Accuracy of CAT scales and are these numbers a sign of load shift?

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Thrasher28, Feb 18, 2022.

  1. Thrasher28

    Thrasher28 Road Train Member

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    Product: Packaged frozen food, 625 boxes on 20 pallets. Trailer sealed at pickup at Tyson

    Both weighs were full reefer, DEF, and truck fuel

    First weigh within 30 miles of getting loaded:
    Steer: 12,120
    Drives: 30,400
    Trailer: 32,540
    Gross: 75,060

    1000 miles later (600 miles until delivery) after coming to a sudden stop due to a wreck in SLC and feeling a jolt while slowing down:
    Steer: 12,140
    Drives: 30,660
    Trailer: 32,240
    Gross: 75,040

    Question from me is: Is this a sign of a load shift or a normal variation between scales? If it shifted, I doubt it was drastic or damaged anything, but just curious for future reference.
     
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  3. Farming Trucker

    Farming Trucker Bobtail Member

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    It could be both. It wasn’t much of a weight change so either option would make sense.
     
  4. Snailexpress

    Snailexpress Road Train Member

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    It's normal accuracy for heavy scales. Plus all CAT scales calibrated to have weight little bit higher then real to eliminate ticket payments.
     
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  5. Thrasher28

    Thrasher28 Road Train Member

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    Reckon I’ll find out and update. I know lots of people like to drive through the scales at 20mph to get through the lot quicker, so wasn’t sure how consistent they were. Not really worried about product damage like I would be if it was a beer load or something. I just figured at some point in my career, there might be a situation where reweighing and finding out about load shift early could save some headache at a receiver later on.

    This was just the first time in 3 years that I ever came to a truly unexpected stop and felt a jolt. Usually rolling with my CB on and taking it easy through cities
     
  6. God prefers Diesels

    God prefers Diesels Road Train Member

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    That equates to a couple inches of movement. Any transfer to the drives means it got transferred off the tandems. I'm not in your guys line of work, but that seems seriously possible to me. In the flatbed world, just shifting the entire load forward or backward off the center light half a pallet equates to thousands of pounds of shift.
     
  7. tallguy66

    tallguy66 Medium Load Member

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    Maybe ya spilled some chicken juice lol

    *edit NVM FROZEN
     
  8. Thrasher28

    Thrasher28 Road Train Member

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    Vans/reefers are usually 250-350 pounds shift per hole on the tandems. Depends on make of the trailer and the load, but it’s 8-12inches or so.

    I definitely see why flatbedders are always particular about the loading. A lot different when our 1500lb van pallets are off centerline a few inches compared to you all trying to set 20,000+ pounds perfectly center
     
  9. skallagrime

    skallagrime Road Train Member

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    Bah, no we arent, thats why we have spread axles, 12,30,38, good enough, still legal :p

    Im particular about it only on a single 48k coil dialing in a new trailers true center of weight and ride quality
     
  10. truckdriver31

    truckdriver31 Road Train Member

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    cat doesnt stand behind axle weights. they only stand by and certify the gross weight. read that long box towards the middle on front
     
  11. Malt Ball Cult

    Malt Ball Cult Light Load Member

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    The largest deviation between first weigh and second weigh is less than 1%.

    Why worry about .9%?
     
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