Why don't driver's scale their loads?

Last night I picked up a load at an imitation crab place. The guy wanted to stagger the pallets 1 then 2 and repeat all the way back. The BOL says 35k, so I say 1 2 1 then 2 all the way back. This is the usual for 2k to 2.2k pallets. I go to leave and notice my scale bouncing between 34k and 38k. I slide the tandems all the way forward. Still over by 1k. I had to go back and get reworked. The pallets were 2800lbs each.

Each load has its own situation, and without asking for more info you might be in a rework situation even with a 35k load. I scale everything over 30k that looks weird on my load scale in the truck.

 

A lot of times the nearest scale is a non trivial distance away. This really throws a kink into the process when it is overweight. If my air gauges read high that's one thing but I very seldom get load weights above 40k. Also, quite a few of the Northeast states have higher permissible axle weights so as long as I am not over gross adjustments aren't often needed.

Know your shipper, know your product, know your running area, and pay attention to the loading. Also, be familiar with your truck and what it feels like with varying load weights (and if you have air pressure gauges for the suspension watch what pressures correspond to what load weights). You'll get a feel for when you really should scale the load.

 

If it is a uniform density product & I can see how it is loaded, I'll onky scale if the load gauge reads screwy or the bol is over 45k. But I'll scale every pre-sealed trailer over 30k. Company pays for it and I get peace of mind, $0.50 in cc rewards, & a small amount of amusement from seeing how closely I estimated axle weights using the load gauge/bol). My prostar is light for a sleeper so I've never been over gross, but I've been over on the tandems numerous times -- once with a load weighing only 28k (I was like wth is my drive load gauge only reading 10,000?! better scale this...)

 

It's a shame and the dispatch just don't get it as they feel like they're doing they're job by keeping every thing flowing.
There's one thing I hate, and that's doing other peoples work.

I hear you on the uprage towards your dispatch for wanting you to clean up the mess. I myself would refuse to take it back. That's just sheer laziness.

 

If it's not passed the 48 foot mark, all the same product and my tandems are at the 41' between the axles, I find I am usually dead on, if my air gage reads under 60psi when stopped/53-56 rolling I'm between 32-34k on the drives. If the load is under 40k, I'll roll. But if it's loaded to the back that heavy, a load from a customer like RR Donnelly or ProTrans International that are unpredictable, I will scale out.

 

Well I picked up a interesting trick from an old school. Just like I have a book I write my loads in. I had a book I kept all my weights in and which hole I put it in after weighing. After 6 months I started getting same weights then I used the book I created 4 my own benefit. Then after that if I picked up a new trailer with company that had smaller holes I started a section for that trailer type. I found out on older trailers I found out if I rode on 9 I was fine. Haven't figured out uniform hole yet for the new trailers yet. Then majority of time I was picking up from CAT their loads were not that heavy unless I picked up transmissions, I picked up from and delivered 2 john deer never over 30000, the only real heavy loads always came from pactive in jacksonville, il 45000 easy I always put majority of my weight on my drives. I don't weigh because I created my own book so if I didn't come.across a scale I went 2 my book

 

People don't scale loads because simple,they're lazy.Companies should enforce relay loads to be scaled like the one you had.Now there it sits till someone daring takes it either to shipper or receiver because the first driver was to lazy to scale it.

 

Some companies will not pay driver to scale.Its also cheaper to pay scale ticket,than send another separate load.
If its dedicated,they eat over weight tickets like candy here in Ga.Just my personal experience

 

I see what you're saying about companies don't pay drivers to scale it which I won't drive for a company like that.Id rather be legal then give the DOT reasons to inspect me and take up my time.