Dodging scales

Problem was my steer axle was something like 12,400. I drove anyway. I had to get fuel too so this was going to make things worse. I got to the first scale in Kansas hoping I had burned enough fuel from a fill up in Ardmore, OK to be legal and I scaled something close to 13,000 on steers but they let me go. I had to be right at 79,900 gross. Now I have heard I could be up to 13,000 on steer axle as long as I was not over gross but I don't know what is true.

they go by the square inch of tire width and footprint and then times this by 750 pounds depending on the width of the tire is what you can haul.on most over the road trucks you can go 14,000 pounds on the steers.

 

I completely agree with you on this. Especially here in the buckeye. The DOT up here will pull a driver over for talking on their cell phone citing that they cannot effectively do their job while engaged in a phone conversation. Meanwhile, there is a HP headquarters on the same street as the concrete plant that I deliver to, and last week I was nearly ran into head on by an officer who was too busy texting someone and driving 45 in the 25 zone to pay attention to me driving in my lane as he turned left in front of me. The other one that really chaps my ###, is the hp flying down the highway at 75-80 mph so they can set in the median and hand out tickets to drivers running 58 in a 55 zone. Just what makes them think that they are being any safer than we are? And what gives them the right to demonize hard working men and women on the road in the big trucks, when they're more dangerous than we are?

 

In a lot a cases with a spread axle, I have been forced to learn how to "negotiate" the route. For example, I loaded in Nashville heading out to CA. I book all of my own loads and so on. I had already booked my return trip from CA. I have suspension gages in my truck so I know where I'm at with weight all of the time. I told the loader how to load my truck and he told me I WASN'T allowed on the dock but, he knew how to load me. I went to my truck and started to watch my gages. From the number of pallets he put on, I knew I was going to be heavy on my drives. I went back in to tell him to single another one an chimney block the rest. He wouldn't look at me. When it was all over, I pulled away from the dock to make sure it wasn't my gages. It wasn't. I backed into my door and went in. By this time the loader was outside smoking a cigarette. I told him I was over on my steers and asked why did he tell me "he knew how to load me" for? His reply was that they have a standard chart for loading all trucks. I laughed and went inside to tell his supervisor that I needed some pallets switch around. This guy was something else. He told me that if they took any pallets off, they will stay off and I could just leave. I explained to him I tried to tell the loader how to load. He didn't want to hear me. OK, off to CA I go. I didn't have the luxury of waiting for another load nor could I afford it. I made it happen. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do!I don't have a dispatcher to call to fix it. The broker didn't and still don't care about weight issues.




As far as the bears, I'm not sure where the line is between them and us. Safety is safety. The want to roll on their high horses but, slop like pigs. I think bears are more illegal than us. They write tickets that don't and won't stick everyday. We shouldn't have to decide weather it was justified or a power trip. It's a nice right we have, thank god. I am a firm believer that if I'm in the wrong, then pay up.

 

Lets face it. Some scale houses are just known for being trouble. I go around every scale I can and there is nothing wrong with my truck or weight but why take the chance. i'm not going to go far out of my way but if it's an easy one then I will, and most are easy.
If you aren't on non truck routes then how can you get in trouble. Now needless to say the bears are not stupid and if they see you on the bypass roads they will tote you to the scale to weigh and inspect you if you have n reason to be out there.

 

Well It looks like all of that is coming true.Everyone is out for number one the heck with the others.

 

Texas DOT told the CH.2 news its not illigal to dodge scales in Texas.

 

But Texas DOT is/has been trying to make certain back roads non truck routes to make it harder to go around scales..

 

Two words. THE BADGE.

 

Well a lot of the roads that bypass the scales are used by loggers going to the mill.and one bypass is hwy US75 all though the little towns can ban trucks but then they would lose a lot of business.DOT will find a way.Funny the news comes out of town and harrass the State DOT.They need to worry about the local DOT.Certain companys never get stopped and checked.

 

Indicating that it's not WHAT y'all know, but
WHO y'all know.