The Debate That Never Ends...

[Dougster]

Dougter You've been to my humble home.,. You know right down the road on I 84 in Union, is a partially opened scale. This means, for those who don't know,, for Connecticut to accept home security grants from the US gov,, CT must open track scales 30 hours minimum per week. Problem is,, what 30 hour period? When I tow my L48 tralered, I always go over the scale here,, IF you try to drive by or drive around,,, you're screwed big time. The whole key in Union at least, is to drive over the scale at 7 mph or slower,, Once you break 7 mpg, you're directed around to the real scale and scale house,.... A couple of times the officers looked at my chaining down the tractor, and waved me on.,. They're after the big dollar problems and haven't teh time for us small guys,, They do have plenty of time if you by pass, go around, or hit the spot scale at 8mph or more.

Well, first off, I've been to your expansive lakefront resort! Is that the same thing you call your "humble home"???

Second, The L48 is serious looking equipment and I believe you drive a 1-ton with a 12,000 lb trailer. Further, you probably know all those folks from your previous and current lives and at this point it's probably more of a social visit than anything else. They know you don't haul overweight and they also know you wrote the book on tiedowns. That being said, can you tell me with certainty that you are required by law to stop? And if so, does the same apply to my 3/4 ton pick-up and 10,000 lb trailer(s).

I think you probably know the underlying reason I am asking. I am worried that I am running (or could soon be running) ever so slightly overweight as a result of the new trailer rims/tires, three new HD buckets, new hydraulic thumb and other stuff that keeps adding up those pounds.

The eventual answer is clearly a new 12K equipment trailer and boosting the registered weight on the truck to the absolute max to avoid surprise tongue weight issues, but for the rest of this year I need to be extremely careful what and where I haul.

Dougster

 

[LarryRB]

this "expansive", as you call it, lake front resort is our humble home. Anyway, I say this with absolute certainy, the Union CT scales will not allow any commercial truck or even commercial "looking" type vehicles to slip by,, I've been in there when they go after, stop, make them return to scale, then write up tickets on those tiny quarter ton u-haul van trucks., Simply because they are rental vehicles and seen as commercial use.,. I've watched as most male troopers allow us small guys to go on with wherever you are heading, I've watched some female troopers who will not,, Even though the cdl law states combined with trailer can't go over 26,000k, there is a little blurb about trailers going over 10,000 lbs. These female troopers will tell you they don't care about cdl "overall combined weight", that you're trailer is a 12,000 lb'r and that means they get to check you out,, Botttom line is this,,, it is how the particular trooper feels that day and how that trooper "interprets" the laws in their mind. When this scale is open, they have no less than 7 troopers guarding the back roads and severl more on the highway and near the scale house,, These are the guys who escort the ones who drive by, back to the scale,., again, in Union, if trailer is loaded, go over, go at 7 mph, and they wave you on through, no problems..

 

[jsborn]

Yall need to move to south Ga. . The only trucks that get weighed around here are the 18 wheelers with large company names on them. Must be because they are the only ones with the money to pay the fines.

We did have a new inspector on a spot check that locked down a log truck several years ago. The driver called his wife to come get him and he never came back. The rig sat there on the side of the hwy for 30 days and the county hauled it off so much for making him fix his lights.

But I do drive from Ga to Fla some in my pick up the sign says "ALL trucks & Vans including Pickups" it is an Ag inspection and weigh sta at the state line. Empty or full they look and wave.

 

[Dougster]

Botttom line is this,,, it is how the particular trooper feels that day and how that trooper "interprets" the laws in their mind.

And therein lies the real problem.

again, in Union, if trailer is loaded, go over, go at 7 mph, and they wave you on through, no problems..

One last question Larry: In determining overweight, would the State of Connecticut go by the truck and trailer manufacturer's stickers... or by the Massachusetts registered weights of each? Or is it the lower of each??? In other words, does Connecticut care what fee I paid to Massachusetts? Or just about the overall safety of the equipment as per the manufacturer's ratings.

Until I can afford a higher-rated equipment trailer, I am thinking I could boost the registered weight of the truck to the max and transport the bucket or grapple in the truck bed (instead of tractor mounted) if I knew I was going to be passing by any weigh stations.

Dougster

 

[Dougster]

But I do drive from Ga to Fla some in my pick up the sign says "ALL trucks & Vans including Pickups" it is an Ag inspection and weigh sta at the state line. Empty or full they look and wave.

And let me be clear on this: You do go through (rather than around) that checkpoint... yes?

Regardless, I wish the signs were as clear up here as they apparently are down there.

Dougster

 

[2003Pilot]

Larry:

Where on I-84 is the scale? I'm assuming that it is just East of the New York State line.

I will be coming up that way in 2 weeks to take my L3130 HST up to Woodbury Tractor to have a new Woods BH-90X installed. I bought my tractor from there.

I am not a commercial driver, nor do I have commercial plates. I tow my Hudson 10,000 lb. (gross wt.) trailer with the family E-150 Ford van.

I wasn't planning on stopping at any weigh stations, because I am not a "truck" or "commercial vehicle".

Gary

 

[Dougster]

Larry: Where on I-84 is the scale?

Larry was talking about the one in Union, CT near the Massachusetts line. You won't be anywhere near that one. Others? I don't know.

Dougster

 

[LarryRB]

Larry:

Where on I-84 is the scale? I'm assuming that it is just East of the New York State line.
Bob Wolf is a great guy to deal with.. You won't go wrong going to Woodbury tractor,, This said,, Union is another 70 or so miles east and right on the Sturbridge MA state lines, so you needn't think about it... Besides, the Union scale is westbound only...

 

[LarryRB]

And therein lies the real problem.

One last question Larry: In determining overweight, would the State of Connecticut go by the truck and trailer manufacturer's stickers... or by the Massachusetts registered weights of each? Dougster

I believe they go by what you registered at, however, this said, I have yet to see them do any more than a quick walk out and count the chains holding the tractor, in other words one chain each corner and chain around the back hoe or a large strap,,, Other than this very rare look at chaining, they wave you through quick like,,, There have been a couple times recently that going empty, trailer in tow, I drove right on by, Of course they had about 25 rigs lining up to scale and were busy. Last time was 3 weeks ago going to Woodbury tractor to pick up a hog mower,,

 

[2003Pilot]

Bob Wolf is a great guy to deal with.. You won't go wrong going to Woodbury tractor,

Larry:

I bought my tractor from Bob in 2003. That is when he still sold Kubotas that he got from Messicks. Since Bob traveled back and forth through New Jersey, he dropped it off for me.

Now that he is busier, it would not be worthwile for him to come to NJ to deliver and install the backhoe.

Bob gave me a good price, and I wanted to give him the business, so I am trailering my tractor to his place for the installation.

Gary