Trucks not stopping to weigh in

The way I worded that made it sound much worse than it is. I wouldn't drive a truck if it wasn't safe. I pre-trip and post-trip EVERY DAY. What I meant is, with only a 38' trailer, tandem, with a tag axle.. we can have 80000 lbs, but our bridge weight is ALWAYS off.. no way to avoid it.. Plus, we are in and out of scrap yards all day, so everything is muddy, DOT tape covered, etc.. you get the idea.

I don't want to explain to much more, because I have openly said who I work for on other posts.. but trust me, they don't put anyones life at risk, especially mine. Scales and DOT are just not something you want to see when you hauling scrap in a dump trailer.

Don't get me wrong, there is some "shady" things.. and I do not condone it, but it is also part of being a rookie, needing experience, and not want to be OTR.. or so I think..

 

Very, very true. The scrap business is ALL about weight. If you don't haul weight, you make no money.. especially if your paid percentage like us.. Most of the scrap yards won't even let you out of their yard unless you have atleast 20 ton.. My light weight is 37900.. you get the drift.

Also, a lot of the time, your carrying BIG pieces, and your either @ 83,000, or 70,000.. big difference. Not to mention, every load we get, besides a few, is uncovered at all times.

 

good point...to clarify what I was trying to get across. I drove a non-cdl class C truck for a few months before I got my CDL...the thing was an accident waiting to happen...once I found out about some of the rules driving a truck I refused to drive that POS...6 weeks later I was laid off due to the lack of work (yeah right...no proof so the DOL couldn't do anything...I've tried)

My point...my boss told me to avoid the scales because his truck I drove was illegal...when spot DOT inspections occur here in NE, a vast majority are junk haulers. I just have little respect for companies that force drivers to operate those things. It has nothing to do about hauling scrap...I can understand that the weights are a wet thumb in the air...it's the lack of maintenance that bothers me.

 

That's why I didn't want to point fingers at you...see my previous post...it's the lack of maintenance that bothers me.

I will admit I am a rookie, but I know that a well maintained machine can run a very long time. I once worked at a place that converted #10 envelopes...the machine was over 100 years old, but still pushed out over 45,000 envelopes an hour...why...it was well maintained.

 

Well, the company I work for has 10 mechanics in their own 3 bay garage, with an oil change pit.. well taken care of equipment.. they just look real rough, and some are.. but thats part of driving in and out of scrap yards I guess..

 

I pulled scrap for awhile too, doesn't take long for a new truck to look like what it is hauling even if taken care of. We were also told to avoid the one scale that we could go by....not directly but we were given a "preferred" route. Any the MN DOT hates all scrap haulers....whether it is junk cars that are chained an netted properly or a half barrel with shred in it.

 

In The Great State of Texas we can drive for two days and never see a chicken coop LOL.

 

about time the bluegrass joined. i wish all the toll roads and scalehouses used EZpass/Prepass.

BTW.....does anyone know the "penalty" for running on the Sam Houston toll road around Houston with no toll transponder? i went past one exit so i traveled 2 miles on the toll portion before i realized that the EZ thing they use there was not EZpass. im sure a letter will be sent to the carrier sometime this week. i'm just wondering how much that is gonna cost me.

 

I lived in Houston for 12 years and went through a few tolls without paying by mistake.
All they do is record your plate and if it happens 3 or more times, they send a ticket to the address the plate is under.
The ticket is the toll charge and a small processing fee.
I'm about 80% confident on that information.
Bottom line ...it's no big deal unless you do it a lot.

 

Umm we are not talking about passing by toll booths....we are talking about bypassing scale houses.