Weigh Station Procedures by State

[cgraham]

It would be useful to have a compilation of State weigh station procedures for non-commercial trailers (I assume the commercial guys already know and may have info for the rest of us). It's pretty easy to be overweight and not know it, for example. Or incorrect tie down. I'm not talking grossly, obviously unsafe.

Let's not talk here abut what one SHOULD have done to ensure compiance in the 1st place. We all make mistakes.

1) Does the state's weigh stations indicate commercial traffic only, or ALL trailers?

2) If you are in violation of something, are you allowed to proceed after receiving ticket? Or does it depend on type of violation and you might have to drop the trailer right there and find a solution? Overweight and inadequate tow vehicle would be a particular concern.

I assume we all know how to hook up properly.

Personally, I'm interested in AR, H, TX, NM

It might be worth compiling the responses and finding a host for the document

C

 

[Boomerang1]

Not sure about non commercial but if you recieve a citation for over weight or improper tie down etc.. You can not procede until the problem is corrected. On and overweight you can buy an overweight permit to continue.

I pulled into a scale and was over weight because of ice and snow build up on my rig. I was given a choice, buy a permit and recieve a citation or chip off a 1000#s of ice.

If something on your rig is out of service, you have to call road service to fix the problem before you can continue and most of the time you still get a fine.
The road service calls are very expensive because they know you are "up a creek without a paddle"

 

[Dirthog]

In Pa a safety issue they will make you let it set until it fixed and you will be fined. for overloaded it depends if its axle weight they will give you a chance to move the load and may or may not fine you. if you are overloaded you will make it legal and pay a fine.

 

[roxynoodle]

Our Ohio weigh stations all give instructions on the signs for commercial vehicles. So, thus far, I have assumed it doens't apply to me. I think the signs are directing all commercial vehicles of at least 5000lbs empty weight to enter the weigh stations. Which is interesting, because what doesn't weigh at least 5000lbs empty? My pickup truck comes in at 5300lbs empty. I suppose we should all learn the laws for the states we live and trailer in.

 

[LBrown59]

If something on your rig is out of service, you have to call road service to fix the problem before you can continue and most of the time you still get a fine.
The road service calls are very expensive because they know you are "up a creek without a paddle"

Deals like this are set ups to increase revenue for both.

 

[RayH]

How many of you actually have "commercial" vehicles? If you dont know the answer, you dont have one. If you dont drive a commercial vehicle, you dont need to worry about weigh stations.

 

[Boomerang1]

How many of you actually have "commercial" vehicles? If you dont know the answer, you dont have one. If you dont drive a commercial vehicle, you dont need to worry about weigh stations.

Some states do require privite pickup trucks with trailers to stop at weigh stations. I am not sure of the states, but I have seen signs that say " All vehicles with trailers must weigh.

 

[RayH]

Some states do require privite pickup trucks with trailers to stop at weigh stations. I am not sure of the states, but I have seen signs that say " All vehicles with trailers must weigh.

It may be California you are thinking of. I think that in CA a pickup is registered as commercial, SO, being commerial, it must stop.

WHO MUST STOP at WEIGH STATIONS in CALIFORNIA?
California's "Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facilities" are commonly called weigh stations or truck scales. These facilities are operated by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), not by Caltrans. However, Caltrans receives many inquiries about weigh stations. This page is designed to answer some of those questions.

California Vehicle Code Section 2813 outlines who must stop at weigh stations and inspection stations:

2813. Every driver of a commercial vehicle shall stop and submit the vehicle to an inspection of the size, weight, equipment, and smoke emissions of the vehicle at any location where members of the California Highway Patrol are conducting tests and inspections of commercial vehicles and when signs are displayed requiring the stop. Every driver who fails or refuses to stop and submit the vehicle to an inspection when signs are displayed requiring that stop is guilty of a misdemeanor.

California Vehicle Code Section 260 defines "commercial vehicle" (bolding and underlining added):

260. (a) A "commercial vehicle" is a motor vehicle of a type required to be registered under this code used or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit or designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.
(b) Passenger vehicles which are not used for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit and housecars are not commercial vehicles. ...
(c) Any vanpool vehicle is not a commercial vehicle

 

[Dirthog]

I will have to look at the weigh station on I80 next time I go past and see what the sign says. I do know they run a weigh station safety check at the rest area not to far from here and there sign says All trucks when they have it open nothing about commerical and they do stop ton trucks etc.

 

[bx23barry]

It may be California you are thinking of. I think that in CA a pickup is registered as commercial, SO, being commerial, it must stop.

WHO MUST STOP at WEIGH STATIONS in CALIFORNIA?
California's "Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facilities" are commonly called weigh stations or truck scales. These facilities are operated by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), not by Caltrans. However, Caltrans receives many inquiries about weigh stations. This page is designed to answer some of those questions.

California Vehicle Code Section 2813 outlines who must stop at weigh stations and inspection stations:

2813. Every driver of a commercial vehicle shall stop and submit the vehicle to an inspection of the size, weight, equipment, and smoke emissions of the vehicle at any location where members of the California Highway Patrol are conducting tests and inspections of commercial vehicles and when signs are displayed requiring the stop. Every driver who fails or refuses to stop and submit the vehicle to an inspection when signs are displayed requiring that stop is guilty of a misdemeanor.

California Vehicle Code Section 260 defines "commercial vehicle" (bolding and underlining added):

260. (a) A "commercial vehicle" is a motor vehicle of a type required to be registered under this code used or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit or designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.
(b) Passenger vehicles which are not used for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit and housecars are not commercial vehicles. ...
(c) Any vanpool vehicle is not a commercial vehicle

While pickups are licenced commerical (if you ever want to haul anything in the bed) in Calif. Pickups do not need to stop at the scales (they have a "no pickups" sign at the scales). So a 1/2 ton with a pickup bed (I don't know about that 5 ton Navistar pickup) (trailer under 10'000#) doesn't have to stop but if you put a flat or dump bed on your 1/2 ton you will have to stop. At least that is my understanding. Welcome to the golden state.

 

[RayH]

I will have to look at the weigh station on I80 next time I go past and see what the sign says. I do know they run a weigh station safety check at the rest area not to far from here and there sign says All trucks when they have it open nothing about commerical and they do stop ton trucks etc.

You cant go by what the signs along the raod say. Many states say "all trucks must enter" when obviously, they dont want a Ford Ranger in their scales. Some say "commercial vehicles enter" but they dont require buses to go through. The signs you read mean nothing.
I know this is a blanket statement but to keep it simple, if you aren't driving a commercial vehicle, dont worry about the scales, they are there for enforcement of commercial vehicle rules and couldn't care less about your private vehicle.

 

[Dirthog]

You may believe you don't have to obey the signs but they contintialy pull pickup's with trailers and one ton trucks in and go over them have seen more than a few of them setting there with red tags on them as I go past it almost every day. They don't care if you are a commerical vehicle or not they are looking for overloads and unsafe equipment which is the way it should be I have a large truck and lowboy and pay over $1400 a year just in license and have to keep every little thing perfect to try and stay legal and someone with a old junk pickup can overload it and run down the road with no worries that is wrong.

 

[RayH]

You may believe you don't have to obey the signs but they contintialy pull pickup's with trailers and one ton trucks in and go over them have seen more than a few of them setting there with red tags on them as I go past it almost every day. They don't care if you are a commerical vehicle or not they are looking for overloads and unsafe equipment which is the way it should be I have a large truck and lowboy and pay over $1400 a year just in license and have to keep every little thing perfect to try and stay legal and someone with a old junk pickup can overload it and run down the road with no worries that is wrong.

Being stopped and told to pull to a weigh station is totally different than pulling in as you pass a station. Im saying if you arent driving a commercial vehicle you dont have to voluntarily pull through the scales. Obviously if you are pulled over and told to proceed to the scales, youve got to do that.
Im not saying to "disobey" the signs. Im saying the signs you see along the road are very simplified and abbreviated versions of the law. They cant very well include the whole motor vehicle code on a street sign. Some state weigh station signs say "all trucks must enter", some say "commercial vehicles", some say "trucks over 26000lbs" some say "trucks and buses enter". It does vary from state to state but in general, if you arent driving a commercial vehicle, dont bother with weigh stations.
I drive my little pickup pulling a utility trailer over the scales, Steer axle = 4000lbs, single drive axle = 5000, tandem trailer axle = 6000. Does the guy in the little building know if im legal? Do you really think he knows how much my particular pickup can pull or how much my trailer is rated for? Does he know how much my tires and axles are rated for? Maybe they will check that my DOT physical is current, oh wait, I dont need one. They could check that my HOS are good, oh, I dont need a logbook either. Maybe they could check my required equipment, nope, no required equipment needed.
Sure they could check my drivers license, insurance, registration, vehicle equipment. Why doesnt everyone just pull in and scale, including cars and motorcycles.
My point is they cant tell if im legal by just watching me pull over the scales. The pickups you see parked were most likely stopped by a trooper and told to proceed to the weigh station because he witnessed something he thought was unsafe or illegal, they werent weighed and told to park it..

 

[Dirthog]

If you drive past the station they will come out after you there are always police sitting there just for that they are doing that now and more so if it appears you are overloaded or the vehicle is rough looking and they don't care what you are driving and it going to get worse at least that is what the officer I talked to last night said when we were out cleaning up a wreck with the excavator. They are having to much trouble with smaller vehicles and wrecks and they are going to do something about it!

 

[Timber]

Look I have been a trucker for years, DOT does not want you pulling up on a truck scale with your pickup and car trailer. There is a big problem with Semi trucks backing out onto the interstate as it is. The only time DOT is interested in you pickup is when they pull you over in traffic. If you drive on the scale and tip the wt shame on you and they will be even more pissed because you tied them up with that. Road side truck inspections are systematic and timely and specifically geared to vehicles of a specific wt. If you don't have air brakes don't worry about the scales

 

[SteveInMD]

I used to have a CDL. While in training I was told that all trucks must stop, commerical or not. The instructor specifically mentioned even people renting U-Haul, Ryder, etc., trucks. He didn't say anything about pickups. However, I don't think it's enforced very often at all. Last time I helped someone move, we rented a Ryder truck and didn't stop. No one came after us.

 

[Boomerang1]

Look I have been a trucker for years, DOT does not want you pulling up on a truck scale with your pickup and car trailer.

My uncle lives in Nebraska, here are the rules there.
Pickup trucks with a factory rating of one ton or less are exempt from stopping at weigh stations, except when they are pulling a trailer that is not a recreation trailer. U-Haul, Ryder, etc. must stop.

 

[RayH]

Fine then!
Everybody go through the weigh station. You can tie up the scales so Timber and I so we can dittybop on through without stopping.
It'll also give us something to talk about on the CB "check out the dumb@$$ four wheeler on the scale".

 

[Timber]

LOL like Yea that would be a 1st

 

[DavesTractor]

In California, every scale I have seen has a sign saying "no pickups". In the code book a pickup is defined. One of the limiting factors is GVWR. If you are over 11500 you are by definition no loger a pickup. Odd deal since my 2006 Dodge dually is rated at 12200. I talked to the guys at the scales and they confirmed they don't want me in there and that the code definition just hasn't kept up with the increase in one ton GVWR lately. This limit was put in place to keep the guys with Freightliners from installing pickup beds to make their hotshot runs and avoid the scales. If my 1 ton dually had a flatbed, I'd need to pull in the scales, but I suspect they would never come out after such a truck unless it looked dangerously overloaded.