The Debate That Never Ends...

[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,,

Somehow I don't think that you personally have much to worry about driving on by your Union weigh station with an empty trailer.

Here is the thing with that manufacturer's sticker weight vs. state registered weight: The trailer is easy... both the manufacturer's sticker and the state registration are set at 10,000 lbs. No difference. No debate.

But the truck has a manufacturer's sticker GVWR of 9,200 lbs and a current registered weight of only 8,000 lbs (max necessary with either plowing ballast box or trailer tongue weight, but not both). Further, I could register it all the way up to 10,000 lbs because the state only goes in 1,000 lb increments and would allow me a 10,000 lb registration to take full advantage of the last 200 lbs of that 9,200 lb GVWR.

So back to the question: If I were to boost the truck's registered weight all the way up to 10,000 lbs to let's say carry my hefty root/rock grapple in the bed while trailering the Red beast with one of its many buckets... Would CT call it 9,200 lbs on the truck... or 10,000 lbs?

Makes me kinda think it would be the lesser of the two.

Dougster

 

[LarryRB]

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. Gary

Funny how things work out. I was going to get a Kubota from Bob also, this was when the changing was taking place, Instead, wife and I were on the way to Florida, and we stopped in Pennsylvania and bought from Messick's anyway.. Either way, I couldn't go wrong. I just bought a new Woods HD hog mower from Woodbury 3 weeks ago. I call Messicks and they ship all the filter supplies to me, next day delivery usually.. I am real happy dealing with either dealer,..

 

[Dougster]

Funny how things work out. I was going to get a Kubota from Bob also, this was when the changing was taking place, Instead, wife and I were on the way to Florida, and we stopped in Pennsylvania and bought from Messick's anyway.. Either way, I couldn't go wrong. I just bought a new Woods HD hog mower from Woodbury 3 weeks ago. I call Messicks and they ship all the filter supplies to me, next day delivery usually.. I am real happy dealing with either dealer,..

I recently tried to buy a 60" bucket on sale from Neil (to which I was going to add some serious welded teeth) but the dang freight shipping cost made it more expensive overall than buying one locally from Wright Trailer. He may still come up this way with his own trucks for big deliveries, but he essentially told me that this little bargain bucket would have had to come freight. Eventually, I found a super heavy-duty CAT 66" toothed bucket on eBay and went with that instead.

If either of you see Bob, please ask him where my Bradco thumb cylinder is!!! He was supposed to call or email me back, but never did. It's been 4 weeks today... and was supposed to take only 2.

Dougster

 

[jsborn]

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

YES THROUGH if you dont go in and wave they will slow you to a stop and show you their ticket book.

 

[Ductape]

Dougster,
Up here, its possible you may get spot checked. When you one of the gustapo guys on the side of the road, stopping trucks (allegedly) randomly. As long as your truck and trailer combined put you over 10,000, you are considered fair game. Truck alone..... under 10,000, you will never be stopped, commercial or not. If there is no lettering on your truck, i wouldn't bother stopping at our weigh stations. Those letters on your plate that spell out "commercial" are much too small to read as you pass by (at 78mph).

I think if you are attempting to go by the letter of the law.... then i'd advise you to to ALWAYS stop at every weigh station. If you are trying to travel reasonably, then i would only pull in in Ct. and Ca.

I say this as a guy who has driven commercially for 25 years. Though i have never been west of the Mississippi, i can tell you that Conneticut is the only state in which i have been needlessly hassled. I've even had one of Cts. finest (during a random stop) explain to me that if he added up the "play" in both my right rear (self adjusting hydraulic) brake, and my left rear (self adjusting hydraulic) brake.....(my truck was new with only 15K on the odo) he could write me up for having brakes out of adjustment (??????????). He was so nice, he only gave me a written warning. I learned the hard way, that if Union is open, i'm getting some type of fine for something. Its all about the revenue. If you must travel through Ct, use 395 to 95.... and coming north out of the big city, jump off in NY and come up Rt. 1 till you are past the scale ( i don't recall the exit, but its one of the last before you cross the state line).

Honestly..... in any other state, i'd see no need for you to stop.

Where are you going? Anyplace exciting ???


Scott

 

[BarryinMN]

Here MN has signs saying all trucks over 10,000 lbs must stop. Then the weigh station is closed!

MNDOT - yep the bridge collapse dept. - has a fleet of Suburbans with portable scales and they can and are anywhere. I've seen them on primary, secondary and tertiary roads.

Came up on a fresh wreck a couple of weeks ago where a semi logging truck was off in the ditch and his logs scattered along the ditch. There was clearly only one black stripe in the asphalt straight into the ditch and his employee in a pickup parked at the site said his boss tried to take the curve on 2 wheels. The boss was on the trailer using it's grapple arm putting the trailer back on it's wheels. Nobody hurt. Speeding, very possibly overweight, lost his load and wrecked.

If I had left 10 mins earlier on the motorcycle... Since nobody was hurt & on the bike, I did not call the sheriff.

I'm in a very rural area and this stuff shows up in the weekly county paper. But not this one! He must not have reported it.

Anyway, You might be subject to a medical card check since you are commercial but under 26K. The IFTA fuel sticker is probably exempt. The ~ DOT inspection stickers & # on the door may still be a point of confusion crossing state lines. Here the State Patrol considers an employee punching a time card at the landscapers office as proof of hours of service vs a cab log book if you are local.

Running overweight the bricks & mortar stations may wave you thru as they are setup for over 26K. The portables are out walking around & likely consider you fresh meat.

The last safe harbor is probably chain a porta-potty to the trailer & buy RV tags for it

 

[Dougster]

Honestly..... in any other state, i'd see no need for you to stop. Where are you going? Anyplace exciting ???
Scott

Just New Hampshire (to pickup the KK tiller) and Connecticut for right now... but I see a ride much further down Rte 95 in the very near future.

Dougster

 

[Dougster]

Here MN has signs saying all trucks over 10,000 lbs must stop. Then the weigh station is closed! MNDOT - yep the bridge collapse dept. - has a fleet of Suburbans with portable scales and they can and are anywhere. I've seen them on primary, secondary and tertiary roads.

I'm not so worried about random stops. If they happen, they happen. And with my bad luck, they probably will. Hopefully, I will pass inspection.

I am far more concerned about the possible "violation" of not stopping where I'm required to stop.

Dougster

 

[Ductape]

Well..... just shooting up Rt. 3, you have no worries anyway. I think the reason Larry hasn't been fined in Union is he lives "local". I suspect there are more tickets written to out-of-staters since they are more likely to mail in a check than actually spend a day in court. I know i avoid going through Conneticuts scales at ALL cost. Its way cheaper to spend an extra hour taking an alternate route. Boy.... has Ct. got a logbook fetish ! I'd suggest you have one if you are driving through Union.

You headed to Florida, perhaps ???????

 

[Dougster]

I think if you are attempting to go by the letter of the law.... then i'd advise you to to ALWAYS stop at every weigh station. If you are trying to travel reasonably, then i would only pull in in Ct. and Ca.

I think until I win my current "flat tire" case in court, the wise thing is to follow the letter of the law (whatever that might be) even if it exposes me to unnecessary scrutiny and even the possibility of "upsetting" another one of those people in uniform who carry the guns and ticket books.

Dougster