over loaded

I hauled molten aluminum under Matlack authority in the early 1980s. Our contract with the shipper required us to provide a rig that would scale a 50,000 lb crucible. In the real world, our equipment was too heavy and the shipper also shipped overweight crucibles occasionally. We were required to weigh on the shipper's scale when departing loaded and when returning empty, for their billing purposes. I always got permission from my dispatcher when a load was overweight. It was not practical to unload a portion of the molten metal. I dodged many scales with those conspicuous rigs.

More to the point of this thread, I was escorted to a gravel pit scale by an Indiana Motor Carrier Officer. Then, he used his portables on the road shoulder to verify the overweight load, and sent me on my way to the Chrysler casting plant in Kokomo. The ticket for $190 was in my name, and I turned it over to Matlack. Several weeks later, I received a registered letter from Indiana. "Either pay the fine or appear in court and plead." Finally, Matlack paid the ticket to avoid having their driver detained while hauling another (probably overweight) load.

 

As with what most said, it depends on the company, but 9 times outta 10, its the drivers responsibility. After all, you are the one at the shipper. You should know what your truck at trailer weigh fully fueled and empty to help you figure out what your max load weight is. Most companys will pay for the scale ticket at CAT for comp. drivers. If you have to go through or to a state that has bridge laws, make sure you can run your tandems in the proper pin setting without overloading your tandems. Usually, California is the only one that will nail you on it everytime, but California is not the only state with bridge laws. Know how much weight changes between your tandems and your drives as you slide the axles.

 

They got me on the bridge BS once here in Texas.

 

It's the DRIVER'S responsiblity that the load is always loaded legally. I pay for my citations so that's why Im never overloaded. I take that back, got caught over gross with lumber while back for 6500 lbs(a misdameanor). The officer was cool about it and only wrote me up for being over loaded on the trailer axles for 3400 lbs(infraction). The company I hauled for paid half of $480.00. He told me I couldn't move till I adjusted the whole load which meant I would have to leave some lumber behind. Instead I waited till he close shop and gave me my citation and license back and ask me if I had some one coming to help me , I replied there on there way, soon as he left I was gone too.

 

Most companies I've worked for have had a macro in the Qualcomm where you can put in your various axle weights. Then if the company wants you to run it, they have to put it in "writing" on the QC. That would cover your tail in some cases.

That used to be OK for the most part, but with states in a crunch for dollars, I'd be leery of doing it now. But at the very least, scale it out, communicate with your dispatcher/driver manager, and use your head!

You're the captain of the ship.

 

Pawtucket bridge in Rhode Island on I-95 is restricted against trucks over 18 tons. The signs warning truckers are questionable as they refer to trucks over 18 tons 2 axles must detour. Why not just say all trucks must detour?
They have fined over 7000 truckers since 2007 for over $3,000,000. Cross it and it'll cost you $3000, second offense $5000. Use I-295 instead to avoid them crooks.

I read up on it, the bridge is safe for trucks. They are trying to prevent it from deteriorating quicker while fattening their wallets.

 

1:If you don't know your truck is over 18 tons and has more than two axles you deserve the ticket

2:RIDOT has been clear that while yes it will sustain a single 40 ton vehicle, the bridge is degrading. Further that restricting heavy vehicles from it may slow the deterioration while repairs can be effected or the new bridge is constructed.

3:None of that means they are stealing.Follow the #### detour.

4:That is not the bridge law being discussed.

 

What if you're picking up sealed trailers at a terminal without a scale in an area where truck stops with scales are few and far between and you cross a state scale in either direction before the first opportunity to weigh the load? I do it all the time - to me that's the companies responsibility and they should pay the ticket.. My outfit does as they should.. They pay all over-weight tickets even if you didn't scale a trailer that was over 23,000 (company policy) at a terminal with a scale as my home terminal does. Been over on the drives and fined with a trailer as light as 14,000 and the fine was made out to and paid by the company. They don't want me wasting time scaling a 14,000 load but I appreciate the fact they will still pay the fine if I didn't take the time to scale a 24,000 pup when I certainly should have..