Larry has FINALLY brought up the different laws that effect us. FMVSS is one type of law. That is the performance cert specs that the manufactures have to follow when building vehicles that travel along and OVER the roads.
Weight laws, specifically the "Federal Bridge Laws" is licensing and the performance spec that we as drivers have to follow! ie we will not point load the road beyond a certain wt, such that the road bed/bridges fail as we drive over them! We can destroy the roads, that "WE THE PEOPLE" own if we run a rig that has two 25K axels, at 50K total lbs. Because the road was only designed to carry a rig at 20K per axel. At 50K lbs, you are flexing the road bed too much, and you get potholes etc. This is the point of the FBL laws. And WHY, you can legally go over the FMVSS laws when going across weight scales. As the LEO is only licensed if you will, to enforce the safety of the road bed itself! They do not have the authority, as i understand it, to enforce the FMVSS or equal laws!
In my example, one meets the fmvss law standpoint, which is what most if not all of you are trying to say we need to follow, but reality is, the FBL is the lower spec that we need to follow. If the FBL is the higher spec......whether you like it or not, one can follow that one. BUT< if I get pulled over, the LEO thinks I am unsafe. They can do a field test check of brakes, ie get me to 25 mph, hit the brakes, if I do not stop with in 25' or 35' depending upon total gvw, I have a failed braking system, and get a red tag and told "NOT TO MOVE" the rig until the braking system is fixed! Or I have to have the rig hauled off the side of the road to a repair yard on a flat bed.
Marty
