Hauling bark while weighing over 80k lbs.

I’ve recently gotten hired on driving and either hauling bark or chips, depending on what our dispatcher wants us to haul. It’s home every day and usually weekends off (occasionally we have to work Saturdays), and it’s driving the same route, and no big city driving. The pay’s not impressive ($800-900 on a good week, around $600 on a slower week, and that’s gross income), but for someone with no tractor-trailer exp., it beats driving OTR.

Only one thing, the place I haul bark from does not allow trucks to leave weighing below 79k lbs. If we’re lighter, they make us go get loaded with more material before weighing out, so we’re almost always somewhat above 80k. Someone told me that D.O.T. allows us a bit of leniency below 85k lbs., so long as we’re not on the interstate. IS THIS TRUE?

I’ve never heard of them letting certain trucks slide if they’re a bit overweight. While I’m thankful to have a job that’s not OTR, it’s not worth running illegally and getting a blemish on my driving record imo.

I’m in Georgia.

 

Non-interstate routes in many states allow more than 80,000 lbs, e.g., Nebraska allows 95,000 lbs. (source - also listed in the front of the Rand McNally Atlas).

ETA: Look at the Exemptions and Special Operations under Georgia.

 

What state are you in?

 

Not really a problem for the company you drive for. If you get fined for an overweight load.....trust me.....it comes out of your pocket, not theirs. Get a Cat Scale ticket and make sure you are legal. If not.......up to you.

 

If you’re running multiples local bark and wood chips loads a day you’re not going to waste the time and money to get a Cat scale ticket for every load, especially when there are scales where you load.

OP, nobody can help you until you say where you live and where you’re running. Ask your company if they’re running on an extended weight permit of some kind. It pays by weight so they will want you as close to 80k as you can get, or as close to whatever weight you can haul if they’re running permits.

 

It all comes down to what state are you running in......

 

Georgia.

Georgia Department of Public Safety - MCCD Regulations Compliance

I can’t find where it allows trucks to be overweight on non interstate roads.

 

Legal gross weight on state highway system in GA is 80,000 without permits

 

According to what I could find, there aren’t any overweight permits available for forest products. So the name of the game for you is to get as close to 80k as you can without going too much over.

 

They might cut you some slack for a few hundred over, but I would not count on getting away with a thousand or more.