Alert!! Michigan State Troopers catapult from weigh stations

[Fredog]

Pardon my ignorance, but why is it people do these things? Is there some fantastic amount of money to be made from running over one's weight limit?

It usually has nothing to do with that. Most drivers who sometimes don't stop at scales do *not* do it intentionally; either they didn't see the sign in time or it changed to "open" just as they past it or they were paying attention to traffic, not signage...the 14 years I drove I missed a scale house a time or two as well, and it was accidental, not intentional.

The categorical condemnation in your original post is way off.

None intended. I am guessing, however, that some people DO run over their weight limit intentionally, however, or skip scales for intentional reasons, and simply wondering why anyone would, not assuming that anyone who does so necessarily has criminal intentions in doing it.

well, yesterday, I loaded at a place that didnt have a scale. I guessed at it based on what the customer said the product weighed, after loading, I went to the nearest truckstop which was 30 miles away and weighed out at 81,880 pounds. my options were 1. go back 30 miles and pump some off in to a rail car which would take a couple hours in 100 degree heat or 2. dodge the scales.. guess which one I chose..

[bigtimba]

WY POE, I 80 EB from UT . . I was intending to go in but somehow missed the entrance . . I got off at the Pilot and hid under my seat until I figured the coast was clear. No pursuit.

The hills of PA, somewhere on I 81 NB . . I saw the sign and honestly mistook it for "Tune to . . for important . . " and I blew (relatively speaking) on by. No pursuit.

SB I 95 leaving Maine . . trucks were backing on the ramp and screaming on the radio not to come in . . a Werner truck had "blown up" on the ramp . . white/grey smoke blowing out of both wheel wells. I have no idea what that was and haven't seen anything like it since. No pursuit.

[maxbell]

well, yesterday, I loaded at a place that didnt have a scale. I guessed at it based on what the customer said the product weighed, after loading, I went to the nearest truckstop which was 30 miles away and weighed out at 81,880 pounds. my options were 1. go back 30 miles and pump some off in to a rail car which would take a couple hours in 100 degree heat or 2. dodge the scales.. guess which one I chose..

How odd. Not that the funkiness of the arrangement is that surprising, just that they'd put so much emphasis on enforcement as the example presented in this post, that being the case.

[DaveP]

Pardon my ignorance, but why is it people do these things? Is there some fantastic amount of money to be made from running over one's weight limit?

It usually has nothing to do with that. Most drivers who sometimes don't stop at scales do *not* do it intentionally; either they didn't see the sign in time or it changed to "open" just as they past it or they were paying attention to traffic, not signage...the 14 years I drove I missed a scale house a time or two as well, and it was accidental, not intentional.

The categorical condemnation in your original post is way off.

None intended. I am guessing, however, that some people DO run over their weight limit intentionally, however, or skip scales for intentional reasons, and simply wondering why anyone would, not assuming that anyone who does so necessarily has criminal intentions in doing it.

well, yesterday, I loaded at a place that didnt have a scale. I guessed at it based on what the customer said the product weighed, after loading, I went to the nearest truckstop which was 30 miles away and weighed out at 81,880 pounds. my options were 1. go back 30 miles and pump some off in to a rail car which would take a couple hours in 100 degree heat or 2. dodge the scales.. guess which one I chose..

Anybody that would intentionally go around a scale would molest puppies too...

[Fredog]

Pardon my ignorance, but why is it people do these things? Is there some fantastic amount of money to be made from running over one's weight limit?

It usually has nothing to do with that. Most drivers who sometimes don't stop at scales do *not* do it intentionally; either they didn't see the sign in time or it changed to "open" just as they past it or they were paying attention to traffic, not signage...the 14 years I drove I missed a scale house a time or two as well, and it was accidental, not intentional.

The categorical condemnation in your original post is way off.

None intended. I am guessing, however, that some people DO run over their weight limit intentionally, however, or skip scales for intentional reasons, and simply wondering why anyone would, not assuming that anyone who does so necessarily has criminal intentions in doing it.

well, yesterday, I loaded at a place that didnt have a scale. I guessed at it based on what the customer said the product weighed, after loading, I went to the nearest truckstop which was 30 miles away and weighed out at 81,880 pounds. my options were 1. go back 30 miles and pump some off in to a rail car which would take a couple hours in 100 degree heat or 2. dodge the scales.. guess which one I chose..

Anybody that would intentionally go around a scale would molest puppies too...

I'm sure you would have gone back and made it legal, but I just didnt have time, those puppies cant wait all day

[Fredog]

well, yesterday, I loaded at a place that didnt have a scale. I guessed at it based on what the customer said the product weighed, after loading, I went to the nearest truckstop which was 30 miles away and weighed out at 81,880 pounds. my options were 1. go back 30 miles and pump some off in to a rail car which would take a couple hours in 100 degree heat or 2. dodge the scales.. guess which one I chose..

How odd. Not that the funkiness of the arrangement is that surprising, just that they'd put so much emphasis on enforcement as the example presented in this post, that being the case.

EXACTLY!!!!

[Rawlco]

SB I 95 leaving Maine . . trucks were backing on the ramp and screaming on the radio not to come in . . a Werner truck had "blown up" on the ramp . . white/grey smoke blowing out of both wheel wells. I have no idea what that was and haven't seen anything like it since. No pursuit.

You are lucky, Maine also does chase you down. There have been several times that I stop at the window where they ask to see logbooks, and have to wait to leave until the trooper runs out of the building and jumps in his car to chase down one of you bypassers.

[Roadhog]

... have to wait to leave until the trooper runs out of the building and jumps in his car to chase down one of you bypassers.

Chicken!

[tweety bird]

Pardon my ignorance, but why is it people do these things? Is there some fantastic amount of money to be made from running over one's weight limit?

We've run over gross a lot over the years. With a custom sleeper and an enclosed car trailer, things can get a bit heavy. We've been pushing 80 with 6 cars and had room for a 7th and that 7th car pays quite a bit straight to my checking account. When you're pulling a tri-axle trailer, you can be over gross and not be over axle. Little piece of trivia for ya.

But we have NEVER intentionally blown by a scale. We may have chosen our routes very carefully and, in some states, just pulled right in and taken our chances with a ticket (some states are very lenient on weight and some have very low overweight fines). But blowing by is a major deal in most states- it all depends on the guy in the scale house (or in the chase car, as the case may be), but you can get it real trouble for that.

[tweety bird]

Pardon my ignorance on this but with NY setting up in the rest area's, do the put a sign up that reads all trucks must exit or have someone out there waving you in or are you supposed to be telepathic and know they are there? In VA I have only seen them flag you down if they want you to come see'em in a mobile scale/inspection station.

They really don't have very good warning system. You have to kind of know you're coming up on one and pay attention or you could get caught passing in that left lane and miss it altogether. I kind of doubt the officers are too understanding about it, either (except in GMAN's case, apparently).

I believe that in most states that ticket is failure to obey traffic signals or driving in a manner to avoid being weighed or somesuch.

[tweety bird]

I was NB at that scale and pulled in. The guy asked me to come so I gathered my stuff and wandered in not overly concerned as I was totally legal. He then informed me that he was impounding my truck. "What?" I said. He laughed at the expression on my face and told me that another driver for my company had gotten an overweight ticket and apparently didnt inform the company or pay it. The state then suspended our authority to operate in the Commonwealth of Virginia and I just happened to be the first driver across the scales. He said not to worry, if i paid the ticket he would let me go and they took Comchecks, Visa, personnal checks and, of course, cash was king! I laughed and said " I bet you do" and told him I'd be right back with a comcheck. Paid up and was on my way in 15 minutes.

They can do this in Florida, too.

[belpre122]

What's a weigh station? :wink:

[Snowman7]

What's a weigh station? :wink:

Its some place where bears keep chickens locked up. Not sure why. Sometimes its a place where they grow pickels and apparently people like to park there and look at them I guess. :?

[BHG0069]

The only time I have ever passed a weigh station was when I was talking to my cousin on the phone in FLA and blew past one. The ironic part was right before I passed it (I'm talkin 1 mile) he asked me If I had ever missed a weigh station. Me saying " Nope I'm always alert when driving this beast".

Thank God I did not get a ticket. He just made me turn around and cross it again. 8)

[BanditsCousin]

I was at a California check station and a truck blew past the 4 wheeler lane. The one guy said "should we chase him down?" and then they both laughed and sent me on my way

[coastie]

If you ever unintentionally pass a scale the best thing to do is pull to the side and stop immediately. Then get out of your truck and walk back to the scale and try to explain it to them. They may or may not give you a pass, but may require you to go to the nearest exit and come back across their scale. They could also do an inspection on your truck. They assume that you are trying to hide something when you bypass their scale. I was coming out of New York several years ago and another truck and myself just passed by a rest area where the DOT had set up. We both stopped about half way past the rest area. We both got out and went up to talk with them. They told both of us to go on. Neither of us realized they had set up until we were passing the rest area. They were very busy with a lot of other trucks. I was legal and the other guy said that he was too. I was surprised they let us go without making us turn around and going back through their check. New York is not known for being "truck" friendly. One thing about it, you cannot out run a pursuit car in an 18 wheeler.

Yeah The first time I was given a DOT out side of Ashville NC, another driver started by and pulled over to the side before passing the scale house it self, and walked in. The Officer only gave him a warning since he came in and let him go on his way. The Officer then turned to me and said if that ever happen to me do the same as that driver did, better than keep on going, then it would be a ticket.

[Phreddo]

We've run over gross a lot over the years. With a custom sleeper and an enclosed car trailer, things can get a bit heavy. We've been pushing 80 with 6 cars and had room for a 7th and that 7th car pays quite a bit straight to my checking account. When you're pulling a tri-axle trailer, you can be over gross and not be over axle. Little piece of trivia for ya.

But we have NEVER intentionally blown by a scale. We may have chosen our routes very carefully and, in some states, just pulled right in and taken our chances with a ticket (some states are very lenient on weight and some have very low overweight fines). But blowing by is a major deal in most states- it all depends on the guy in the scale house (or in the chase car, as the case may be), but you can get it real trouble for that.

Gotta watch it, they're starting to set up observation posts on all the roads around a scale. I think they're just quick and dirty setups to catch any overweight or over-size trying to dodge a scale, but they don't seem to be setup to actually record info. probably just a light that comes on in the coop that sez "overweight at this location" and then they can go track it down.
I've seen these little things around the Madison, WI coop on CR-A, with a laser thing and some scale plates in the road. think there's a camera there too.

eyes are everywhere.

[allan5oh]

Why not just get on channel 19(they're ALWAYS listening) and tell them you intend on coming back around, and apologize for the mistake?

[bigpapa7272]

i always thought wil e coyote and his acme catapault never caught the road runner meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep meeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

i always thought wil e coyote and his acme catapault never caught the road runner meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep meeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

The title of the thread does bring to mind an officer hurling through the air like in the cartoons .