Overweight Ticket Oregon Split Axle Flatbed

Ummmm, sliding your fifth wheel does not change trailer weight.

 

Just pay the fine and move on. You made a mistake with the suspension valves and they caught you before you figured it out. Overweight fines don't count against your license or your company's CSA score. They are just a fine.

Nebraska got me for 14K over gross a few weeks back because my permit service made a mistake ordering the permit and I didn't catch it. I had plenty of axles for it but it wasn't on the permit. My fault for not reading the permit. $374 fine and $25 for a new permit and off I went.

I'm not sure how you couldn't feel a trailer with no suspension though. I've had trailers blow air bags or have leveling valves flip and dump the suspension and I can immediately feel it because the trailer will buck hard on any big bumps.

Consider this a learning experience to do a walk around after loading and kick your air bags to make sure they are actually inflated.

Also CAT scales will let you do a split weigh if you ask them when you hit the button. When they ask you for first weigh or re-weigh tell them you want a split weight. They will weight the steer and drive platforms first then have you pull forward and put your front trailer axle on the drives platform and the back axle on the trailer platform. Then they will give you a weight ticket with 4 weights on it that will show you individual axle weights for the trailer then.

 

The loader must've put too much on the back end/axle. Some loaders really don't understand how to load 53 foot flatbeds. Too many of them treated them like 48 footers. I definitely would bring it to Cat Scale's attention. The weights are different and it got you a citation, now it's not a forgone conclusion that the Cat Scale was defective, but it's worth a shot at not paying a ticket that large.

 

Write em a check, get a receipt, tax deduction.....

I doubt you could do anything that wouldn't cost more.

I'm surprised they didn't make you pay it right then.

 

I doubt they will move on the fine. I certainly wouldn't spend any money on a lawyer for this. It's a pretty clear cut situation on this one. They guy even listed the individual axle weights on the ticket. Not a whole lot to argue on it.

I've fought a lot of tickets over the years and even for moving violations they never reduce the fines. They will usually work with you on reducing points so you don't hurt your record but that fine is just another source on income for the state.

 

Glad it was something simple. Did you set the trailer brakes when you stopped on the scale? On some trailers that will automatically deflate the airbags, so that's something to keep in mind to not do in the future.

As for the ticket, I would contact CAT scale about the discrepancy in the gross weight and see what they say. They always claim they stand behind their weights being accurate and I think it says something on the back of the scale ticket about how they will go to court and fight for you or some such thing. I have never heard of anyone actually taking them up on that though, but it can't hurt to call them up.

 

They won't fight this one. Guy didn't have his bags inflated. He's not getting a ticket for his gross weight. They got him for the single axle over weight. Their lawyers will figure that out pretty quick and toss it right back to him.

At best letting them know their gross was off will let them check the scale and get it re-calibrated so somebody else doesn't get a ticket for being over gross.