Scale questions ...

I have the Pre-Pass transponder in my truck. It is well worth the $15 a month for the time saved. When you come up to a scale site, the sensors hanging over the interstate signal to the scale house who you are. They only tell company name and safety rating. They don't tell speed (as some rumors I have heard), and they do not log what time you came through. If you have a satisfactory safety rating, you will get by-passed or a green light. If not, you get the red light but still may only have to pull in only to go through the by-pass lane. Take this for example: if you have had 3 safety inspections within the past two years, your random pull in percentage is 5%. If you have no inspections, the percentage goes up to 25%. I have had 3 inspections in the last 3 months (I think they're picking on me) so I get the green light quite often but occasionally have to stop. Just remember one thing, it is still up to the scale house operator to determine if they use the Pre-Pass or not. Sometimes, they pull everybody in.

 

It'll vary a bit depending on the state. MOST often, ya simply slow down to 3mph, get in line and roll over the scale. If the house does'nt signal you to stop, etc.: ya hit the throttle and go. Others have you stop each axle for weigh-ing. Some pre-weigh, and roll ya by for I.D. Places like N.M. and Wy. don't really weigh ya, but will make EVERY non pre-pass truck stop, and come in to show your registration.

 

What if you pick up load at X51, weigh station is X52, and nearest truck stop with scale is at X53. How to handle this situation?

 

I've had this situation a few times in Topeka,KS. I loaded at Horizon Milling, heavy loads of flour, going west....no scale between shipper and weigh station....3 times I was over by as much as 2500# on an axle but never over gross.
All 3 times the scalemaster checked my paperwork and logbook, let me adjust the axles and re-weigh, and sent me on down the road.
I think they have to give you something like 25 miles to get to a scale before they can nail you on an overweight, but I'm not sure.

 

Lessee.

Times ARE recorded, even if you are green-lighted. Just not transmitted anywhere unless asked for.

If the pre-pass has a weigh-in-motion on the highway, it may matter not at all what the inspection rating is - if you are over a certain weight, they'll pull you in for a more accurate weigh. They'll do it if you are below a certain weight, too, on the grounds that you may have missed one of the highway scale pads.

Roadhound is absolutely right about it being up to the staff, too. They can set up all manner of criteria for pulling in: every 3rd truck, any truck under X weight, any truck from company X.. etc.

My fave scale is the one on I-80, MM around 180 or so in Utah. 9 times out of 10, I'd get red-lighted there - Empty, light, or heavy, I'd pull through. Truck had recent inspections, company has good safety rating...

 

Leased a truck once that had prepass and I got a monthly report on everytime I went thru or by a scale to the exact minute. That company also got their logs audited by the DOT and they did use the prepass to check accuracy of logs. Still a lot better than having no prepass and having to enter every open scale, that takes a lot of extra time and fuel.

 

Hey, thanks. Anyone else out there that can confirm the 25 miles?

 

Since it's not a federal thing, I imagine it's going to vary state to state.

 

the 25 mile thing isnt accurate I drive a cement truck and watched a coworker get pulled over and weighed 8 miles after getting loaded and fined for over gross, over axle and their was another fine but i cant remember what maybe its differant for semi trucks but if your in a cement mixer were fair game to be weighed at any time.

 

I know of no such rule. In fact, I know of drivers who have had to cross a state scale in order to reach the CAT scale. They have been fined.