If a state enforces the manufactures ratings, per federal bridge laws, NO FEDERAL FUNDS can be used to build or maintain that road! This also means, any and all federal funds can and will be with held from that state, until they give you the max of the road bed design limits!
I know the above gets quoted multiple times in Washington states weight laws. I also know I can legally go down the road above the manufactures warranty performance ratings, per multiple cveo/leo's I've talked to, taken classes from, pulled me over, read up on laws etc.
Best practice for anyone, is stay under gawr's of a vehicle. With that said, going over may or may not cause you a legal problem. As I noted earlier, you may meet the weight laws, but fail the braking specs, or multitudes of other regs you have to follow.
Being overweight is not like driving drunk, speeding etc from a ticket standpoint. You can not go to jail by being just over weight per say. It might be a part of the issue.
In 40 something years of commercial style driving, being pulled over with light and medium duty trucks, I have yet to get an overweight ticket! That includes a time I was 1200 lbs over registered weight, 150% of door sticker gvwr! I was 1000 lbs under max bridge law amount per axle. Got a 10 day up the paid gvwr by a ton. What really at the end of the day, was pea gravel falling out of barn doors on IHC. That was a $200 moving violation ticket. So reported to DOL, insurance company etc. That day cost me a few bucks! For a few years.
Marty
