How to determine by the weight on the BOL if you need to slide tandems or 5th wheel

Didn't read all the posts. But bills tell you nothing about freight weight distribution throughout the trailer.

If the product is all the same then maybe you can guess. IF you have the opportunity to view the load positions before closing the doors. But even then it takes much experience.

Most of my shippers load many different products. Which makes the weight distribution very random. If you are lucky enough to get a knowledgeable loader who was aware of the bridge laws for the destination, and those of any state that the load must travel through, then you might be legal.

Total weight on bills is only a guess on gross.

Scale it!

My Volvo has air gauge on the drives. I use that and the bill weight to adjust the tandems. Rarely I have to reweigh.

Mikeeee

 

That is what its in reference to.

 

These people load trailers all day long, Trust them. NOT! It's your hide on the line. Lazy gets you big fines. It's the 10 mile rule. Weigh in within 10 miles, or don't haul it.

 

I think the E-log comment was referring to wasting precious drive time re-scaling due to an imbalanced load and not knowing where to set the tandems and 5th wheel to get it right on the first weigh.

What the OP does not know is that E-logs can log much smaller increments of status changes instead of the typical 15 minute block on paper logs. (AFAIK, since I am still on paper...)

Mikeeee

 

I am only at 23 months, but I have never heard of a 10 mile rule. I wish there was a scale within 10 miles of every shipper I have been to...

I thought the rule was that the driver is legal to the nearest scale. It sucks when the nearest scale is in the opposite direction of the destination.

If the nearest scale is a state scale house, call them and ask if you can weigh there, before rolling in.

Most LEOs are very helpful when they know you are trying your best to be legit. They may even know of a local private scale that you might not. It might not be certified, but it shows you "wanted", and are doing your best, to be legal! ( I made all that up, but it might be true.. heheehee)

Mikeeee

 

Can't trust the BOL. Picked a load up 2500 lbs. overgross. They put an extra pallet of canned blueberry pie filling on the trailer. Took that off and gross was 80,000 lbs.

Always weigh tankers whether liquid or dry bulk; fixed 5th wheel & fixed tandems. Can't trust those BOL's either.

 

10 mile rule?? never heard of it.

have been told you can drive to the closest scale,within reason, without being ticketed.

although it is not the law ,just an understanding of trying to do the proper thing.

 

I wouldn't generalize about the forklift drivers not knowing anything as I've met quite a few that know their stuff when it comes to loading. I've met a lot of good ones with produce and for some reason frozen. Maybe it's just the shippers we use but the frozen guys almost always nail it. Sure some don't and some really just don't care, but there are plenty that do. Sometimes all it takes is communicating to the guy what you already have on there and what you think will be an issue and you might actually find them insightful. Talk to them like a human being and you might even get product they didn't load moved for free. The smart ones don't want to just get you loaded and out because they know it's more work for them if you have to come back.

Still plenty of bad ones out there though. I picked up a preloaded trailer once, 1500 over on the rear in the 40' mark since we're going to CA. Go back and tell them, 2500 over after being reworked. Go back again, 3500 after rework. The yard jockey on the way in says just slide the 5th wheel... Obviously, he hasn't been on the road awhile. The loader comes out the 3rd time and says your tandems aren't slid all the way back that's the problem... That starts an education lesson for him on CA and bridge law. It was his first night of working there so I couldn't be that mad at him but you'd think at least you'd move the weight in the right direction rather than making it worse each time.