Dodging scales

I used to dodge scales all the time, particularly in Texas. It got to the point where I knew every weigh station and how to get around it. I never got caught, but - came very close once. Well, I think I got close to being caught. I was on a farm road out in the middle of nowhere, had never been on that road and came up on a sign that said that the weight limit on an upcoming bridge was 5 tons. I was at almost 50 tons (hence the reason going around the scales!) . I cruised over it, thinking that would be the only one, and anyway, I wasn't about to try and turn around at nighttime on that narrow road.

To my - well I just couldn't believe how many freakin' bridges this road had, little bridges, and all of them had no more than 10 ton weight limits. Someone called the cops. It was a straight road with no turns and was something like 40 miles long. I was watching my rear views and saw lights flashing WAY back in the distance. I was cranking around 70mph on this dirt road, keeping my distance from whatever "brand" of cop was coming.

That cop car was going faster, because it was slowly catching up with me. This went on for 20 minutes. I thought I was going to get caught, and for as many bridges as I had illegally crossed - well who knows, probably going to jail or something really bad.

This farm road FINALLY ended, cut into a state highway, which then cut into the Interstate. I was cranking down that interstate at - very high speeds (a lot of trucks back then didn't have governors) - and I got away from him/her/whoever that person in that car was. I never went on that road again (yeah, RIGHT!). I always went around scales because I was always overloaded by at least 5,000 pounds - and I was driving junk equipment. It was a game I was willing to play in my 20's, I wouldn't even THINK about doing ANYTHING like that now - seriously. AND, I don't recommend it to new drivers - you get caught and your short-lived career might just well be over for all intents and purposes.

 

Yes and who you give the green stamps to to help pay house and car notes.But its not bribery its the way of business.

 

I always dodge em' if it's at all possible.....It's a hang up from my younger days and I just can't break it.

 

How very sporting of you, ol' chap.

One if by land
Two if by sea
We'll dodge 'em all
Just you & me.

 

TX uses very few scale houses to begin with. the few they have are not open a whole lot. They prefer to dish out there brand of texas butt whooping on the back roads and highways just pulling over truck after truck. Trust me, TX does much more damage on the back roads then most states do with there scales.

 

LOL....Where you been hiding out you ol'scallywag?

 

Mine too I starting driving first thing I had to learn was how to dodge them scales and the portables too.Trainees would be better off learning to drive trucks like we had in the good old days.

 

That ain't no joke.... a/c if you were super lucky and it would give you a ice cream headache on one side of your head and make it look like your scalp was in the wrong place and either the heater was wide open or non existant.....GPS was a old worn out rand mcnally with the page you needed missing or so coffee stained you couldn't read it...NO CELL PHONES....Qualcom was a truck stop pay phone and it was only a $35 fine to whip a dispatchers ### (and they knew it too)so if you acted like you were pissed off,they were nice to you....Ahhh,the good ol' days.

 

Yes and the best part in Texas most of the time if You was caught by L&W they ask you if you was over weight If you said yes just sign the ticket usealy about 27 dollars and you was on the road again.

 

Much
Much
Too simple.