do most scales let you be over??
I picked up a load of 900 50lb bags (45K lbs) on 18 pallets. I went to the first available CAT scales and moved around the tandems and the closest I could get it was:
Steers 11760
Drives 34600
Trailer 33540
Gross 79890
I had a my tanks full and by the time I was done at the CAT scales the place I picked up the load was closed so I would of had to wait till morning to get them to take some off. I thought I could burn off enough fuel to be legal and not top off the tanks again and run at a 1/2 tank and below. I also have prepass and have never got a red light before so no worries I thought.
I get down to the Olathe KS scale which is never open at night at 4:30am and it is open. They took their prepass down when they were doing road construction in front of it. I pull onto the scale and stop on the steers......green light......drives come up on the board 34600 and I get a green light.......Tandems green light stays on.
I get to the Arizona scales and I have always got a green light there and the red light comes on my prepass. I pull on the scales and this Indian woman starts chewing me out for not having a license plate. I gave her my temp cab card and she said oh ok you have a temp card. She starts turning her head back and forth looking at the front of the truck, looking at me, looking at the trailer for over a minute. Then she said you know you are over weight? I said no Ma'm I didn't and I am really sorry if I am. She said look at the board it is right there. I said oh my I am sorry. Then she says have a safe trip and I never want to see you in here again overweight.
This load was going to Phoenix so I turn on I17. I get to the top of the hill and there is a bear with his lights on sitting on the shoulder. Just past him are signs saying all commercial vehicles must exit. The exit is a rest area so I pull in overweight and no plate and they wave me on by. Not sure what they were doing but there were alot of patrol cars in there.
I was never so glad to get unloaded today.
I am not looking forward to going by the Banning scale with no plate tommorrow.
If you are under gross do they let you slide by??
What kind of leeway do they usually give you?
Still not sure on the plate deal either. When the guy bought the business in July the previous owner sub contracted the plates to him??? He had to turn his plates in at the end of the year and the new owner had to apply for new plates at the beginning of the year. We got temp cab cards to run with but no plates and they said it might be a month before we get plates??
What all do they see when you go by the pre pass?? It must look for a plate?
How good does it look at the plate?? If I put a decortive plate on will it do any good?? lol