mike/kellie wrote:
I promised an update and today I drove through the same set of scales I mentioned at the top. I went through the empty lane and pulled over to talk to the officer inside the booth. I knocked on the side door and he unlocked the door and motioned me inside.
Traffic was light and he answered as many questions as he could keeping his eyes on the commute traffic. YES...once a month the scales will do a sting looking for evasive motorists driving any truck with a gvw of 10,000 lbs or more WITH a non-OEM truck bed. You fill in the blank...cargo, flat, box etc. There a few transporters with just a 5th wheel hitch and mud flaps (no bed)and they will get stopped. He would point at pickup trucks driving by as examples and say either they should be stopping or not.
It stemmed from observing these types of trucks by-passing a large set of scales going towards Sacramento in Cordelia. In 4 hours, they had cited over 100 drivers not observing the "open scales" signage and driving on by.
I asked and was told to continue driving through all scales even when the camper is mounted. Pretty much sums it up. He did mention that newer trucks with a GVW of 11,400 and stock truck beds are in a grey area now.
I would be curious to hear others chime in with actual accounts of any similar experiences.
When you say cited,,does that mean a monetary fine ?
How much?
Seems to me just like another money grabing scheme..
Im all for enforcing safety,but what puzles me is,,
how would they determine if non comercial truck carying camper is overweight??
