When do you scale?

I'm tired & probably aren't understanding correctly... But in my belief, a signed bill of lading is proof that you hauled the load.

 

When you're new and have no clue as to what the truck weighs, scale it. Do it enough times so you'll know for sure. Then you'll be able to set a limit of weight when the scale is needed. If you change tractors then weigh that one too to see if the on-board weighing gage is accurate. I don't care what anybody says no one can tell the weight of an axle if it's a few hundred pounds over. And remember to scale with a full tank of fuel and you in the truck.

 

Newb question here. Do all or even most truck stop scales weigh each axle independently? Fascinating how that works! How does it work?

 

The scale is subdivided into three parts:

1) First one weighs the steering axle

2) Second weights the tractor drive axles

3) Third weights the trailer tandems

 

Unless you're on a single axle scale... weigh each axle seperately, and add for GVW.

Or... I was at a corn shipper up in Twin Falls ID that weighed the steer and drive axle together, and then had you pull forward to get the tandems.

Then there was a Tysons place that had some other wierd method to deal with a busted scale...

Gen'l Mills plant that was under the CAT scale weight by 2000 lbs... never trust a shippers scale!

 

I worked at a place that had a single axle scale. One weight for the whole truck. So the drivers would scale the steer, then the drives (I assume add the two together and subtract to get the drives) then finally the tandem. Just wondered if there's a way to know if the truck stop scale uses the 3 axle system or just the one

 

Here's a scenario for you....

I picked up boulders....Out in BFE in ID....
Nearest scale was over 120 miles to Twin Falls.......

Both times I loaded, my (air) scales told me I was at 16.5K on the drives and trailer axles...each....

When I scaled at North American in San Marcos I was 81K the first time and 80.5 the second load.....
Went through the coop down the 93 both times like that and no problem....

Now what do you do when you take a load like that and the scale is far from the shipper????

 

Look at a map ?

 

Gotcha! Thanks for the info guys!