give you a hard time, we all make mistakes. A lot of states are only a penny a pound for being over on an axle. However, Pennsylvania's bridge weight fines and something like a dollar a pound. I used to work with a guy, and he got a $20,000 fine in Pennsylvania for being overweight on a bridge. He obviously could not afford it. He took it to court, and they refused to reduce it. His license ended up getting suspend because he couldn't pay it and lost his job. Ridiculous I know but true

 

You don't need to scale every load. You do need to be certain of the weight, and how it's loaded. If they're not teaching you how to load a trailer, find someone, or some resource, to learn from.

Now after loading, if your not certain it's right, it's a good idea to go to the nearest certified scale. It doesn't have to be a CAT scale, as long as the shipper will accept what the scale ticket reads as accurate.

It seems like whatever company you're with is not giving you much training, cause this is real basic stuff.

Now one thing you're bound to hear, "We load them like this all the time..."

Don't let what everyone else supposedly does, sway you from doing what's right.

Remember, it's your license, your career, your reputation on the line.

 

I didn't realize you were over gross.... Glad they didn't make you sit until the load was made legal. What type of trailer, and and what was the freight?

 

Well, he’s not as big of an idiot as I thought. In your opening post, you said that you were 4K over on the arse end. I was thinking 44k on the spread and legal everywhere else.

 

There's a scale on I-40 not too far outside of Wilmington. Also shippers who ship heavy usually have a list of nearby scales you can use, if they don't have a scale.

Your trainer seems like a bonehead.

Also, once you learn your trailer and how it needs to be loaded, TELL don't ask the loaders how you want it loaded.

Loaders are taught to do a one size fits all loading for all flatbeds.. They all assume that if they use the turn signal as the center, your load will be balanced. While fine for most trucks, it doesn't work for me. My trailer is heavy and my truck is light. So I need more weight on my truck tandems.

I've had loaders argue with me about this but I never back down. I'd rather piss off a forklift driver than pay a $300+ ticket for being over on an axle.