Weigh Station

I've had that issue all the time in Louisiana. If given the green light I bypassed and never been chased down.

 

In La they have signs that say follow in cab signals.

 

Nope wrong.... I don't know about Waze or whatever you call it. But if prepass says green you bypass regardless of what the sign says... I've asked this question three different times to three different scale Masters. In 3 different states. All three told me do whatever prepass says. "That's why it's in your truck". WIM has no idea you have prepass. Only the scales and sensors. WIM from my understanding only goes by vehicle speed and your weight and your bridge. One thing that pisses me off is these new breeds that know the scales are coming up and that it is weigh in motion and they ride your rear bumper and the WIM is unable to decipher that it's also weighing the the ####### behind you that's tailgating you at the same time.

 

I'm not exactly sure where at in Mississippi you were, but Alabama only has one actual scale in the entire state that is on I-20 westbound side just as you're Crossing out of Georgia. we do have one or two virtual scales. One of them is on I-85 just a couple miles north of Montgomery. as far as the virtual I'm not sure of the actual locations on any of the others. They have cameras and static scales and other various sensors but are not manned. BUT at times there is occasionally a DOT sitting at them.

 

Seems like most of the wim scales have pre pass turned off and you still need to follow message signs.

 

Yep ... seems like more states are going to them too

 

Have only been heavy once (S/B 97 @ Klammoth Falls), 850 over on drives. Made sure cop saw my retired police credentials. After explaining that I swapped loads with another driver, who provided a legal weight slip, I was told to be safe and have a good day. I figured the discrepancy was my tractor's drives had duals with steel rims, the other driver had super singles with aluminum rims.

 

^^^^^^
This is correct.

One of the things that certain weigh stations will do is give you the bypass on the sign, but redlight your prepass. And the cop is sitting on the on ramp, not at the scale house. Drivers be warned.

 

Back when I was hauling a lot of hanging meat out of Nebraska it was common to be a little over on trailer axels. The weigh master in NE would just get on the loudspeaker and tell me to go around and jam my load and bring it back on the scale.
Got a ticket in ND with no chance to adjust. I had to throw some boxes of meat in a bedbugger's trailer one night on sb I55 in Illinois to get legal so I could leave the scale.
Many years ago I was crossing the scale on I 55 south just south of Chicago late one night. The guy said pull around back and come in. I did so and brought all my paperwork with me. He saw that and said "I didn't ask you to bring all that in." He said it was late and not much going on and figured I'd want a cup of coffee with him. True story. I was shocked, but stuck around a while and had a coffee with the guy. I think he was pretty close to retirement.
Got stopped another time in Illinois on I 55 by Springfield gong around the scale. There were 2 State cops, one was a new looking guy that seemed to take it personally and an older guy that just treated it like the cat and mouse game that he just won. They took me to a grain elevator and weighed me there.
Last summer I loaded 55 gal drums in Lincoln and thought I was ok. When I got to the scale on I 29 in, the read-out said I was 1200 over on the trailer. I stopped at the next rest area and adjusted my tandems and thanked my luck. You never know what you are gong to run into at the scale house, but I try to not have to find out. Too hard on the nerves.

 

Guys do yourself a favor and pay the $11.00 at a CAT scale and be legal when you roll over a DOT scale. I run reefer hauling meat. I'm heavy 95% of the time. 40,000 - 43,900. I always scale the load if the load is 34,000 lbs and over and I run to California weekly and have to slide the tandems on the trailer to the 40ft mark. So for me scaling a load is 2nd nature. So save yourself from a over weight ticket and possibly a level 1 inspection by scaling the load before leaving the customer or the jobsite!

Last point, download the CAT Scale app for your phone or purchase the Rand McNally or Garmin GPS unit to help you find the closest CAT Scale or certified scales in the area.