Scale questions ...

There's a a scale under those devices as well. It weighs the truck as it rolls over the metal panels. You can see something similar on I-70 WB at the top of Floyd Hill just west of Denver. The trucks roll over metal panels in the freeway that quickly weighs the truck and an electronic sign advises him how to handle the downgrade.

 

yup - though some places don't have the metal panels. I've been wondering about that.. is there a sensor UNDER the concrete? or is the red/green simply based on safety rating/history?

 

I think there's one somewhere, it might be right there but look for the plates. They'll be there somewhere.

 

Some states use the weigh in motion on the highway, some go by safety data only.
Depends on the particular scale.
I was worried the other day about a load.
I had to drive 50 miles to get to the nearest cat scale, and the loader took 4 hours to load me.
Load felt heavy on trailer, so I scaled it. 41,000 on trailer (spread legal at 40k). Was ok on gross.
Talked to dispatch (owners son) had me run with it. Made it past Maine scale, stopped at Connecticut scale, got weight and let me pass.

I felt sure I had a ticket coming.
I had an issue with a scale house before a cat scale several times out of Bethlehem PA. Had to head to Jersey. The scale house is just before the truck stop. I was over a little a few times, never pulled in though.

 

There is a scale out by Cabbage it reads the prepass and then wreights the truck and tells you most of th4e time reccomended speed for that hill.

Cabbage is a mountain out west 6% for 6 miles if I was told right it is twisty also.

I have dorve it at night was not so bad then during the day is worse because you can see how high you are up.

 

If you look out at the scenery on the way down, it gives a feeling of flying as you slowly move down the hill.

 

Good old Cabbage in OR near Pendleton. I didn't get to run that one myself, but my hubby has. My dad told us all about that one. It sounds like a bit of a party - NOT!

 

Cabbage is a breeze when dry, or even wet. Not tried it in snow yet.

Yeah, I like that scale - they taylor the message to you: May Truck - recommended speed is 35mph

Or something like that. It's definitely aimed at you in particular, though. Freaked me a bit the first time I saw it.

ChromeDome - I felt that way with my last load. Load of paper rolls from Milwaukee - and not a single darn scale between Milwaukee and Beloit on 43. it FELT ok.. but it was in that "maybe" range. Scale said I grossed at 79350, though.

 

As for scales in the concrete... yes. On about any prepass site that doesn't have the plate you can see where the concrete has been worked & replaced.

As for the red & green light at the scales, you're right it's mostly based on the companies safety rating & the weight as you hit the WIM (weigh in motion) . You can go to FMCSA's website & use the "SAFER" (safety & fitness electronic records) site to check a company out. Go to the "safestat results" & open that page. You'll find a graph "summary of safety evaluation area" on the left side of the page. I think the target area is to be below the line (50.00) or so that's what they tell us at our safety meetings.

On a scale of 0-100, 100 being the worst, your DRSEA (driver safety evaluation area) & your VHSEA (vehicle saety evaluation area) is better then 50% of other drivers/trucks (depending on which column you're looking at). The lower the number the better your safety rating & the more chance for the green lights on your prepass.



I think your home state there in CO uses the prepass more to make sure the truck has been through the state or is it the first time & needs to stop, bring in the paperwork, & get put in the computer.

 

I love when i get weighed in bobtailin just makes my day