Running overweight?

[ChikinTrucka]

I recently went over TWO scales in VA, no problem.
But when I got to TN they pulled me in on the static scale. I was 480 pounds over gross and 2880 over on the tandems. (What's up with VA?)
Anyhow, they calculated the overweight fine to be about $125. Fine was written to the company.
In addition to that, they have a standard citation that goes against any driver who pulls ANY over overweight load. That fine is set at $205 for any amount.
I am assuming the company is going to pay both of these.
Anyone else ever get a pair of tickets like this?
Do other states do this? Seems kinda fishy to me.
If this is the new standard, I'm not going to haul anymore overweight loads, I can't afford to loose my license for someone else's benefit!

[Fozzy]

If this is the new standard, I'm not going to haul anymore overweight loads, I can't afford to loose my license for someone else's benefit!

[rank]

what was your weight in the other states. you were probably over and they let it slide.

[ChikinTrucka]

what was your weight in the other states. you were probably over and they let it slide.

At least 150 pounds more fuel at the 2nd VA scale, and no less than 350 pounds more fuel at the first VA scale. I didn't hit any others.
If I had fueled up before TN scale, I would have been another 850 pounds over!
The scale master in TN said that lots of truckers were commenting on how they weren't getting stopped in VA. And he was going to call them to wake them up, laughing. I said, Don't to that, I don't need another ticket, laughingly. Even though I got a ticket, all the cops in the scale house were very friendly and we told a few jokes. Why not? Life is too short too take to seriously and not have a laugh.
More to the point; I was really wondering about the citation that goes against my license. He told me if the company doesn't pay it, and I don't either, my license will be suspended. That is why I posted this thread. Normally I don't worry much if I'm a little overweight, the company will pay it. But in this case, it could come back to bite me in the arse.
Rock on,
Riff Raff.

[Useless]

Did you bother to scale out before you hit the road with the load??

[glasman2]

Did you bother to scale out before you hit the road with the load??

Ditto... when I know I'm heavy, I always scale. Our Co will not pay for over weight tickets, but will pay us back for scaling.

[Blind Driver]

I'm always ovewrweight on my tri-axle at legal gross weight. We were hauling salt to Chicago for 2 weeks and had to dodge the scales when they were open . At 75,000 in a tri-axle dump, I was probably about 16k over on my drives :wink:

[Mackman]

The ticket that was written to the company is the companys problem not yours.

The ticket that was written in YOUR name that is your problem.

[Fredog]

I recently went over TWO scales in VA, no problem.
But when I got to TN they pulled me in on the static scale. I was 480 pounds over gross and 2880 over on the tandems. (What's up with VA?)
Anyhow, they calculated the overweight fine to be about $125. Fine was written to the company.
In addition to that, they have a standard citation that goes against any driver who pulls ANY over overweight load. That fine is set at $205 for any amount.
I am assuming the company is going to pay both of these.
Anyone else ever get a pair of tickets like this?
Do other states do this? Seems kinda fishy to me.
If this is the new standard, I'm not going to haul anymore overweight loads, I can't afford to loose my license for someone else's benefit!

Did the company tell you to go ahead and run overweight? in our company, if I find I am overweight, I have 3 choices. take some off. go ahead without asking and pay the fine if caught, or call the boss and he pays the fine if he tells me to go with it. If I cant scale, and get a ticket, then he will pay it.

[tahawus]

If you got caught at a VA scale they give you 2 hours to make it right. If you cant make it right in that time then they will ticket you.

[ChikinTrucka]

Well, it's like this. Someone else typically loads the trailer during the week. And then I get it on Sunday.
My feeling is that the load should be weighed and adjusted by the guy who loads it (who is paid by the hour!) and ready to go Sunday. When I get it, the place is closed, and the closest scales is 75 miles away, past a scale house. And they have always told me to go ahead and take it when I was over in the past. There's nothing I can do at this point with the load except to go 75 miles back to the terminal, and get in my car and drive 50 miles back home. A 150 mile day and wasted 4 or 5 hours is not my idea of a productive day. So, the answer is NO, I didn't scale it. I did check the air gauges at the tandems and in the cab, they both said about 60 psi, which is usually good, and I wouldn't have weighed it anyhow. Apparently, the trailer gauge isn't right.
Do you think I'm asking too much? I don't want to be a prima-donna, but, what the F-? I don't see any reason why the guy who loaded the trailer shouldn't make it right and if necessary, go back to the shipper and take some off. I don't have that option on Sunday night.
How do other companies handle this and how much overweight do you consider acceptable?

[Rokk]

every company i have ever worked for (all the big ones included) has stressed, scale the load. they reimburse. its not another drivers responsibility to scale the load, its yours. if its over legal weight, you dotn run it or take the risks. if anther driver does scale the load. its only courteous and professional to leave a copy of the scale ticket with the bills for the load. if the company did not authorize you to run an over weight load then by al rights and purposes, its your baby.

[Useless]

I ALWAYS scaled my load, unless it was VERY light.

Even if the load is legal, that does NOT mean that it's properly balanced.

I see the time and effort in weighing out as being an issue of safe operating practices as well as staying legal.

[Trukrswyfe]

I ALWAYS scaled my load, unless it was VERY light.

Even if the load is legal, that does NOT mean that it's properly balanced.

I see the time and effort in weighing out as being an issue of safe operating practices as well as staying legal.

hey Useless,

You are so right. My husband just started hauling doubles and tankers. Very new to that type of work, and wouldn't you know it,
He got his first overweight ticket. He has never gotten a ticket before,
well in a CMV. But they did cut him some slack he was like 900lbs over weight and the ticket was only 81.00.

It was a bargain for the lesson learned the hard way.
He scales out on a Certified scale now.
He was weighed at the shipper but... if must be way off.
His employer paid the ticket but its still on his record.
Gotta be Proactive.

[Sealord]

"I don't see any reason why the guy who loaded the trailer shouldn't make it right and if necessary, go back to the shipper and take some off." Apparently your co-worker gives a rat's butt about you and what you do on Sunday. Maybe you should introduce him to the curative mind altering protocols of the results of screwing over a co-worker. BOL

[Useless]

Well, it's like this. My feeling is that the load should be weighed and adjusted by the guy who loads it (who is paid by the hour!) and ready to go Sunday.

Does the person who loaded the truck even hold a CDL?? If not, then he would have no way of scaling the load.

So, the answer is NO, I didn't scale it. I did check the air gauges at the tandems and in the cab, they both said about 60 psi, which is usually good, .........

Using a tire guage to determine if you the weight of your payload is an exercise in poor judgement. Checking the tire pressure will not tell you if load is properly balanced, either. This is not simply a matter of running legal, it is also a matter of running safe.

.......and I wouldn't have weighed it anyhow. Apparently, the trailer gauge isn't right.

Well based upon your own words, regardless of the distance to the scales, or who loaded the truck, you are still leaving yourself exposed to the risk of being caught, cited, and fined. In this respect, you can't blame the company, or who loaded the truck.

Do you think I'm asking too much? I don't want to be a prima-donna, but, what the F-? I don't see any reason why the guy who loaded the trailer shouldn't make it right and if necessary, go back to the shipper and take some off. I don't have that option on Sunday night.

How do other companies handle this and how much overweight do you consider acceptable?

Obviously, there IS a problem here, and it's one that can negatively effect both your employer and you. How other companies handle these matters is less material than how your company will handle them.

With the cost of fuel, other costs associated with operating a truck, and lost time, lost productivity, and wasted miles, few companiws can afford to dole out money for fines unnecessarily.


Time to start rattling some cages!!

[golfhobo]

Useless said:

O.P. said:

Well, it's like this. My feeling is that the load should be weighed and adjusted by the guy who loads it (who is paid by the hour!) and ready to go Sunday.

Does the person who loaded the truck even hold a CDL?? If not, then he would have no way of scaling the load.

How many times must I stress COMPREHENSION???

The O.P. is referring to the CDL holding "local" driver who goes to pick up the load. He then brings it back to the yard (often without passing a scale) and the OTR driver must take it cross country!

If the shipper loads a trailer that CANNOT be made legal, and the LOCAL P&D driver doesn't CATCH it, the OTR driver is then SCREWED!! Happens to ME all the time! :shock:

My advice to the O.P. is..... find a certified scale between you and the nearest DOT scale and USE IT.... regardless of whether or not it is "out of route."

IF you have to turn around and return to the yard MORE THAN ONCE.... tell your dispatcher you will refuse to haul another load that doesn't have a scale ticket attached to the BOL!

Keep in mind, also, that a LOCAL truck may have a different weight empty, AND a different 5th wheel location. Unless your load is extremely light, and YOU are convinced that you are legal..... NEVER cross a DOT scale without knowing your weight and its distribution! That is part of your JOB!

[ChikinTrucka]

I did check the air gauges at the tandems and in the cab, they both said about 60 psi, which is usually good, ........

Using a tire guage to determine if you the weight of your payload is an exercise in poor judgement.

Apparently you are not familiar with air gauges. They are on the dash and mounted to the trailer axle area. The pressure reflects the pressure in the air bags. This is a very good reference for axle weight. 60PSI is about equal to 32,000 pounds. In other words, if it reads under 60 PSI, I don't really need to weigh it. However, it is very easy to get an inaccurate reading, that is where experience and good sense take over. I do realize that I am responsible for the load and need to be sure it's legal. I was really just bitchin about the guy who picked up the load for not weighing it, and the company's' nonchalant attitude about me finding a place to weigh it on a Sunday. Bottom line is, I weigh all my loads now, even light ones. And if it's overweight, I just take it back. They can't afford to have a delivery sitting in the yard that was supposed to be delivered the next day. It won't take long before they start requiring loads to be weighed by the guy who picks them up.
And, all our trucks are basically the same, so the weight is pretty accurate. Or, more to the point, since we don't have spread axles, overweight tandems is the most common problem, and this doesn't change much from one truck to another. With an accurate tandem and gross weight, I can accurately assess my drive axles weight.

[ChikinTrucka]

Happens to ME all the time!
IF you have to turn around and return to the yard MORE THAN ONCE.... tell your dispatcher you will refuse to haul another load that doesn't have a scale ticket attached to the BOL!

Thanks Golfhobo. It at least makes me feel better knowing that I'm not alone with this problem. And I do weigh all my loads now. Only problem is, the closest scale is past the state scale! I got a load last week that the day driver picked up from a place that has a scale. He went over the scale to make sure it wasn't overweight, good. But nobody bothered to tell me, so I still had to go out of my way and waste $8.50 of the companies money and an hour of my time to get it weighed. Sometimes people just don't stop and think past their own selfish life!

[ChikinTrucka]

"I don't see any reason why the guy who loaded the trailer shouldn't make it right and if necessary, go back to the shipper and take some off." Apparently your co-worker gives a rat's butt about you and what you do on Sunday. Maybe you should introduce him to the curative mind altering protocols of the results of screwing over a co-worker. BOL

Don't give me any ideas............ :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: