Why do you slow down approaching a scale?

The PrePass in WA will give you a redlight if you go through at 60 mph (the speed limit). Slowing down to 55 will give you a green light. I guess it has something to do with the system getting a better read on you at 55, although none of the other states have this problem.

I don't slow down for scales, except as stated above, mainly because I'm usually only doing 65. I'll slow down to 55 in CA and OR just because it's the speed limit.

 

The reason why I might slow down or have slowed down when I approach a scale is the following, if there are a lot of other trucks running around me I want to back out of it and hopefully the ramp will fill up with them before I get there then I can pick up the equivalent of the nascar wave around. Doesn't always work depends on traffic and if I'm running in a larger group of trucks, how full the scale house is etc. But I have got lucky on a few occasions and had it work out just like that.

 

If I'm running 70 and loaded to 78-79,000, I gotta start slowing down in case scale is open and I get red light. I actually use my tranny to slow down with and not jam on my brakes. See guys all the time haul #### up to where they know they're going to be stopping and just ride the heck outta their brakes. Guess if you actually had to account for the cost of maintenance and repair, drivers might use their head a little more.

 

So get your engine brake fixed.

 

The reason some are going to slow is because they have to pull out their "(native language)-to-English" Dictionary to figure out if the scale is open or closed. THEN they have to translate the speed limits.....

 

I assume you're talking to me? My jake works great.

 

Then since signs normally say scale 1 mile you do not need to hit your brakes to slow down 10 miles per hour.

 

i use to like stabing the brakes while pulling on the scales with a liquid no baffle trailer

 

I always like to see how many gears I can grab also before I get the trailer off the platform too.

It's kewl when you come in just hot and then ride the brakes and get them REALLY hot so that they just reek when they pull you around back and he goes to look at the brakes and burns himself when he touches em.


[/dry humor]

 

I remember going through the scale on I-81 near Winchester and getting the light to go onto the scale, I'm sure because the driver in front of me slowed to like 20 because every truck in front of him and behind me got the bypass, we were the only 2 that got pulled in. I only had 25k in the box so I wasn't there long but still.....