Overweight on trailer.....unless I violated the bridge law

I'd run it a little long.. the weigh in motion will catch you more often than the naked eye looking at length. Probably improperly loaded, not too many loads where you need 30 sideways pallets to get the weight up there.. That's why they have those lines in the trailer about 5' from the back saying something like "do not load 42000+ behind this line." Maybe a new dock worker where it was loaded. I'd be surprised if you had to move it more than 18" maybe 24" at most to hit 34k.

All that being said know your laws for each state you run and use 'em to your advantage. Plenty of exceptions to the 12/34/34. Front of rand McNally atlas has 2 charts, one for interstate routes other for state routes. Over time you learn what states enforce what, what you can get away with... VA is not a place to be overweight much at all. Plenty of states will give you the stink eye at 500 even 1000 over then green light you (not gross weight *generally). I like to ride that fine line as close as I can get even playing with fuel weight and what I will weigh at the next open scale.. diesel weighs 7 pounds per gallon btw..

Here's a VA story for ya. I loaded beans somewhere in NC. Extra pickup potatos I think, way out in the sticks no scales anywhere near. I cut 2 or 3 pallets knowing I'd be over gross. Shipper and customer weren't happy til I sent them the cat scale later, again way too far to go back. Closed/gone home even if I did go back. 80 and change at cat. . I made it as good as I could, knowing I can't get under 80 by the distance to the scale, going around in VA is a bad idea. I learned that day the plate in the road will flip it to open if you're heavy (before prepass days). Up on the scale I go. I make it obvious I'm looking out the window to sit exactly properly on the plates, release brakes very gently make sure I am totally stopped with foot off brake let it level out. Ready to take my medicine. Green light! Point is - I'm sure they could see I had done as best I could. I dont like to run around them or hide. It's a sickness walking as close to the line as I can. Played with fire in CA once or twice... multi pick end up being too heavy on trailer and CA will absolutely catch you for 40'kpra but leaving eastbound it's easy to not hit a scale... pull into that small shell on 40 near AZ... slide back and run into AZ under cover of darkness ...

 

If you look at the link for VA above, it isn't Bridge Law. This is just an equipment size limit, has nothing to do with how much weight you are carrying. Here is the highlighted section from the above document. Again, no weights, no Bridge Formula.

 

FL made me sit while they measured my overall length with an RGN....

 

I ooen it, seal or not.

 

Like they do "safe haven" to mean a safe place to park, instead of what the term really means, a place that a division 1 hazmat load can be parked without being attended by either driver.