Can scale houses actually tell if I’m overweight on spread axles

They don’t usually axle out a spread, you’re allowed 40.
12(more in some states) on steer, 34 drives, 40 spread
I’d go as long as you’re not overgross

And you have a 10’2 spread.

 

Some weigh stations do weigh each axle.

 

Ive had the scale house make me weight the spread axles separately at 2 places. Once in wyoming and other time was Illinois or indiana, cant remember for certain.

 

Probably Indiana, they used to split your drives too. It’s wording in the regs. Technically if the axles are more than 10’ apart you get 20,000 per axle. It says nothing about 40,000 on a spread tandem. Just 20,000 if there’s no other axle within 10’. So from there it’s up to the guy in the scale. Other than the more fascist jurisdictions nobody is going to mess with you as long as you don’t blow over 40,000 on the pair, but that wording is still there.

 

Consider lowering your ride height on your trailer and raising your drives(max 3/4 inch), this will equalize your spread a bit. This is combination of load distribution and trailer level. The fifth wheel being effectively lower than the center of your spread loads the front of the spread more than the rear. Concentrated loads show this much more.

 

Florida does on their estimator plates before they give the pull in or bypass lights. I got an overgross ticket, on the printout it gave me the weights of each axle, the spread length, the bridge measurement and my height and width (south bound near Ocala). And a former coworker got a ticket in NC because the mechanic who replaced the airbags put the wrong size airbags on the rear axle and it was carrying most of the weight.(had over 25k lbs on rear axle on glass trailer.

 

They did to me in Oklahoma. I was 1800# over on the forward axle and 4000# under on the rear. Got a ticket

 

I may be wrong concerning the state regulations of spread axles weight but some if not all can regulate the variance of weights per axle and even side to side. I believe most have a 2000 pound maximum variance, whether they enforce it or not.

 

You've basically gotten your answer. Yes, they can. Most houses are now computerized to read that information as you get on the scale, the same way you can scale your load by moving on the scale axle by axle and then reading the amount as the next axle comes on. Most houses also have at least the 3 plates. Steer, Drives, and the long one for the total trailer axles. I've had to have loads that couldn't be loaded properly on a step removed for that reason, because whether they choose to enforce it or not, in the end, it is your responsibility if it is over and your gamble. Choose wisely grasshopper...and don't get peeved at them if they do enforce it.