Stopping at scales when empty with a flatbed...

Well in Ohio wore, I dont cross them. They drive their nice little van out to me!

 

Thats my favorite

 

lol I think it saves time and milage if they come to me. Plus gets them boys out in fresh air. Should have seen the mess the trooper stepped in few years back when he told my old man to shovel it off because he was not gonna let him go back 2 miles to dump off. The trooper lived but it was hit and miss.

 

If they’re decked up coming from the mill empty they don’t even have to pull into the scale at the 200/83 junction. I’m not sure if there are other ones in MT or not. It’s been that way at that scale for as long as I can remember.

 

by your thinking if i'm bobtail then I can bypass every scale....

 

I have been pulled into station, made park out back and given a level 1, all while bobtailing. Go figure!

 

I run Indiana, Illinois and Iowa. Every day I'm hitting either the 2 westbound scales on I80 or the east bound on I280 and nb on I55. There is a sign at the entrance to the bypass lane for empty flatbeds to use bypass lane. I can't do that as I have covered wagon and look the same loaded or empty.

 

It specifically states "flatbeds" and not "trailers" ?

Odd.

 

Yes. If you trip the sensor to pull you onto the static even when empty, which has happened to me, the only trailer they will know to be empty will be a flatbed. All others, they will think that you should be on the static, but ducked out, and they will invite you to go around and get on the static.

Unlike California, which has a 5 mph with speed bump bypass lane, Illinois' bypass is 30 mph, with no speed bump. They can't tell what you weigh in the bypass.

 

I asked them this question at the ag station. The answer they gave is “yes you are supposed to stop, but we aren’t going to chase you down”. So take it for what it’s worth. I don’t stop at them, but doesn’t mean it right