Bobtailing and Scales???

They got me again ! Good Friday around noon on the KY I-71 scales . Three trucks ahead of me get the bypass . I'm pulling an empty tank and get the arrow to the scale . I stop on the scale . He looks at me and waves me on .

 

Illinois for instance, the weight is the issue. The bobtail weight is around 18-19,000 lbs. Trucks are required to enter the scales at 16,000 lbs.

Even though you use the truck for personal conveyance, it still is classified a commercial vehicle and marked, licensed accordingly.

 

Its depends how far you are going if using truck for personal conveyance. If you are at your company's yard going to the store,restraunt, and such is ok. I live in Indio,Ca and have to pass the Banning Coops and have been sometimes been pulled in. Good thing I had my logbook up to date.

 

I have looked and looked in the regs. bothe DOT and and CA. for how far you can go in a trcuk used for personal conveyance. I have yet to find it.

So if there is a rule of how many miles during personal conveyance you can run, please post the rule and the # it's under.

 

It is one of those gray areas. I believe it to be running around town for a few miles is okay. Anything longer, it becomes an issue.

I think it best to ask Psanderson or dieselbear.

 

i believe the wording goes something like "a reasonable distance" which leaves a LOT up to interpretation.

 

On 11-25-08 I left Council Bluffs, IA headed to Salt Lake City, UT. As I passed the North Platte, NE scales I heard "DOT rolling westbound" come across the old Northstar 6000. Paying it no never mind I was quite surprised when I was lit up a short time later. I pulled over on the shoulder and when the young officer approached I had my paperwork ready. He asked where I was headed, I told him and then stated what I had mentioned previously. I asked him If I was correct in my understanding he stated that I was. He asked If I had Prepass and I told him yes and he said that I got stopped because I had received a red light. i told him that was not possible because it was in the back in a bag locked in a cabinet. I retreived it from the back and handed it to him and sure enough it was not flashing either red or green. So I knew that was not the reason. So after a 3 minute convo to ensure I had the proper understanding about bobtails and scales I proceeded on to SLC not stopping at any other scale. I had inquired about this initialy at the Litchfield, IL scales and that is where I given this info.

 

That's correct . In Canada they have a 75 mile limit .

 

From what I remember, don't get asked about it much, but I think you are right. I'll look it up and post what I find.

 

I guess my big question here is, how do the folks in the scale house know if you are "using it as a personal conveyance," or only traveling a short distance? Is it not better to go through the scales, than to be chased down by an officer, and then have a roadside discussion about whether you are legal or not?

I have no idea WHAT the law is on this, but it just seems like common sense, to me.