Why Stop at a Florida AG Station?

So they can see my untarped load of steel and decide if it's edible.

Or maybe these guys and gals are in training to be in a parade with all that waving practice.

 

It's weird, sometimes I get the red light, sometimes I get a green light.
Just recently I got pulled into the scale while empty. I figured they needed to check (x) number of my company's trucks in a week. I was empty anyway so I didn't care, I just thought it was funny.

I also found it easier to say "general freight" when I have a mixed P&G load instead of pulling out the BoL and reading off each entry. Those P&G bills aren't short, and they could be there awhile if they wanted to know everything that's in the box.

 

If you really want to meet the friendly Ag folks in Fla, roll up to the window with a potted palm tree in your cab. You'll get to meet them all..

 

The scales in Florida are fully automated. If you have to go over to the static scale, once you pull on the computer waits for your weights to become steady, and then gives you the green light. It can take a while if you end up behind a loaded tanker, and the officer inside isn't paying attention to override the system and green light him off the scales.

As far as PrePass for the Ag stations in Florida, it's a different program that runs over the PrePass transponders, if your company isn't signed up for that program, you will only get red lights unless the station is closed.

 

I live in Pensacola and will normally get the green light at both stations, but I always get a red light for the scales on my first pass through the state after the first of the month. I will then go the rest of the month with a green light every time regardless of the load or my weight.

 

When I first started driving in Fl about 10 years ago, I bypassed the AG station. Was new to trucking, wasn't hauling ag products, figured it didn't apply to me. Wasn't even pass the building yet when they started down the ramp after me. Officer was nice enough to let me off with "failure to obey a traffic control device" $210. He said he could have charged me with a 2nd degree felony and hauled me off to jail on the spot. Never bypassed another one since.

 

For a while they would check my BOL and then copy them, and the way I understood it, they were working with some kind of tax outfit with the Florida State Govt to make sure some kind of sales or property tax was being paid on stuff coming into the state.

 

Hardleyever nailed it. Not only do they check for ag issues, dyed fuel, and drugs, they also scan BOL's for incoming freight to make sure someone is paying the sales tax on it, if applicable. If you have a flat and it looks like a job-site delivery, they'll usually scan your bills if they feel like working. Prepass has an optional enrollment with an additional monthly fee to bypass the ag check, if you're not carrying ag, of course.