How do Florida scales work?

There is no stupid question.... Ive been at 44K and ive been at 32K AND I have been pulled into Florida Coops... According to the guy inside he says they shut off or turn on the By-Pass lane when they want... So as far as the scales go its a hit or miss to see if the worker wants to check everyone... Ive been 44k plus and got the green and Ive been empty and gotten the red...

As for as the Agriucltuire Ive 95% of the time been pulled in and as the guy wakes from his nap I get waved by... I pull a Van... I have seen without a doubt someone who Passes without the green and the police come chase them down... I would recommend stop if you get the red even if empty... For the most part its a waist of time...

Its nearly like CA its just to fill an open job...

Almost 99% of the time I have been stopped I get the famous wave... I dont mine the famous wave but at the same time I wanna give him the famous truckers salute ( the Middle Finger ) for waisting my time...

Just another federal money maker

 

Usually the Agricultural scales check over paperwork if you got a perishable load. When I pulled a reefer they would always ask what I was hauling on my way out or asked to see the Bills

 

Ag scales will most likely pull you in unless you have prepass that you have listed that you never haul any ag products
I had it listed as such with my car hauler and never went in but now have a conestoga and it isn't listed as such because we "may" haul ag if needed

When you pull up they will usually ask what's in the trailer or they may wave you by if they either know you and what you haul or they know the company and what they normally haul that you drive for

 

I have seen some empty flats bypassing the Ag inspection stations. I asked one of the officers about it and was told that every truck is required to enter the Ag inspection station, empty or not. It doesn't make sense to have to waste time, especially with an empty flat, but that is what I was told. I have also had them copy my bills pulling machinery or other types of freight in Florida. None of those loads had anything to do with agriculture. I asked about it once and the officer told me that they like to keep track of what is coming into Florida. Most of the time I am waved by, loaded or empty.

 

Another thing that will set off a "weigh-in-motion" is when some idiot gets too close to your trailer, or you get too close to the truck in front of you. It is calibrated at 80,000lbs. on 5 axles at 100 foot intervals...any other reading will confuse the system. This is why they have signs posted.
Unfortunately, very few people can judge 100 feet, and obviously can't find 30 on their speedometer.
And while I'm on the subject...contrary to what 'seems to be' popular belief...we don't have to slow down on the freeway for the WIM to get an accurate reading---nor do we have to slow down on the freeway for the Pre-Pass sensors to locate your transponder. FOLLOW DIRECTIONS AND IT WORKS JUST FINE! The D.O.T. is not wasting my time...illiterate steering wheel holders are.

And as far as Ag Check stations go...they are needed. Florida and California could make or break the nation as far as produce goes. Sure we have apples in Washington, Wisconsin, and Michigan---as well as other products nation wide; but Fla. & Cali. have the most vulnerable of produce. And each state has their own variety of bugs and parasites. Produce is some-what like the human body...it can fight off the bugs/parasites that is common to it's own area...but a new strain brought in from another area would destroy an entire crop if not a whole species of produce in that state. It is not as big a problem these days as it used to be, but still a possibility exists.
Vans and flatbeds can and do haul onions, watermelons, pumpkins, and even fire wood, etc...so, there is a reason for that.

In Idaho and Utah, they have "boat check" stations for water borne parasites.

 

All trucks are required to stop as mentioned, I believe they also check other things there such as fuel etc??
but you can have your prepass set up so the ag knows what you are hauling such as cars all the time that way you will most likely get the green light
I never got the red light when my car hauler was set up like that with prepass, that may be what the flatbed had on his that passed??

 

I can understand having those pulling produce to enter the ag stations. But, I do consider it a waste of my time when I am empty or hauling steal or some type of machinery to have to enter the ag station. I comply, but don't see the necessity. I have seen empty trailers pass the stations and I don't think some of them have prepass. When I first started driving into Arizona the western states, Arizona had check stations. They even check 4 wheelers for plants that could potentially carry insects that could create a problem for their ag business. I don't know if any of them check 4 wheelers these days. I think the ag check stations could very well be checking fuel as well as ag shipments. In any case it is part of the job.

 

I have a question about this. You state that if a company does not haul produce than they can get the prepass for the ag station. What happens with a mega, like Knight, that has both refrigerate and van freight, but their vans wont carry produce. Will they offer or qualify their one division to have the ag prepass compared to their reefers to not? I know that is a company specific question, I guess would these states allow the companies to do this do you know?

Just a random question that popped in my head while reading. I see the ag station all the time on 95S in Florida when I go to visit family all the time.

 

Icfd15...each PrePass transponder is truck specific. It is a registered device through bar-code to that specific truck/company.