Gross weight, Axle weight & Scales... what would you do?

I always like to consider explaining why i did what i did if i were in court after a bad accident while doing something wrong...

 

You can take this with a grain of salt. I have NO idea how much research they did to compile this list. But if it is "accurate", few states do NOT allow APU weight allowance.
http://www.ooida.com/EducationTools/Info/weight-exemptions.asp

Hawaii is the biggest problem for me.

 

Put it on the steers. Burn some fuel getting lighter by the minute. Short load just move it and on to the next one.

 

While I want to agree with the sentiment, a lot of shippers have a standing rule that means they expect a truck to be LESS then xxxxx tare weight. You can't go in there with a 36,000 lb rig when everyone else has a 35,000 lb rig and expect them to take off some product for you. You either need to get a lighter rig combination or find another shipper.

Some times they "push it" and hope the driver that picks it up is driven solo by a hundred pound blonde female who carries very few clothes and junk. But that's the business. Most won't get compensated to sit 3 hours waiting on them to fix a load. And they have to make a judgement call. Life's a gamble.

I've known some who would check the fuel of a complaining driver. One I know of was full, and they said he'd have to get off the load and allow another truck to come in and take it, and they'd get another lighter load. This was a meat shipper in southern up-state NY, forget the name.

 

Yup, thats TTR for ya!

 

If I were to pull it I'd want my trailer axles legal. I'd just tell DOT I made a mistake with the fuel weight calculations, and confess I had a rather large lunch...

 

Let me ask a stupid question since I honestly don't know this answer. Are portable scales certified? Is there any variance you can get away with that you can argue since they are in fact portable and may not be accurate? I realize that 300lbs may be pushing it but just wondering.

 

I've had cops using truly portable scales let me off with what they said was a combined 500 lbs over on a tandem group because they allow for 900 lbs before they will issue a citation, but their 1,000 lbs would net you 1,000 lb ticket. However, I think permanent in-ground scales have the same certification requirements as any public scale does, according to that state.

I don't think a judge is going to entertain the idea of having portable scales subpoenaed to verify their accuracy. But Cat Scales have forced CMV cops to keep their equipment in spec or very close. They can't get by with too much variance when drivers have a Cat scale from an hour ago that might say otherwise.

 

Yes I agree, but I'll still stand by my stance. I'm usually well below the numbers you quote. What needs to be done is for the customer to understand the rules, pure and simple, or central dispatch shouldn't give this particular load to a tractor that is questionable in weight. A tractor with a smaller sleeper will suffice. But sometimes it's not possible as I maybe the nearest truck available and the load needs to go.
Bottom line is there's no excuse to be overweight. My unique form of gentle persuasion always works together with my convivial British accent...LOL!!

 

I always wondered how the revenue from overweight tickets dropped at Joplin when the CAT scales went in. The rumor had always been that the coops weren't required to be certified in Missouri because they weren't a commercial scale. Emphasis rumor.

I know they were famous for finding overweight axles on a truck that had crossed half the country legally...


And Grumppy, at 300 lbs, it wouldn't really matter on portables. Unless you find Richard Cabeza, those guys know there's too many variables with portables to worry about a weight that close.