so WHO really has to stop

Soundguy · May 29, 2012

drove to jax this weekend and passed a weight station which got me to thinking again.

WHO really has to stop at weight stations.

the big green sign says all trucks / trailers.. yet every time I've ever been by a weight station i ONLY see commercial traffic enter.. I never see passanger traffic enter.

i don't see pickups enter.. i don't even see 1 tons with ag trailers enter, unless they have signs or numbers ( commercial ), on their doors.

int he past when running around the state (fl ) and a few southeastern ones ( georgia, alabama, texas, mississippa, lousiana,) etc.. I've never stopped at one in my f450 with gooseneck flatbed hauling an old tractor.

never been challanged either.. passed many stations with lines of dot parked along hte road getting commercial vehicles that were dodging scales..e tc.

so.. bottom line? commercial traffic only?

bcp · May 29, 2012

From the Washington State Commercial Vehicle Guide:

All trucks with a GVW greater than 16,000 pounds are required to stop at scales when "open."

schmism · May 29, 2012

bcp said:
From the Washington State Commercial Vehicle Guide:

All trucks with a GVW greater than 16,000 pounds are required to stop at scales when "open."

Most if all states include a disclaimer for RV and "trucks carrying personal contents of a home" aka moving van that say just below that above statement that they are NOT required to stop and weigh.

Farm use over 16K, and non-commercial use over 16K still should? Heres a hint... i dont

brokenknee · May 29, 2012

In MN it is anything over 10,000 # alone or in combination. So a 1/2 ton pickup GVWR 6,500# pulling a tandem trailer with a GVWR of 7,000# would have to enter. They go by GVWR or actual weight which is ever more.

They may or may not chase you down if you drive by. If they chase you down and you are not a commercial operation they will most likely let you go, sometimes they will check your breaks on the trailer which are required if you are commercial or not. If you farm you are considered commercial.

The fine for failure to submit to weighting in MN is $1,085 last I heard, but they may write you for failure to obey a traffic control device which is about $185.

Name and DOT # on the truck has no bearing if you have to enter.

Bird · May 29, 2012

sign says all trucks / trailers

The first time I saw a sign saying "all trucks / trailers" was many years ago in Wyoming. I thought that was odd, but I pulled in anyway with my travel trailer and they acted like they thought I was nuts.:laughing: They told me it was only commercial vehicles. And once I pulled into one in Arkansas in a motorhome and the guy told me I didn't have to come in, and I told him I knew that but was hoping he'd tell me what my rig weighed, and he did.

brokenknee · May 29, 2012

It gets down to the definition of "truck" here is a snipe from 49CFR 390.5

So, if you are not a commercial operation you do not need to stop. However if you look like you could be a commercial operation they may "run you down" to check.

Soundguy · May 29, 2012

brokenknee said:
It gets down to the definition of "truck" here is a snipe from 49CFR 390.5

View attachment 267334

So, if you are not a commercial operation you do not need to stop. However if you look like you could be a commercial operation they may "run you down" to check.

that's about what I was taking it to mean.

I remember once I was pulling my GN with an old ford strapped down.. passed a scale, and a guy passed next to me in a small panel van pulling a landscape trailer full of yard equipment.. no signs or #'s on the truck.. but the trailer did have some lil metal sign on the fold up ramps. we weren't a good 1/4 mile past the weight station when I saw the blue light special coming up fast behind me.. I looked over at my buddy who was riding shotgun and said.. well.. lets see what happens. at the last moment the DOT changed lanes and pulled over the guy hauling the landscape equipment. that weight station was the one that had 7-8 dot in cars lined up on the roadside.. so if they had wanted me.. they could have got me.

soundguy

RollingsFarms · May 29, 2012

Drive through SC sometime, our weigh stations are state of the art....and always closed.

Soundguy · May 29, 2012

luckilly, half my hauls, due to my schedule are on days off.. and those days aoff are usually holidays.. and it seems most weight stations are closed on them..

rsewill · May 29, 2012

Bird said:
The first time I saw a sign saying "all trucks / trailers" was many years ago in Wyoming. I thought that was odd, but I pulled in anyway with my travel trailer and they acted like they thought I was nuts.:laughing: They told me it was only commercial vehicles. And once I pulled into one in Arkansas in a motorhome and the guy told me I didn't have to come in, and I told him I knew that but was hoping he'd tell me what my rig weighed, and he did.

In Wyoming all pickups must stop every time. I asked at the eastern port on I-90 where I have stopped about a hundred times. But they aren't set up to chase anyone down because the primary reason for the port is for taxing, not weight/safety, and few commercial haulers avoid those taxes. They photocopy your bill of lading at the port and check your fuel permit. If you are a local in a pickup who they recognize they give you a green light or if you are commercial going past the port many times a day, like a gravel hauler - but you are weighed.

tcartwri · May 29, 2012

Since yearly commercial inspections have come into effect, there is a very noticeable lack of weigh station activity. As well most carriers belong to the IFTA, which takes care of cross border permitting and fuel taxes.

In the course of a year, I might have to roll across 10 scales total.

Diamondpilot · May 29, 2012

Commercial only. I pass by 100's if not 1000's of them in my 20 plus years of towing and never stopped at a one in probably 25 of the 50 states.

Chris

Gale Hawkins · May 29, 2012

A guy pulling a trailer with a MH pulled off a a weigh station and he said they got mad and told him to get that thing out of their way.:laughing:

sparc · May 30, 2012

schmism said:
Most if all states include a disclaimer for RV and "trucks carrying personal contents of a home" aka moving van that say just below that above statement that they are NOT required to stop and weigh.

Farm use over 16K, and non-commercial use over 16K still should? Heres a hint... i dont

Years ago I drove a delivery truck (28' van body on 1972 IH CargoStar cabover for a commercial florist. Good size outfit we had 4 full time drivers and recruited many more from the ranks from Thanksgiving to Mothers Day which is the busy season for them. The truck bodies were insulated and heated so we could move product without worrying about it freezing. All our trucks were registered with FARM tags because we carried our own product only. We delivered anywhere within 500 miles of the main office, so I could be anywhere from Boston or Springfield down as far as Manassas, VA and west through PA to the Ohio border. Being farm vehicles we did not have to keep logs, did not have to stop at weight stations, and pretty much got away with whatever hours we wanted to rive per day. Never got stopped in all the time I drove for them even for a spot check. Lucky I guess. Some days I would leave with 5000 azaleas loaded and come back empty. Other days I spent the whole day at the airport cargo terminal shipping stuff around the world and picking up exotic plants from all over. The company had patents on over a dozen varieties of African Violets and made a killing on them in the international market.

slowzuki · May 30, 2012

I got the sign flashed to weigh after passing a weigh in motion pad in the SRW F350. Pulled in and the scale operator waved me through, he said only commercial vehicles.

Stimw · May 30, 2012

Florida also has Agricultural Inspection Stations. They are checking for Ag products that might spread insects or disease.
I got stopped at one Near High Springs Fl. because I was in a 1/2 ton Chevy Van, I was going SCUBA diving but they stopped me and inspected to see what I was carrying. It was on a two lane road too.

Bird · May 30, 2012

Stimw said:
Florida also has Agricultural Inspection Stations. They are checking for Ag products that might spread insects or disease.
I got stopped at one Near High Springs Fl. because I was in a 1/2 ton Chevy Van, I was going SCUBA diving but they stopped me and inspected to see what I was carrying. It was on a two lane road too.

It's been a long time since I saw one of those inspection stations. Before I-30 was built, we used to have to stop at one on the old US Hwy going from Texas into Arkansas, but that was more than 45 years ago.

Gale Hawkins · May 30, 2012

Bird said:
It's been a long time since I saw one of those inspection stations. Before I-30 was built, we used to have to stop at one on the old US Hwy going from Texas into Arkansas, but that was more than 45 years ago.

We had to stop at one on I-80 to get into CA in the MH last fall. She checked the stuff in our frig.

Soundguy · May 31, 2012

Stimw said:
Florida also has Agricultural Inspection Stations. They are checking for Ag products that might spread insects or disease.
I got stopped at one Near High Springs Fl. because I was in a 1/2 ton Chevy Van, I was going SCUBA diving but they stopped me and inspected to see what I was carrying. It was on a two lane road too.

only time i go into those is with horses.. and they better have a coggins..