Overweight Tickets -Does company have any skin in the game?

I dont encourage or discourage to scale but I will say learning the truck and trailer and getting a feel for it does hold some merit. Especially if you have the gauge on the truck.

I have guys that literally never scale and never have problems. Any scale tickets we’ve gotten which are few and far between I’ve paid for as a company.

I spent $4,000 on scaling last year so I’m not trying to spend $10,000 on scales. Ya’ll don’t think about how quickly it adds up when your running multiple trucks.

 

That’s why I was curious on his total weight.. 42k in box tank reefer deck all scale different totals.. if I’m 72 k gross and know what my axle load gauge reads per psi I can guesstimate trailer easy.. if I’m 79k it’s a different ball game.

 

yep. I just started with a big company and was shocked that they wont pay to weigh. next it was my paycheck. my first trip home i learned i wont get paid to drive from last delivery to terminal to park the truck. it ALL startedwith their refusal to scale.

 

I dunno. Maybe you're picking up preloaded, sealed trailers. If thats the case, and the company won't pay to Cat scale the load, then the overweight ticket is on them. Overweight tickets do NOTHING to anyone's CSA score, its just a money grab.

On the other hand, if you are pulling in with an empty and getting loaded, LEARN HOW TO LOAD YOUR TRAILER. Tell the guy on the forklift how you want your trailer loaded, don't leave that on him. If the pallets are different weights, figure out how you want that trailer loaded BEFORE the forklift guy puts them in your trailer.

Learn what that load gauge is telling you. If the Cat scale says your drives are right at 34,000, and your steers are somewhere around 12,000, then MEMORIZE what that load gauge reading is.

If your gauge is at 65 (or whatever) at this weight, and now you're loaded and it reads 42 with your full load on, you screwed it up and you're heavy on the tandems.

I don't care what anyone says, if you get 12000 on the steers and 34000 on the drives, and the back end weight is good, NEVER MOVE THAT 5th WHEEL AGAIN. EVER. EVER!! You'll screw up a good thing. Let that sucker rust in place, because you should never have to move it again.

3 years OTR and a load gauge in your tractor, you should be able to do that. Pay your own Cat tickets and consider it tuition until you DO know how to load a trailer.

 

and he's got the final drives and counter weight at the front of the trailer... no bueno

 

I won't rehash what others have CORRECTLY said about moving on. I will just say this about "skin in the game" regardless of if they pay to scale or overweight tickets. NO carrier want's to be known by the DOT as a chronic violator of anything. This is the best way I know of to start having problems.

Let's say "shazam" trucking has 4500 units in their fleet and run all the lower 48 and Canada. Now let's say the state of Missouri starts to notice tire issues with this trucking company. Guess what Missouri will start doing until this trucking company gets this fixed? The same can be said for HOS violations etc. If a carrier starts getting a reputation for running "heavy" guess who that DOT cop with his handy portable scale will flag down? THIS is the skin they have in this game. Trust me, if they have not already been noticed they soon will be. Years ago back when the Georgia Public Service Commission was the state MCSAP agency It is my understanding the head compliance officer had a phone conversation with all the regional bosses, in this conversation he told these people the carriers to pay close attention to that day. In Georgia back then the PSC officers could be found almost anywhere. One of their favorite locations was GA state HWY 59 between Carnesville and Lavonia. While it was legal to bypass those scales, by the time these PSC officers got finished you wished you had gone on through.

Only an idiot ran carrier would take these kinds of chances. You are better off finding another job!