Ever haul oversize without banners or permits or not legal

We had a similar situation come up today. We have a customer that is trying to ship 2 boats. Each boat is 22.5 long and 123" high. We looked for a way of making it work. The only way to make it work was to find a trailer with an 8' front deck or find a way to block or brace the boat in a matter that would allow the front of the boat over the front deck.

 

give it up and go home.your wallet,driving record,and safety dept. will not like it if you get caught.

 

Yes, of course I have. But I have been out here for over 30 years. Times are different now and things are a lot more strict. Back in the day most of the scale guys were reasonable about things. You could talk things over and many times explain things away or at least down to a warning. Over weights were common in the winter due to snow and ice and still are in many cases.


The folks in the scales are very much like the drives I see every day and I mean they don't have a clue. They know exactly what the 'Book" says about this or that but really wouldn't know what to do if you hit them in the head with the same book say if they had a minor mechanical issue on the road.

I'm not a habitual rule breaker, not even close, but if you haven't broke a couple then I'm not sure you have been trucking.

 

You decide what to do truck driver. I mean this sincerely but you have to man up and make the decision. Last month I was in north Texas and needed to get home for a family issue. I loaded 36 round bales of hay, strapped it, flagged it with banners and away I went. NO PERMITS even though they are free for the asking since hay is exempt. Stupid? Many may say so but it was late Friday and I was going home and not for free. I decided what to do and took on the responsibility for it. I looked legal and with hay that is typically good enough.
Stopped over in Kansas and stayed home for 2 days and delivered the hay in central Iowa later in the week.


Each circumstance is as different as the driver in it. I still love the feeling I get when I go back to my roots in trucking but I also accept the punishment if it bites me in the booty!