Please help me understand being chronically overweight

In the flatbed world. Weights can be all over the map. And if the load is going to be that close, shippers that care, ( and most do ) will ask if or what you can scale legally. Depending on what your hauling, the number for each peice can be anywhere. shippers will generally just throw rough numbers out and add them up. But the load won't even come close to the figured weight.

the majority of trucks, don't weigh more then 32. Usually it's an owner operator with tons of crap that will weigh more. Hurst says he drives a columbia, I drive a cascadia and weigh 31.5 with a flat, 32 with a step. 34.5 with our conestoga. Hurst is an o/o and probably packs too much crap. BUT, he hauls the loads and has a need for what he packs. I don't know what his older truck weighs compared to my newer truck. but my 2016 weighs 500 pounds less then the 2013 cascadia i was driving before.

Volvos are the lightest trucks and usually weigh 30. So, they can scale 50k loads. I'm not sure what the trucks that weigh 34 are doing. But, generally loads are only 45 - 46. Generally. So it's really not an issue in most cases.

My numbers are for flatbeds. I have no idea on vans.

 

I can haul 47,400 on my 2 axle flatbed. When I work the load board for a heavy load, like shingles or bulk bags, they scale your tare weight on the way into the yard and you scale gross on the way out. They will put as much product on your deck as you can legally handle. I've pulled out a few hundred pounds over, knowing by the time I roll a scale I'll burn enough fuel to be legal.

 

If you want to run register over 80,000, you will need an annual oversize permit in at least Idaho and Oregon that I know of.

Oregon also has a few equipment requirements, and any ticket in an over 80,000 rig is also a permit violation.

 

Oregon is a heavy haul state where you can annually register the tractor for up to 105,500 without permits. Commonly referred to as a "triples tractor" at the LTL barns, since pulling 3 loaded pup trailers will put the gross well over 80,000. But that will be on 7 axles.

 

Idaho requires both registration AND permit. Oregon ( i think ) requires registration and tax to match.
Washington, Montana, Wyoming can simply be registered. I think the dakotas too. Maybe colorado.

I'm not sure on the other western states anymore. Nevada sells a heavy but it's very expensive and is prorated.
Goes from january to december. they don't do a yearly based on date of purchase. Unless purchased on january 1. I don't see how one would get caught in nevada anyways. They have no scales.

 

Yep it can... LOL

 

Menard's does that as well. Under 78500 (or something like that, been a while...)? Go back and get more put on. Real treat too when you have a conestoga and they gotta make it all fit so you can close it.