Opinions Please

over 10000 lbs difference between the axels is a malfunction of the suspension, company should be buying on this one.

 

One thing I have not heard mentioned is the type of trailer suspension the O/P had. Was it a 9ft spread with both axles on a beam or possibly one fixed axle with lift axle up front. Just asking, maybe that could have bearing here. I think everyone is assuming it is a spread on a beam? Then maybe I'm in left field here I haven't run flat bed in a very very long time.

 

I actually once switch a flatbed load with another driver going home. Obe of his questions was did I scaled the load, I didn't it was only like 40, and passed at least one weight station. He then scaled the load himself to make sure it was not overweight. I did said to the other driver I don't think is overweight but I ain't paying the ticket if it, so is up to you to scale it. Also most truck stops don't give you the weight for flatbeds as they should, to make sure the trailer is working as it should do a ptu.

 

i have posted this elsewhere in the past. picked up a load of avocados dropped on the yard near Austin TX going to Santa Paula Ca. the driver loaded in Laredo. HE DIDNT SCALE out. since he was bringing it to the yard , guess he figured it wasnt his problem. we picked it up. the closest place to scale was 250 miles away... dont remember the exact weight but we were over gross by over 4000 # when we did scale.WE chose to run with it . and made it..but had we gotten caught, would it had been the driver who loaded the loads fault ?? NOOOO since he didnt make us run with it. should he have scaled it ? Yes, did he? NO....once you pick up a trailer, ITS YOUR BABY...whether it be over weight, MECHANICAL issues etc....ITS YOUR responsibility to make sure YOU ARE LEGAL in ALL ASPECTS.


edit before someone makes a comment...not always can u catch something on your pretrip BUT most times you can. IF YOU DO YOUR PRETRIP you should catch something like an axle (suspension) not airing up....

 

There is only two major causes for this type of weight issue. Dump valve engaged with no air in rear bags. Or rear bags are over inflated.

 

So you had a total of 37,800 on your rear end?
Isn't it 34,000 without a special permit?

And a 47k load ALWAYS sends a flag!

 

20,000 on a single axle.. It's a spread so 40,000 20 on each would be legal, no special permit needed.

 

Been there done that snuck around the Lordsburg, NM scale.

 

Being new is hard, lesson learned. Trust me, you will learn many more, usually the hard way. This is totally on you, unfortunately. I had a similar incident when I started out. The company I work for now does relay runs, with my portion going into CA, and I've learned that some drivers don't care about the next guy's problem, and if that's the kind of guy this other driver was, then he's also the kind that won't want to pay any portion of the ticket. But you may want to address your company about it, to see if THEY'LL take it out of his pay or not (but I doubt they will). So, yeah, I've learned to scale when ANYTHING looks amiss. Only good thing is that at least it's not a moving violation