How come NO ONE talks about the importance of weight scales?

Might want to explain about georgia..........

there are stipulations allowing 40K ..........

 

Single axle, including steer axles, is 20,000 pounds on the national network (some STATES have different requirements...check the front of your motor carrier atlas if traveling on the state & US highways)...IF your axle, tires, and suspension are all rated for that sort of weight. If they aren't, you're limited to the lowest rating. Check the tag on the drivers side door and the sidewall of the tires for that information. The low profile 22.5 tires with a load rating G that most fleets run will only allow you to carry 12,350 on the steer axle...so that might buy you a little "extra" wiggle room if you need it to get axled out.

Those weights are for state highway system...NOT the interstates. Missouri for one can write you a ticket for being 2000 pounds overweight if you are 36,000 on a tandem on the interstate, but if you're on a state, local, or US highway you're legal with a 36K tandem.

There are 2 different pages in the front of the motor carrier atlas. One has the National Weight and Size Provisions. The other has the State/Provincial Weight and Size Limits. You need to look at the appropriate page for the roads you're planning to run.

 

A atlas, a truck stop guide, having both will typically eliminate this issue.
Scale master want setting you up, he was doing his job.
I would venture to guess half of people that get over weight tickets will claim they were looking for a scale.
It's a training thing, and comes with experience, but most times you will learn to guess where tandems need to be.
If the load is loaded fairly even, slide the tandems so mudflaps are in line with the rear of last pallets.
If in doubt, ask around, many co-op, moving companies have public scales.
It's all part of trip planning

 

Thanks for this topic, it's going to be very helpful once I start getting out there and start driving. We discussed this for about an hour in class. I also saw in one of these threads that if there is no scale close by that he would sometimes go off route to the nearest scale just to get weighed. I hope my trainer explains this good to me.

 

Whenever you pick up a heavy load (35,000 +) and your route takes you to a state scale before a private one ask your DM for routing to the closest CAT or Interstate(side not are they still around?) So if you do need to go "out of route" your covered for it.

As you do this more and more you'll get a feel for how the load and axles should be set up to the point CAT is just a verification.

Also anyone with air guages on their drives can just about scale themselves though I would still double check that.

 

Once you get some practice scales are arbitrary. Sure if I have 44k in the box I will scale it. Usually anything under 35k I don't bother. Though now with a new truck I need to dry scale it. At the 41' mark your tandems are where they would be on a 48' trailer (I believe). If the loaders ask how I want loaded I tell them to load it like a 48' and 99 times out of 100 it scales just fine if your 5th wheel is set right.

 

used to be a waiver given if you hit a DOT scale before a public scale.without driving 200 miles that ,just had to show Bill Of Lading.

pocket T/S guide. truckandtravel.com $6.95 online,can be found in most T/S. very handy even for old timers like me. lol

 

Of course these are guidelines from the states. The vehicle may not have the proper specs for more than 12k on the steer axle. Most class 8 OTR trucks seem to have either a 12k or 13k steer axle.

You are correct. There are different rules for Interstate, state and local highways.

 

Gee and I had no idea calling OTHER people "losers" in a post was acceptable. There was no bashing going on here, just a warning to someone who did not accept responsibility for HIS actions and was now blaming it on those "losers"..Are we supposed to be all "warm and fuzzy" now whenever someone screws up ? HE drove the truck, HE accepted responsibility for that load and HE did not do HIS job. Then states he doesn't like to talk to truck drivers and calls a person who works in a scale a loser ? And "we" have the attitude ? I'm sure this OP will be back in a few months on the "bad" forum complaining about something or other. His attitude speaks for itself.