BoltHouse Farms/Mercer Ranch

Prosser/Alderdale, WA

These guys knowingly overload trailers.

I scaled out at 81,780 with 2/8 on fuel. Went back to have a pallet taken off. Now, generally, I'm a pretty reasonable person. I might consider taking a chance on a couple hundred pounds depending on area and shipper attitude, but NOT a TON.

This guy tells me, "Other drivers don't have a problem with it."

To which I immediately respond, "I don't give a crap. It's my equipment."

"Well," he says, "There aren't any scales on the way,"

"That's not the point," says I. "I don't want the weight on my truck. Besides that, they set up portables at the top of 221 above Prosser. You gonna pay the ticket?"

They took a pallet off. I was still 300 over on my drives with my tandems all the way forward, so I moved my fifth wheel forward and took 250 off. I had room to spare on the steers due to low fuel level.

They knew they were overloading me. You could see that in their actions. And, while I did make an effort to look concerned, I honestly couldn't care less what other drivers do.

"Everybody else does it" didn't work when my daughter wanted to go to school in a midriff shirt and miniskirt. It certainly isn't going to be effective in getting me to risk my safety record.