How not to get tickets?

I disagree. We had a driver get an over weight ticket because the shipper loaded the correct quantity of the wrong product. Put him over weight by a lot, and the judge had zero mercy.

At other shippers the weights are always off, more of an estimate really.

Correct, and in California, with three lanes you are restricted to the right lane unless passing. No hanging out in the middle lane.

 

Run at night, dodge scales and buy a radar detector. Hammer down driver!

 

Every company I've worked for reimburses your scale costs. It's pretty common for companies to require you weigh any load above 35k. But if you want to protect yourself weigh every load. The company is paying the bill. I AM NOT SAYING YOUR COMPANY WILL PAY FOR OVERWEIGHT TICKETS & FINES. The boss will pay for your CAT Scale costs at truckstops. It's cheap insurance against surprise overweight tickets or fines.

 

According to the fmsca web site, the top 3 violations by swift drivers in the past two years are: failure to follow traffic control device, light not operating, and speeding.

So, check your lights, don't speed, and follow traffic rules.

The FMSCA web site lists all the driver violations for the past two years, by company.

 

Sure, I suppose if you want to sue your customer you can. Probably would also cost you the customer.

Seems to me like ensuring the weight is legal is generally seen as the responsibility of the carrier, not the shipper.

 

The best way not to get a ticket is do nothing illegal! However, if everyone done the right thing there would be no need for police, dot, courts, prisons, and churches. This would put alot of people out of work. So, I try to break the law now and then to keep everything running smoothly!

 

Drive a properly speed governed truck, optimally 58 miles per hour max.